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
841 words
guardianship
C1
/ˈgɑːrdiːənʃɪp/
The office or position of one acting as a guardian or conservator, especially in a legal capacity.
cheep
C2
/tʃiːp/
a short, high-pitched cry made by a young bird or another small animal
orifice
C2
/ˈɔɹəfɪs/
an aperture or hole that opens into a bodily cavity
stealthily
C2
/ˈstɛlθɪli/
in a stealthy manner
squalid
C2+
/ˈskwɒlɪd/
Extremely dirty and unpleasant.
songbird
C2
/ˈsɔŋˌbɝd/
a bird known for a musical call or song
carnivore
C2
/ˈkɑɹ.nɪ.voɹ/
any animal that feeds on flesh
neigh
B2
/neɪ/
of a horse, to make its characteristic high, prolonged cry
pore
C2
/poɹ/
A tiny opening in the skin.
palp
C2
/pælp/
a paired sensory or feeding appendage near the mouth of an arthropod or another invertebrate
whinny
C2
/ˈwɪn.i/
a gentle or relatively high-pitched neigh made by a horse
steamboat
C2
/ˈstimˌboʊt/
A boat or vessel propelled by steam power.
polygamy
C2
/pəˈlɪɡ.ə.mi/
The condition of having more than one spouse or marriage partner at one time.
crawfish
C2
/ˈkɹɔˌfɪʃ/
chiefly US: a small freshwater crustacean resembling a lobster; a crayfish
lapdog
C2
/ˈlæpˌdɔɡ/
a small, tame dog that can be held comfortably on a person's lap
mandible
C2
/ˈmæn.dɪb.(ə)l/
the jaw in vertebrates that is hinged to open the mouth
monocle
C2
/ˈmɑnəkəl/
lens for correcting defective vision in one eye
boisterous
C2
/ˈbɔɪstəɹəs/
violently agitated and turbulent
weevil
C2
/ˈwiːvəl/
a plant-eating beetle, typically with a long snout, many species of which damage stored grain or crops
tentacle
C1
/ˈtɛn.t̬ə.kəl/
a long, flexible organ of an animal, used for touching, grasping, feeding, or movement
thistle
C2
/θɪsl̩/
any of numerous plants of the family Compositae and especially of the genera Carduus and Cirsium and Onopordum having prickly-edged leaves
castration
C1
/kæˈstɹeɪ.ʃən/
surgical removal of the testes or ovaries (usually to inhibit hormone secretion in cases of breast cancer in women or prostate cancer in men)
cockerel
C2
/ˈkɑkərəl/
a young male domestic chicken, especially one less than a year old
varmint
C2+
/ˈvɑɹmɪnt/
a troublesome wild pest, especially around farms
basset
C2
/ˈbæsɪt/
a basset hound, a short-legged dog with long ears and a strong sense of smell
honeycomb
B2
/ˈhʌniˌkoʊm/
a structure of hexagonal wax cells made by bees to hold honey, pollen, and developing young
burro
C1
/ˈbɝː.oʊ/
a small donkey, especially one used as a pack animal in the southwestern United States or Mexico
ewe
C1
/juː/
An adult female sheep.
cuttlefish
C2
/ˈkʌt̬.əl.fɪʃ/
a marine cephalopod with eight arms, two longer tentacles, and a broad internal shell called a cuttlebone
woodcock
C2
/ˈwʊdˌkɑk/
a stocky woodland wading bird of the genus Scolopax, with mottled plumage and a long slender bill
bloodsucker
C2
/ˈblʌdˌsʌkɚ/
an animal, especially a leech or biting insect, that feeds by sucking blood
peregrine
C2
/ˈperɪɡrɪn/
the peregrine falcon, a powerful and widely distributed bird of prey noted for its extremely fast dive
menagerie
C2
/məˈnædʒ.ɚ.i/
a collection of wild or unusual animals kept for exhibition
sexton
C2
/ˈsɛk.stən/
A church official who looks after a church building and its graveyard and may act as a gravedigger and bell ringer.
dorsal
C2
/ˈdɔɹ.səl/
belonging to or on or near the back or upper surface of an animal or organ or part
man-eater
C2+
/ˈmænˌiːtɚ/
an animal that has killed and eaten humans, especially a tiger, lion, crocodile, or shark
bloodless
C2
/ˈblʌdləs/
destitute of blood or apparently so
caiman
C2
/ˈkeɪ.mən/
any crocodilian of the subfamily Caimaninae, native to Central and South America and closely related to alligators
ibis
C1
/ˈaɪbəs/
a long-legged wading bird with a long, downward-curving bill used to probe mud for food
thorax
C2
/ˈθɔɹæks/
The region of the mammalian body between the neck and abdomen as well as the cavity containing the heart and lungs.
mastodon
C2
/ˈmæs.tə.dɑn/
an extinct elephant-like mammal of the genus Mammut, distinguished from mammoths and elephants by the cone-shaped cusps on its molar teeth
gnat
C1
/næt/
a very small two-winged fly, especially one that swarms or bites
well-to-do
C2+
/ˌwɛltəˈdu/
Rich, prosperous, financially stable and comfortable.
