English Vocabulary
Pick a CEFR level (A1–C2) — 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.
Choose your level
All 27,237 words
335 words
stonecutter
C2
/ˈstoʊnˌkʌtɚ/
a person who cuts, carves, or dresses stone
ostler
C2
/ˈɑslɚ/
historically, a worker at an inn or stable who cared for travelers' horses
lamplighter
C2
/ˈlæmˌplaɪtɝ/
A person employed to light streetlights at dusk and snuff them at dawn.
shipwright
C2
/ˈʃɪp.raɪt/
a craftsperson who builds or repairs ships, especially wooden ones
workflow
C1
/ˈwɝkfloʊ/
the sequence of steps, people, and tools by which work is completed
millwright
C2
/ˈmɪlˌraɪt/
historical: a craftsperson who designs, builds, or repairs mills and their machinery
carder
C2
/ˈkɑrdɚ/
a worker who cards wool or other fiber, disentangling and aligning it before spinning
perfumer
C1
/pɚˈfjuːmɚ/
a person who creates, blends, or sells perfumes
ratcatcher
C2
/ˈrætˌkætʃɚ/
a person employed to catch or destroy rats and other vermin
commissionaire
C2
/kəˌmɪʃəˈnɛr/
chiefly British, historical: a uniformed attendant or doorman at a hotel, theater, office, or other public building
métier
C2
/meɪˈtjeɪ/
an occupation or field of work for which a person is particularly well suited
directress
C2
/dəˈrɛktrəs/
A female director.
currier
C2
/ˈkʌɹɪɚ/
a craftsperson who dresses and finishes tanned leather by scraping, softening, coloring, and treating it
maintainer
B1
/meɪnˈteɪnɚ/
a person responsible for keeping equipment, a system, or a place in good condition
nailer
B1
/ˈneɪlɚ/
a worker who attaches something by nailing it
distiller
C2
/dɪˈstɪlər/
a person who makes distilled spirits or purifies liquids by distillation
pieman
C2
/ˈpaɪˌmæn/
a man who makes or sells pies, especially a street vendor
bootmaker
C2
/ˈbuːtˌmeɪ.kɚ/
a craftsperson or manufacturer who makes boots
computerize
C2
/kəmˈpjuːtɝˌaɪz/
To start using computers to do a job or run a system that was once done by hand.
woodchopper
C2
/ˈwʊdˌtʃɑpɚ/
a person whose work is cutting trees or chopping wood
slavey
C2
/ˈsleɪ.vi/
dated, informal, and often offensive: a female domestic servant who performs general or menial household work
costumier
C2
/kɑːsˈtuːmieɪ/
a person or company that designs, makes, supplies, or hires out costumes, especially for theatre
ambassadress
C2
/æmˈbæsədrəs/
dated: a female ambassador or a woman acting as an emissary
shikari
C2
/ʃɪˈkɑː.riː/
a hunter or skilled tracker, especially in the Indian subcontinent
coppersmith
C2
/ˈkɑpərˌsmɪθ/
a craftsperson who makes or repairs objects of copper
ploughboy
C2
/ˈplaʊˌbɔɪ/
historical: a boy employed to guide draught animals pulling a plough or to assist a ploughman
shoemaking
C2
/ˈʃuːˌmeɪkɪŋ/
the craft, trade, or process of making shoes
balky
B2
/ˈbɔki/
Refusing to move, work, or cooperate.
raftsman
C2
/ˈræftsmən/
dated: a person who operates, travels on, or works aboard a raft
costermonger
C2
/ˈkɑːstərˌmʌŋɡər/
a street vendor who sells fruit and vegetables from a cart, barrow, or stall
heaver
C2
/ˈhiːvə(ɹ)/
a worker who lifts or carries heavy freight, especially at a dock
dairymaid
C2
/ˈdɛriˌmeɪd/
historical: a woman or girl employed to milk cows and perform other dairy work
artel
C2
/ɑːrˈtɛl/
a traditional Russian or Soviet cooperative association of workers or craftspeople
pastrycook
C2
/ˈpeɪstriˌkʊk/
a cook or shopkeeper who specializes in pastries, cakes, and desserts
wage-earner
B2
/ˈweɪdʒˌɝː.nɚ/
a person who works in return for wages or a salary, especially as distinguished from an employer or someone living on investments
coadjutor
C2
/ˌkoʊəˈdʒuːtɚ/
a person who works jointly with and assists another; a helper or colleague
parlourmaid
C2
/ˈpɑːr.lərˌmeɪd/
historical: a domestic maid responsible for receiving visitors, serving meals, and caring for reception rooms
hydrographer
C2
/haɪˈdrɑːɡrəfər/
a specialist who surveys, measures, and charts oceans, rivers, coasts, and other bodies of water, especially for navigation
gunmaker
C2
/ˈɡʌnˌmeɪkər/
One who manufactures guns.
