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Word
English Vocabulary
Pick a CEFR level (A1–C2, plus C2+ for rare words beyond the CEFR scale) — A1 is the friendliest place to start — and browse its words grouped by topic: travel, food, the body, emotions, and more. Each word shows its meaning, example sentences, and US/UK pronunciation.
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All 27,899 wordsC2+ is beyond the official CEFR scale: rare, specialist, and literary words kept for reference.
518 words
hare
C2
/hɛɚ/
swift timid long-eared mammal larger than a rabbit having a divided upper lip and long hind legs
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tit
C2
/tɪt/
a small, active songbird that often feeds on insects and seeds
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flea
A2
/fliː/
A tiny jumping insect that bites animals and people and feeds on their blood.
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peacock
C1
/ˈpiː.kɑːk/
A large male bird with a long, brightly coloured tail that it can spread out like a fan.
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sparrow
B2
/ˈspæɹ.oʊ/
A small, common brown and gray bird with a short beak.
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goldfish
B1
/ˈɡoʊldfɪʃ/
a small domesticated freshwater fish, usually orange or golden, commonly kept in ponds or aquariums
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tweet
C2
/ˈtwit/
a short, high-pitched chirping sound, especially one made by a small bird
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skunk
C2
/skʌŋk/
a small black-and-white American mammal that can spray a powerful-smelling defensive fluid
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clam
B2
/klæm/
A sea animal with a soft body inside two hard shells, often eaten as food.
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cockroach
B2
/ˈkɑkˌroʊtʃ/
a fast-running, usually flattened insect of the order Blattodea, several species of which are common household pests
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das
B1
/dɑːz/
any of several small ungulate mammals of Africa and Asia with rodent-like incisors and feet with hooflike toes
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alligator
B1
/ˈæl.ɪ.ɡeɪ.tɚ/
a large semiaquatic reptile related to crocodiles, with a broad rounded snout
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moth
C2
/mɔθ/
Any flying insect of the order Lepidoptera not in the superfamily Papilionoidea, most species of which are nocturnal and can be distinguished from butterflies by feather-like antennae.
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unicorn
C2
/ˈju.nɪ.kɔɹn/
A mythical horse, widely believed to exist until the 17th century, with a single, straight, spiraled horn projecting from its forehead.
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noose
C2
/nuːs/
a trap for birds or small mammals
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antenna
C1
/ænˈtɛn.ə/
one of a pair of mobile appendages on the head of e.g. insects and crustaceans
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zebra
B2
/ˈzɛbɹə/
A wild African animal like a horse, with black and white stripes.
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beak
B2
/ˈbiːk/
The hard, pointed mouth of a bird.
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squeak
B2
/skwiːk/
a short, high-pitched sound made by a small animal or by objects rubbing together
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vermin
C2
/ˈvɝmɪn/
Small harmful animals or insects, such as rats, mice, or fleas, that are hard to control.
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hedgehog
C1
/ˈhɛd͡ʒ.hɒɡ/
A small spiny mammal that rolls into a ball when threatened and is active at night.
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kangaroo
B2
/ˌkæŋɡəˈru/
A large Australian animal with strong back legs that moves by jumping and carries its young in a pouch.
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aquarium
C1
/əˈkwɛɹ.i.jəm/
A glass tank or bowl filled with water for keeping fish and other water animals.
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lark
B2
/lɑɹk/
A small brown bird known for its tuneful singing, often heard high in the sky.
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raccoon
C2
/ræˈkuːn/
a nocturnal North American mammal with a black facial mask, dexterous forepaws, and a ringed tail
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giraffe
B1
/dʒɪˈɹaf/
A tall African animal with a very long neck and legs and spotted skin.
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hutch
C2
/hʌtʃ/
a cage or enclosed box in which rabbits or other small animals are kept
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eel
C2
/iːl/
Any freshwater fish of the order Anguilliformes, which are elongated and resemble snakes.
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snail
C1
/sneɪl/
A small slow-moving animal with a soft body and a spiral shell on its back.