woodchuck
C2
/ˈwʊd.t͡ʃʌk/
reddish brown North American marmot
manatee
C1
/ˈmænəˌtiː/
a large, slow-moving, plant-eating aquatic mammal of the genus Trichechus, with paddle-like flippers and a broad rounded tail
gibbon
C2
/ˈɡɪbən/
a small tailless ape of Southeast Asian forests, with very long arms adapted for swinging between branches
emu
C2
/ˈim(j)u/
large Australian flightless bird similar to the ostrich but smaller
cockatoo
C2
/ˌkɑkəˈtuː/
a parrot of the family Cacatuidae, typically having a prominent movable crest
fireside
C2
/ˈfaɪɝˌsaɪd/
A supplementary meeting in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
craw
C2
/krɔː/
the crop or food-storage pouch in the throat of a bird or some other animals
grindstone
C2
/ˈɡɹaɪn(d)ˌstoʊn/
a revolving stone shaped like a disk
complacency
C2
/kəmˈpleɪsənˌsiː/
self-satisfaction, contentment with one's situation
porpoise
C1
/ˈpɔːrpəs/
a small toothed whale of the family Phocoenidae, typically with a blunt snout
avian
C2
/ˈeɪvi.ən/
Relating to or typical of birds.
codfish
B2
/ˈkɑdˌfɪʃ/
a cod, especially one caught or prepared for food
earthworm
C2
/ˈɝːθˌwɝːm/
a segmented worm that lives in soil, where its burrowing helps mix and aerate the ground
meagre
C2
/ˈmiːɡɚ/
An edible fish, of species Argyrosomus regius, of the family Sciaenidae, found from the Black Sea to the eastern Atlantic.
simian
C2
/ˈsɪmiən/
relating to monkeys and apes
sulky
C2
/ˈsʌlki/
silent and withdrawn after being upset
chinchilla
C2
/tʃɪnˈtʃɪl.ə/
a small South American rodent with exceptionally dense, soft gray fur
warthog
C1
/ˈwɔɹtˌhɔɡ/
a large African wild pig with tusks and wartlike growths on its face
bevy
C2
/ˈbɛvi/
a flock of birds, especially when gathered close together on the ground
wantonly
C2
/ˈwɒntənli/
in a wanton manner
echidna
C2
/əˈkɪdnə/
a spiny, toothless, egg-laying mammal of Australia and New Guinea that feeds mainly on ants and termites
dachshund
C2
/ˈdɑksˌhʊnt/
a small dog of a German breed with a long body, very short legs, and long drooping ears
minnow
C2
/ˈmɪnoʊ/
a very small freshwater fish, especially the common Eurasian minnow Phoxinus phoxinus
bonito
C2
/bəˈniːtoʊ/
any of several swift marine fishes of the genus Sarda, related to mackerel and tuna and valued as food and sport fish
lek
C2
/lɛk/
a place where males of certain animal species gather to perform courtship displays and compete for mates
hobble
C2
/ˈhɒbəl/
strap the foreleg and hind leg together on each side (of a horse) in order to keep the legs on the same side moving in unison
antler
C1
/ˈænt.lɚ/
one of the branching bony structures grown and usually shed each year by deer and related animals
cicada
C2
/sɪˈkeɪdə/
a stout-bodied insect with large transparent wings, whose males produce a loud buzzing or clicking call
warbler
C2
/ˈwɔːrblɚ/
any of numerous small, active songbirds, especially members of the Old World family Sylviidae or the New World family Parulidae
mussel
C2
/ˈmʌsəl/
a marine or freshwater bivalve mollusc with an elongated shell, often living attached to rocks or buried in a riverbed
nape
C1
/neɪp/
The back part of the neck.
retinue
C2
/ˈɹɛ.tɪ.n(j)uː/
A group of attendants or servants, especially of someone considered important.
anteater
B1
/ˈæntˌiːtər/
a toothless mammal of tropical America with a long snout and tongue, specialized for feeding on ants and termites
hermaphrodite
C2
/hɝˈmæfɹədaɪt/
Cosexual: an organism possessing both types of gonads; a flower possessing both stamens and pistils.
alpaca
C2
/ælˈpækə/
a domesticated South American camelid kept for its soft fleece
ermine
C2
/ˈɝmɪn/
a stoat in its white winter coat, apart from the black tip of its tail
wombat
C2
/ˈwɑːmˌbæt/
a stocky, burrowing Australian marsupial of the family Vombatidae, with short legs and strong digging claws
viscous
C2
/ˈvɪs.kəs/
Of or pertaining to viscosity.
equine
C2
/ˈɛkˌwaɪn/
relating to, affecting, or resembling horses and other members of the horse family
birdcage
B2
/ˈbɝːdkeɪdʒ/
A cage for keeping a pet bird in.
coccyx
C2
/ˈkɑksɪks/
The final (bottom-most) fused vertebrae at the base of the spine, the tailbone.
setter
B2
/ˈsɛtɚ/
a long-haired hunting dog trained to indicate the location of game birds
cobweb
B2
/ˈkɑːb.web/
a spider's web, especially an old, dusty, or irregular one
bluish
C2
/ˈbluːɪʃ/
Having a tint or hue similar to the colour blue.
muskrat
C2
/ˈmʌskˌræt/
a semiaquatic North American rodent with dark brown fur and a long, flattened, scaly tail
leathery
C2
/ˈlɛðəɹi/
Having the consistency, feel, or texture of leather.
lemming
C2
/ˈlɛmɪŋ/
a small, short-tailed rodent of Arctic and subarctic tundra regions
whelp
C2
/wɛlp/
a young dog or wolf, or the young of certain other carnivorous mammals
gizzard
C2
/ˈɡɪzɚd/
a thick-walled muscular part of the digestive tract that grinds food in birds and various other animals
bullfrog
C2
/ˈbʊlˌfrɑɡ/
a large frog, especially the North American species Lithobates catesbeianus, whose deep call resembles a bull's bellow
dobbin
C2
/ˈdɑbɪn/
dated: a quiet, patient horse used for ordinary farm work or transport
periwinkle
C2
/ˈpɛrəˌwɪŋkəl/
a small edible marine snail of the genus Littorina, especially the common periwinkle
anemone
C2
/əˈnem.ə.ni/
a sea animal related to coral, with a cylindrical body and a ring of stinging tentacles