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.
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All 27,237 words
526 words
resonator
C1
/ˈrɛzəˌneɪtər/
an object, chamber, or part of an instrument that vibrates at particular frequencies and strengthens or shapes a sound
incubate
C1
/ˈɪŋkjʊbeɪt/
to keep eggs warm under conditions that allow embryos to develop and hatch
electrolysis
C2
/ˌɛˌlɛkˈtrɑːləsɪs/
The chemical change produced by passing an electric current through a conducting solution or a molten salt.
ionization
C1
/ˌaɪ.ə.nəˈzeɪ.ʃən/
the generation of one or more ions from atoms, molecules, or other chemical entities, for example through electron loss or gain or through dissociation
newtonian
B2
/nuˈtoʊniən/
relating to Isaac Newton, his scientific work, or the laws and methods derived from it
vivisection
C2
/ˌvɪvɪˈsɛkʃən/
surgical cutting into, or other invasive experimentation on, a living animal or organism for scientific research
vehement
C2
/ˈviː.hə.mənt/
marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions
phonetic
C2
/fəˈnɛt.ɪk/
of or relating to the scientific study of speech sounds
sunspot
C1
/ˈsʌnˌspɑt/
a temporary dark region on the Sun's photosphere that is cooler than its surroundings and has intense magnetic activity
chromosomal
C2
/ˌkɹoʊməˈsoʊməl/
relating to, carried on, or caused by chromosomes
prussic
C2
/ˈprʌs.ɪk/
dated in chemistry: relating to hydrogen cyanide or hydrocyanic acid, especially in the term prussic acid
gravitationally
C2
/ˌgrævəˈteɪʃnəli/
In a way relating to or caused by gravity.
elliptic
C2
/ɪˈlɪp.tɪk/
characterized by extreme economy of expression or omission of superfluous elements
experimenter
B2
/ɪkˈsper.əˌmen.tɚ/
a scientist or researcher who conducts an experiment
hyperbolic
C2
/ˌhaɪ.pɚˈbɔl.ɪk/
enlarged beyond truth or reasonableness
mitosis
C2
/maɪˈtoʊ.sɪs/
cell-nuclear division in which duplicated chromosomes separate into two genetically equivalent nuclei
ornithology
C2
/ˌɔɹnɪˈθɑlədʒi/
the branch of zoology concerned with the scientific study of birds
extant
C2
/ˈɛk.stənt/
Still existing; not lost or destroyed.
luminosity
C2
/ˌluː.məˈnɑː.sə.ti/
the quality or degree of giving off or reflecting light; brightness
igneous
C2
/ˈɪɡniəs/
geology: formed when molten magma or lava cools and solidifies
anatomist
C2
/əˈnætəmɪst/
One who studies, teaches, writes on, or does research on anatomy and anatomical structures.
interbreeding
B2
/ˌɪntɚˈbriːdɪŋ/
reproduction between animals or plants from different populations, breeds, varieties, or closely related species
variability
C1
/ˌvæɹ.i.əˈbɪl.ə.ti/
the quality of being subject to variation
positron
C2
/ˈpɑ.zɪ.tɹɑn/
an elementary particle with positive charge
alchemical
C2
/ælˈkɛmɪkəl/
relating to alchemy, an early tradition concerned with transforming matter
leaven
C2
/ˈlev.ən/
A substance, such as yeast, added to dough to make it rise.
trilobite
C2
/ˈtraɪloʊˌbaɪt/
an extinct Paleozoic marine arthropod with a segmented exoskeleton divided lengthwise into three lobes
experimentally
C1
/ɪkˌspɛrəˈmɛntəli/
in an experimental fashion
falsification
C2
/ˌfɔlsəfɪˈkeɪʃən/
the showing or proving that a claim, hypothesis, or statement is false
infrasound
C2+
/ˈɪnfrəˌsaʊnd/
sound waves having a frequency below the human audible range (below about 20 Hz).