potman
C2
/ˈpɑtˌmæn/
a man employed in a public house to serve drink, collect empty pots or glasses, and perform other tasks
roundsman
C2
/ˈraʊndz.mən/
historically, a poor-law laborer sent in rotation by an English parish to work for local employers, with the parish supplementing the wage
inventress
C2+
/ɪnˈvɛntrəs/
dated: a woman who invents; a female inventor
stipendiary
C2
/staɪˈpɛndiˌɛri/
receiving a fixed stipend or salary, especially for clerical, judicial, or public service
hosier
C2
/ˈhoʊʒɚ/
a person who makes or sells stockings, socks, and other hosiery
shopboy
C2+
/ˈʃɑːpˌbɔɪ/
historical: a boy or young male assistant employed in a shop
brickmaker
C2
/ˈbrɪkˌmeɪkɚ/
a person who makes bricks, especially by preparing clay and molding, drying, or firing it
whaleman
C2
/ˈweɪl.mən/
historical: a man employed in whaling, especially a crew member aboard a whaling ship; loosely, any whaler
tradesperson
B2
/ˈtreɪdzˌpɝsən/
a skilled manual worker in a particular trade or craft
harpooneer
C2
/ˌhɑːr.puːˈnɪr/
historical whaling: a specialist who throws or fires the harpoon, typically stationed in the bow of a whaleboat
prolifically
C1
/proʊˈlɪfɪkli/
In a way that produces a great deal of work or results; abundantly.
superannuate
C2
/ˌsuːpɚˈænjueɪt/
to retire someone from service, often with a pension, because of age or infirmity
porkman
C2+
/ˈpɔrkmən/
a person who produces and sells pork.
nurserymaid
C2
/ˈnɝː.sɚ.iˌmeɪd/
historical, chiefly British: a female domestic servant employed to care for young children, often as an assistant to a nurse or nanny
estanciero
C2
/ˌɛstɑːnsiˈɛroʊ/
in South America, especially Argentina and Uruguay: the owner or manager of an estancia, a large ranch or landed estate
shopman
C2
/ˈʃɑpmən/
a man who owns, manages, or operates a shop; now chiefly historical
post office
A2
undertaking
C2+
/ˌʌndɚˈteɪkɪŋ/
a task or project, especially a difficult one; a formal pledge
avocation
C2+
/ˌævəˈkeɪʃən/
a hobby or minor occupation pursued alongside one's main vocation
accede
C2+
/ækˈsid/
to agree to a request, or to assume an office
derivative
C2+
/dɪˈrɪvətɪv/
imitative of others' work; a thing based on another source
firing
C2+
/ˈfaɪərɪŋ/
the act of discharging a weapon, dismissing staff, or baking pottery
incompatible
C2+
/ˌɪnkəmˈpætəbəl/
unable to exist or work together harmoniously
abridgment
C2+
/əˈbrɪdʒmənt/
a shortened version of a written work; a condensation
accession
C2+
/ækˈsɛʃən/
the attainment of a rank, office, or throne
botch
C2+
/bɑtʃ/
to spoil through clumsiness; a bungled piece of work
bungle
C2+
/ˈbʌŋɡəl/
to carry out clumsily or incompetently; a botched job
hustle
C2+
/ˈhʌsəl/
to move or work energetically; to push or jostle
journeyman
C2+
/ˈdʒɜrnimən/
a trained worker qualified in a trade; a competent but unremarkable performer
managerial
C2+
/ˌmænəˈdʒɪriəl/
relating to the work or skills of a manager
absenteeism
C2+
/ˌæbsənˈtiɪzəm/
the habitual practice of being absent from work or duty
bishopric
C2+
/ˈbɪʃəprɪk/
the office or diocese of a bishop
depose
C2+
/dɪˈpoʊz/
to remove from office or power; to testify under oath
entropy
C2+
/ˈɛntrəpi/
a measure of disorder or of energy unavailable for work in a system
fag
C2+
/fæɡ/
a tiring or tedious task; (British informal) a cigarette
furtherance
C2+
/ˈfɜrðərəns/
the advancement or promotion of a plan or interest
hobo
C2+
/ˈhoʊboʊ/
a migratory worker or homeless vagrant, especially one riding trains
insinuate
C2+
/ɪnˈsɪnjuˌeɪt/
to suggest indirectly; to introduce or work in subtly
jobless
C2+
/ˈdʒɑbləs/
without paid employment; unemployed
jut
C2+
/dʒʌt/
to extend or project sharply beyond a surface
opus
C2+
/ˈoʊpəs/
an artistic work, especially a musical composition numbered in a composer's output
overture
C2+
/ˈoʊvɚtʃɚ/
an orchestral introduction to a larger work, or an opening approach or proposal
presidentship
C2+
/ˈprɛzɪdəntʃɪp/
the office or term of a president
protuberate
C2+
/proʊˈtjubəreɪt/
to bulge out or project beyond a surface
sus
C2+
/sʌs/
suspicious or suspect; to suspect or work something out
vocation
C2+
/voʊˈkeɪʃən/
a strong sense of suitability for a particular career or calling
beetle
C2+
/ˈbitəl/
an insect with hardened forewings; also to project or overhang
benchfellow
C2+
/ˈbɛntʃˌfɛloʊ/
one who shares a bench; a companion or colleague (archaic)
bravo
C2+
/ˈbrɑvoʊ/
a shout of approval; also a hired assassin or daring villain
cabdriving
C2+
/ˈkæbˌdraɪvɪŋ/
the occupation of driving a taxicab
calling
C2+
/ˈkɔlɪŋ/
a strong inner urge toward a vocation or profession
chancellery
C2+
/ˈtʃænsələri/
the office, staff, or residence of a chancellor
confrere
C2+
/ˈkɑnfrɛr/
a fellow member of a profession or association; a colleague
employable
C2+
/ɪmˈplɔɪəbəl/
having skills or qualities that make one suitable for work
examinership
C2+
/ɪɡˈzæmɪnɚˌʃɪp/
the office or process by which an insolvent company is placed under court protection
featherbed
C2+
/ˈfɛðɚˌbɛd/
to pamper, or to overstaff a job by enforcing wasteful labor practices
grillwork
C2+
/ˈɡrɪlˌwɚk/
ornamental work made of crossed metal bars