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cheetah
B1
/ˈtʃiːtə/
a slender, long-legged spotted cat of Africa and Iran, noted for its exceptional speed over short distances
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mink
C1
/mɪŋk/
a small, dark-furred semiaquatic carnivorous mammal related to weasels
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stallion
C1
/ˈstæljən/
an adult uncastrated male horse, especially one kept for breeding
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fern
C2
/fɝn/
Any of a group of some twenty thousand species of vascular plants classified in the division Pteridophyta that lack seeds and reproduce by shedding spores to initiate an alternation of generations.
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fetus
C1
/ˈfiːtəs/
An unborn or unhatched vertebrate showing signs of the mature animal.
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swarm
B1
/swɔɹm/
A large group of insects, especially bees, flying close together.
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safari
B1
/səˈfɑːɹ.i/
A trip, usually in Africa, to watch or photograph wild animals in their natural surroundings.
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catfish
B2
/ˈkætˌfɪʃ/
a mainly freshwater fish with whiskerlike barbels around its mouth
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roach
C2
/roʊtʃ/
a silvery-green European freshwater fish, or any of several related fishes
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poodle
B2
/ˈpu.dəl/
a breed of intelligent dog with a dense, curly coat, occurring in standard, miniature, and toy sizes
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mammoth
B2
/ˈmæm.əθ/
a large extinct elephant-like mammal of the genus Mammuthus, often with long curved tusks and a hairy coat
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wasp
B2
/wɑsp/
A flying insect with a thin black-and-yellow body that can give a painful sting.
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carmine
C2
/ˈkɑɹmaɪn/
a vivid purplish-red pigment or dye traditionally made from cochineal insects
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runt
C2
/rʌnt/
the smallest or weakest animal in a litter
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mackerel
C2
/ˈmækərəl/
a streamlined sea fish with dark wavy markings, commonly caught for food
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ostrich
C2
/ˈɔs.tɹɪt͡ʃ/
fast-running African flightless bird with two-toed feet
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grasshopper
B1
/ˈɡɹæsˌhɑpɚ/
a plant-eating insect with powerful hind legs adapted for jumping
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hoof
C1
/hʊf/
the hard covering at the end of the foot of a horse, deer, sheep, or other ungulate
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ferret
C2
/ˈfɛɹɪt/
domesticated albino variety of the European polecat bred for hunting rats and rabbits
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mantis
C2
/ˈmæntɪs/
a predatory insect of the order Mantodea, with a mobile triangular head and powerful grasping forelegs held as if in prayer
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chameleon
C2
/kəˈmi.li.ən/
A small to mid-size reptile, of the family Chamaeleonidae, and one of the best known lizard families able to change color and project its long tongue.
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rodent
B2
/ˈɹəʊdənt/
relatively small placental mammals having a single pair of constantly growing incisor teeth specialized for gnawing
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dodo
B2
/ˈdoʊdoʊ/
a large flightless bird formerly native to Mauritius that became extinct in the seventeenth century
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jackal
C2+
/ˈd͡ʒækəl/
an Old World nocturnal canine mammal closely related to the dog
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stork
B2
/stɔɹk/
a large long-legged wading bird with a long straight bill, belonging to the family Ciconiidae
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louse
C1
/laʊs/
a small, wingless parasitic insect that lives on the skin, hair, or feathers of a person or animal
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coney
C2
/ˈkoʊni/
archaic or historical: a rabbit, especially the European rabbit, or its fur
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snout
C2
/snaʊt/
The long, projecting nose, mouth, and jaw of a beast, as of pigs.
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chirp
A2
/t͡ʃɚp/
A short, high, cheerful sound made by a small bird or insect.
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hyena
B2
/haɪˈiː.nə/
a strong-jawed carnivorous mammal of Africa and Asia, known for scavenging and for calls that can resemble laughter
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walrus
C2+
/ˈwɑl.ɹəs/
A large Arctic marine mammal related to seals and having long tusks, tough, wrinkled skin, and four flippers, Odobenus rosmarus.
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pug
C2
/pʌɡ/
a small, sturdy dog with a short muzzle, broad wrinkled face, smooth coat, and tightly curled tail
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scavenger
C2
/ˈskævəndʒɝ/
An animal that feeds on dead bodies or rotting matter.