foxfire
C2
/ˈfɑksˌfaɪər/
the faint glow produced by bioluminescent fungi growing on decaying wood
irradiation
B2
/ɪˌreɪ.diˈeɪ.ʃən/
the process of exposing a person, organism, food, or material to ionizing radiation
costal
C2
/ˈkɑːstəl/
anatomy: relating to a rib or the ribs
Silurian
C2
/sɪˈlʊɹiən/
relating to the geological period between the Ordovician and Devonian, about 444 to 419 million years ago
pleistocene
C2
/ˈplaɪ.stə.siːn/
the geological epoch from about 2.58 million to 11,700 years ago, preceding the Holocene
protoplasm
C2
/ˈproʊtəˌplæzəm/
the living contents of a cell, including its cytoplasm and nucleus
cyclotron
C2
/ˈsaɪ.kləˌtrɑːn/
a circular particle accelerator in which a magnetic field bends charged particles into an expanding spiral and an alternating electric field accelerates them whenever they cross the gap between electrodes
spectroscope
C2
/ˈspɛktɹəˌskoʊp/
an instrument that disperses electromagnetic radiation into its component wavelengths so that the resulting spectrum can be viewed or examined, especially in visible light
parthenogenesis
C2
/ˌpɑːrθənoʊˈdʒenəsɪs/
reproduction in which an embryo develops from an unfertilized egg
photoelectric
C2
/ˌfoʊtoʊɪˈlɛktrɪk/
of or pertaining to photoelectricity
fluorescence
C2
/flʊˈɹɛsəns/
The emission of light (or other electromagnetic radiation) by a material when stimulated by the absorption of radiation or of a subatomic particle.
artesian
C2
/ɑrˈtiːʒən/
of groundwater that is confined under pressure and can rise in a well above the level at which it is first reached
hybridization
C2
/ˌhaɪbrədəˈzeɪʃən/
the crossing of genetically different organisms, varieties, or species to produce hybrids
pion
C2
/ˈpaɪˌɑːn/
any of three unstable spin-zero mesons, positively charged, negatively charged, or neutral, made from combinations of up and down quarks and antiquarks
electrochemical
C2
/ˌəˌlɛktroʊˈkɛmɪkəl/
of or involving electrochemistry
relativistic
C2
/ˌrɛlətɪˈvɪstɪk/
relating or subject to the special or the general theory of relativity
spectrograph
C2
/ˈspɛk.trəˌɡræf/
an instrument that separates radiation, sound, or charged particles into a spectrum and records or maps the resulting distribution
prostration
C2
/pɹɒsˈtɹeɪʃən/
an abrupt failure of function or complete physical exhaustion
refractive
C2
/rɪˈfræktɪv/
relating to refraction or to the bending of light, sound, or another wave
unverified
C1
/ˌʌnˈvɛrəˌfaɪd/
not yet checked or confirmed as accurate, authentic, or true
pipette
C2
/paɪˈpet/
a narrow graduated tube used to measure or transfer a small quantity of liquid
Carboniferous
C2
/ˌkɑɹbəˈnɪfɚəs/
relating to the geological period between the Devonian and Permian, about 359 to 299 million years ago
plasticity
C1
/plæsˈtɪsəti/
the capacity of a material to be reshaped permanently without breaking
nodule
C2
/ˈnɑːdʒuːl/
a small rounded lump, knot, or mass in tissue, rock, or another material
phosphor
C2
/ˈfɑs.fɚ/
a substance that emits light after being excited by radiation or another form of energy, as in fluorescent lamps and display screens
lodestone
C2
/ˈloʊdˌstoʊn/
a naturally magnetized piece of magnetite capable of attracting iron
chaffinch
C2
/ˈt͡ʃæfɪnt͡ʃ/
small European finch with a cheerful song
psychical
C2
/ˈsaɪkɪkəl/
Performed by or pertaining to the psyche (the mind, spirit, or both): mental, psychic.
tannin
C2
/ˈtænɪn/
any of a group of astringent plant compounds that bind proteins and are found in bark, leaves, fruit, tea, and wine
precession
C2
/priːˈsɛʃən/
the slow conical motion of a spinning body's rotation axis, usually caused by an external torque
parasitical
C2
/ˌpɛɹəˈsɪtɪkəl/
relating to, caused by, or living as a parasite; parasitic
magnetize
C1
/ˈmæɡnəˌtaɪz/
to give a material the properties of a magnet, or to become magnetic
ammonite
C2
/ˈæ.məˌnaɪt/
one of the coiled chambered fossil shells of extinct mollusks
interferometer
C2
/ˌɪn.tɚ.fəˈrɑː.mə.tɚ/
an instrument that superimposes two or more waves and analyzes their interference pattern to make precise measurements of distance, wavelength, refractive index, or related quantities
phrenology
C2
/frəˈnɑːlədʒi/
historical: a discredited system that claimed a person's character and mental faculties could be read from the shape of the skull
muon
C2
/ˈmju.ɑːn/
an unstable elementary lepton with about 207 times the electron's mass; the negative muon has the electron's charge, and its antiparticle is the positive antimuon
ethnologist
C2
/ɛθˈnɑːlədʒɪst/
a scholar who studies and compares peoples, cultures, and social institutions, especially within the field of ethnology
neutralization
C1
/ˌnuːtɹəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
The act of stopping something from having an effect by balancing it out.
