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
groundwork
C2+
/ˈɡraʊndˌwɚk/
the preliminary work that forms a foundation
imitator
C2+
/ˈɪmɪˌteɪtɚ/
one who copies the behavior or work of another
inauguration
C2+
/ɪˌnɔɡjəˈreɪʃən/
the formal ceremony marking the start of an office or undertaking
investiture
C2+
/ɪnˈvɛstətʃɚ/
the formal ceremony of conferring rank, office, or authority
jean
C2+
/dʒin/
a heavy twilled cotton cloth used for work clothes
licensure
C2+
/ˈlaɪsənʃɚ/
the granting of a license, especially to practice a profession
occupationless
C2+
/ˌɑkjəˈpeɪʃənləs/
having no job, profession, or regular activity
plasterwork
C2+
/ˈplæstɚˌwɚk/
decorative or structural work made of plaster, especially on walls and ceilings
plumbery
C2+
/ˈplʌməri/
the trade or work of a plumber; plumbing
powwow
C2+
/ˈpaʊˌwaʊ/
a Native American gathering or ceremony; an informal meeting for discussion
severance
C2+
/ˈsɛvərəns/
the act of ending or separating; pay given on termination of employment
swink
C2+
/swɪŋk/
to labour or toil hard; archaic word for hard work
temp
C2+
/tɛmp/
a temporary employee, especially in an office
tenancy
C2+
/ˈtɛnənsi/
the possession or occupation of land or property by rental tenure
unionization
C2+
/ˌjunjənəˈzeɪʃən/
the process of forming or joining a labor union
unionize
C2+
/ˈjunjəˌnaɪz/
to organize workers into a labor union
workfellow
C2+
/ˈwɝk.fɛl.oʊ/
a fellow worker; a colleague
workless
C2+
/ˈwɝk.ləs/
without work; unemployed
flail
B2
/fleɪl/
to wave or swing the arms or legs about wildly and uncontrollably
indentured
C1
/ɪnˈdɛntʃərd/
bound by a formal contract to work for another for a specified time, often without pay in exchange for passage to a new country
lawyering
C1
/ˈlɔɪərɪŋ/
the practice or profession of working as a lawyer, involving legal advice and representation
coal-heaver
C2+
/ˈkoʊlˌhiːvɚ/
a worker who carries or unloads coal
aulnager
C2+
Alternative form of alnager.
mender
B2
/ˈmɛndər/
a person who repairs something
maltster
C2
/ˈmɔːl(t)stər/
a person or business that makes malt from grain, especially barley
woodsawyer
C2+
/ˈwʊdˌsɔɪɚ/
a worker whose occupation is sawing wood or timber
gold seeker
C1
/ˈɡoʊld ˌsiː.kɚ/
a person who searches or prospects for gold, especially someone drawn to a gold-rush region
scissors-grinder
C2
/ˈsɪz.ɚz ˌɡraɪn.dɚ/
historical: a person, often an itinerant craft worker, who sharpens scissors and other cutting tools on a grinding wheel
apir
C2+
/əˈpɪr/
historical, Chilean mining: a worker who carried broken ore from an underground mine to the surface in a leather pack on the back
day laborer
B2
/ˈdeɪ ˌleɪ.bɚ.ɚ/
a worker hired and paid by the day, especially for temporary or unskilled manual work
wool comber
C2
/ˈwʊl ˌkoʊmɚ/
a worker who combs wool to align its long fibers and remove short fibers before spinning
fish curer
C2
/ˈfɪʃ ˌkjʊrɚ/
a person or business that preserves fish by salting, drying, smoking, pickling, or another curing process
flax-dresser
C2
/ˈflæksˌdrɛsɚ/
a worker who prepares flax or hemp fiber for spinning by breaking, scutching, and hackling it
neatherd
C2+
/ˈniːtˌhɝːd/
archaic: a person who tends cattle or oxen; a cowherd
saltmaker
C2
/ˈsɔltˌmeɪkər/
a person or business that produces salt, especially by evaporating brine or seawater
ice cutter
C2+
/ˈaɪsˌkʌtɚ/
historical: a worker who cuts and harvests blocks of natural ice from a frozen lake, pond, or river
knife grinder
C2+
/ˈnaɪf ˌɡraɪndɚ/
a person whose trade is sharpening knives and other edged tools, traditionally while traveling from place to place
whitesmith
C2
/ˈwaɪtˌsmɪθ/
a craftsperson who works in tin, tinplate, or pewter; a tinsmith
ploughwright
C2+
/ˈplaʊˌraɪt/
a craftsperson who makes or repairs ploughs
coal-whipper
C2+
/ˈkoʊlˌwɪpɚ/
historical: a dock worker who unloaded coal from a ship's hold using a rope-and-counterweight hoisting system
corn chandler
C2+
/ˈkɔrn ˌtʃændlər/
British, historical: a retailer or merchant dealing in cereal grain, seeds, animal feed, and related agricultural goods
gasfitter
C2
/ˈɡæsˌfɪt.ɚ/
a tradesperson who installs, connects, maintains, or repairs gas pipes, fixtures, and appliances
arriero
C2
/ˌɑːriˈeroʊ/
a muleteer or other person who transports goods using pack animals, especially in Spanish-speaking regions
teataster
C2+
/ˈtiːˌteɪ.stɚ/
a professional who samples, evaluates, and grades tea for quality, flavor, aroma, or blending
house-parlourmaid
C2+
/ˌhaʊsˈpɑːr.lɚˌmeɪd/
historical British: a female domestic servant who combined the cleaning duties of a housemaid with the table service and reception duties of a parlourmaid
coalheaver
C2+
/ˈkoʊlˌhiːvər/
historical: a laborer employed to unload, carry, or shovel coal
gownsman
C2+
/ˈɡaʊnzmən/
a member of a profession traditionally marked by a gown, especially a cleric, lawyer, or university member