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gallop
C2
/ˈɡæləp/
a fast gait of a horse
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mane
B2
/meɪn/
Longer hair growth on back of neck of an animal, especially a horse or lion.
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hock
C2
/hɑːk/
the joint in the hind leg of a horse or other hoofed animal between the knee and the fetlock
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pelican
B2
/ˈpɛlɪkən/
a large waterbird with a long bill and a broad, expandable throat pouch used for catching fish
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filly
C2
/ˈfɪli/
a young female horse, especially one below the age at which it is called a mare
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flamingo
B1
/fləˈmɪŋɡoʊ/
a tall wading bird with long legs, a curved bill, and usually pink or reddish feathers
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rhea
C2
/ˈriːə/
a large, fast-running, flightless bird native to South America, with long legs and three-toed feet
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yelp
C2
/jɛlp/
a sharp, high-pitched cry, especially by a dog
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dragonfly
C2
/ˈdræɡənˌflaɪ/
a predatory insect with a long body, very large eyes, and two pairs of transparent wings held open at rest, especially one of the infraorder Anisoptera
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rump
C2
/ˈɹʌmp/
the hindquarters of an animal, or informally the buttocks of a person
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beagle
B2
/ˈbiːɡəl/
A small dog with short legs and a smooth coat, often kept as a pet and used for hunting.
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albatross
C2
/ˈæl.bəˌtɹɔs/
a very large oceanic bird with long, narrow wings adapted for gliding great distances
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roost
C2
/ɹuːst/
a perch on which a bird rests or sleeps
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greyhound
C2
/ˈɡɹeɪhaʊnd/
a tall slender dog of an ancient breed noted for swiftness and keen sight
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horseshoe
B2
/ˈhɔːɹs.ʃuː/
a U-shaped metal plate fixed to a horse's hoof
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harpoon
C2
/hɑːrˈpuːn/
a heavy spear with a barbed head, usually attached to a line, thrown or fired to catch whales and other large aquatic animals
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shrew
C1
/ʃɹuː/
a small, active, insect-eating mammal with a pointed snout, resembling a mouse
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rhinoceros
B2
/ɹaɪˈnɑ.sə.ɹəs/
A large, heavy African or Asian animal with thick grey skin and one or two horns on its nose.
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manger
C1
/ˈmeɪn.dʒɚ/
an open box or trough in a stable from which horses, cattle, or other animals feed
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sardine
C2
/sɑrˈdiːn/
any of several small, oily, silvery fish related to herrings, especially a pilchard
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mite
C1
/maɪt/
any of numerous minute arachnids, many of which live as parasites on animals or plants
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wildcat
C2
/ˈwaɪ.əldˌkæt/
a small or medium-sized cat that lives in the wild, especially a species resembling the domestic cat
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yoke
C2
/joʊk/
stable gear that joins two draft animals at the neck so they can work together as a team
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venomous
C2
/ˈvɛnəməs/
Of an animal: producing venom and able to inject it by biting or stinging.
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llama
C2
/ˈlɑː.mə/
a domesticated South American camelid kept as a pack animal and for its wool and meat
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cob
C2
/kɑb/
a strong, compact horse with short legs, commonly used for riding or pulling a carriage
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gar
C2
/ɡɑɹ/
any of several large North American freshwater fish with an armored body and long, toothed jaws
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primate
C2
/ˈpraɪˌmeɪt/
any mammal of the order Primates, including humans, apes, monkeys, lemurs, lorises, and tarsiers
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tigress
C1
/ˈtaɪ.ɡrəs/
a female tiger
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buzzard
C2
/ˈbʌzəɹd/
A large bird of prey with broad wings and a broad tail, common in Europe.
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racehorse
B2
/ˈreɪsˌhɔrs/
a horse bred and trained to compete in races
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magpie
C2
/ˈmæɡˌpaɪ/
A noisy black-and-white bird with a long tail, related to the crow.
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mew
C2
/mjuː/
a short, high-pitched cry made by a cat or similar animal
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lasso
C1
/ˈlæs.oʊ/
a long rope with a sliding loop used especially to catch cattle or horses
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