metamorphic
C2
/ˌmɛtəˈmɔɹfɪk/
relating to rock altered by intense heat, pressure, or chemically active fluids without fully melting
stalactite
C2
/stəˈlæktaɪt/
an icicle-shaped mineral deposit that hangs from the roof of a cave
stria
C2
/ˈstraɪə/
a narrow stripe, streak, or band, especially one of a parallel series in tissue, plumage, or another patterned surface
Devonian
C2
/dɪˈvoʊniən/
the geological period of the Paleozoic Era between the Silurian and Carboniferous periods, about 419 to 359 million years ago
suborbital
C1
/ˌsʌbˈɔːrbɪtəl/
following a trajectory that rises into space but does not complete an orbit
pneumatics
C1
/nuːˈmætɪks/
the branch of mechanics concerned with gases and their use to transmit force, especially through compressed air
plutonic
C2
/pluˈtɑnɪk/
of igneous rock formed when magma cools and solidifies deep below the earth's surface
corpuscle
C2
/ˈkɔɹˌpʌsəl/
a blood cell, especially a red or white blood cell; now chiefly used in older or nontechnical language
alluvial
C2
/ˌæˈluːviːəl/
Pertaining to the soil deposited by a stream.
undifferentiated
C2
/ˌʌndɪfəˈrɛnʃieɪtɪd/
not divided, distinguished, or developed into different parts or types
meson
C2
/ˈmez.ɑːn/
a hadron with integer spin, conventionally composed of a quark and an antiquark bound by the strong interaction; pions and kaons are mesons
refract
C2
/rɪˈfrækt/
to make light, sound, or another wave change direction as it passes between media
electrolytic
C2
/ɨˌlɛk.tɹɵˈlɪ.tɪk/
of or concerned with or produced by electrolysis
attractor
C1
/əˈtræktɚ/
a person, thing, or quality that draws interest, attention, or other things toward it
fallibility
C2
/fæləˈbɪləti/
The state of being prone to error.
ichthyologist
C2
/ˌɪkθiˈɑːlədʒɪst/
a scientist or specialist who studies fish
monad
C2
/ˈmoʊnæd/
An ultimate atom, or simple, unextended point; something ultimate and indivisible.
crustal
C1
/ˈkrʌstəl/
relating to or forming the outer crust of the Earth, Moon, or another planetary body
spectroscopic
C2
/ˌspɛktrəˈskɑpɪk/
relating to spectroscopy or to the production, measurement, or analysis of spectra
breccia
C2
/ˈbrɛtʃiə/
rock composed of angular fragments cemented together in a finer-grained matrix
datum
C2
/ˈdeɪtəm/
one item of factual information used for measurement or reasoning
mutagenic
C2
/ˌmjuːtəˈdʒɛnɪk/
capable of causing genetic mutation, or relating to the production of mutations
prescience
C2
/ˈpɹɛʃəns/
Knowledge of events before they take place.
stratification
C2
/ˌstrætəfɪˈkeɪʃən/
the formation, arrangement, or classification of something into distinct layers
hydrodynamic
C2
/ˌhaɪ.droʊ.daɪˈnæm.ɪk/
relating to the motion of liquids and the forces acting on bodies in moving liquids
galvanism
C2
/ˈɡælvəˌnɪzəm/
electricity produced by chemical action, especially as understood in early electrical science
unverifiable
C2
/ˌʌnˌvɛrəˈfaɪəbəl/
not capable of being checked, confirmed, or established as true by available evidence or method
ecliptic
C2
/ɪˈklɪptɪk/
the great circle on the celestial sphere representing the Sun's apparent yearly path