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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.
1043 words
arrear
C2
/əˈɹɪɹ/
an unpaid or overdue amount, now most commonly used in the plural arrears
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servitor
C2
/ˈsɝːvətɚ/
archaic or formal: a male servant or attendant
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geometer
C2
/dʒiˈɑmətɚ/
a mathematician who specializes in geometry
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foppery
C2
/ˈfɑː.pɚ.i/
ostentatiously fashionable dress, affected manners, or behavior characteristic of a fop
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psalmist
C2
/ˈsɑːmɪst/
a writer or composer of psalms, especially one of the biblical Psalms
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quaestor
C2
/ˈkwistɚ/
an ancient Roman magistrate chiefly responsible for public revenue, accounts, and financial administration
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irrelevancy
C2
/ˌɪˈrɛləvənsi/
Something that has no bearing on the matter being discussed.
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quinsy
C2
/ˈkwɪn.zi/
a painful abscess beside a tonsil, usually occurring as a complication of tonsillitis
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murrey
C2
/ˈmɝːi/
heraldry: a dark mulberry or purplish-red color
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parenthetical
C2
/pɝɛnˈθɛtɪkəl/
an expression in parentheses, especially serving as an aside or supplementary piece of content
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baronetcy
C2
/ˈbærənətsi/
the hereditary rank, dignity, or title of a baronet
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formulary
C2
/ˈfɔːrmjəleri/
an official list of medicines approved for use or covered by a health plan
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kulan
C2
/ˈkuːˌlɑːn/
an Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus) of the Central Asian steppes and deserts, especially the Turkmen kulan subspecies (E. h. kulan)
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dolmen
C2
/ˈdoʊlmən/
a prehistoric megalithic tomb formed from a large horizontal capstone supported by two or more upright stones, often originally covered by a mound
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withy
C2
/ˈwɪð.i/
a tough, flexible willow twig or branch, especially one used for binding or weaving
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moon-face
C2+
/ˈmuːnˌfeɪs/
a conspicuously round, full face resembling the disk of the moon
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phylactery
C2
/fəˈlæktəri/
either of two small leather cases containing Torah passages, traditionally worn during weekday morning prayer; a tefilla
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cracksman
C2
/ˈkræksmən/
dated or literary: a burglar, especially one skilled at breaking open safes
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euphony
C2
/ˈjuːfəni/
A pronunciation of letters and syllables which is pleasing to the ear.
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annal
C2
/ˈænəl/
a record of an event or of the events of one year in a historical chronicle, now most often used in the plural annals
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millenary
C2
/ˈmɪləˌnɛri/
a period of one thousand years; a millennium
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penholder
C2
/ˈpɛnˌhoʊl.dər/
a handle into which a detachable pen nib is fitted
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Vulgate
C2
/ˈvʌlɡeɪt/
the Latin version of the Bible chiefly prepared by Saint Jerome and adopted as the Catholic Church's standard Latin text
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recitative
C1
/ˌrɛsɪtəˈtiːv/
a speechlike style of singing in opera, oratorio, and related music, used especially to advance dialogue or narrative between more melodic passages
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wherry
C2
/ˈwɛɹi/
a light rowboat formerly used to carry passengers or goods on rivers and in harbors
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polyandry
C2
/ˌpɑːˌliːˈændri/
having more than one husband at a time
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antihydrogen
C2+
/ˌæn.tiˈhaɪ.drə.dʒən/
the antimatter counterpart of hydrogen, whose atom consists of a positron bound to an antiproton
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toothing
C2
/ˈtuːθɪŋ/
bricks or stones left projecting alternately at the end of a wall so that a later extension can be bonded to it
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barberry
C2
/ˈbɑɹbɛɹi/
a thorny shrub of the genus Berberis, typically bearing yellow flowers and red or dark berries
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agrimony
C2
/ˈæɡ.rɪˌmoʊ.ni/
a perennial herb of the genus Agrimonia, with spikes of small yellow flowers and bristly fruits
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relativist
C2
/ˈɹɛl.ə.tɪv.ɪst/
One who follows, believes or espouses relativism.
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scoter
C2
/ˈskoʊtɚ/
a large northern sea duck of the genus Melanitta, whose adult males are predominantly black and which feeds by diving
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ashlar
C2
/ˈæʃ.lɚ/
a block of building stone cut or worked into a regular rectangular shape
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tenantry
C2
/ˈtɛnəntri/
the tenants of an estate, district, or landlord considered collectively
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pilaster
C2
/pɪˈlæstɚ/
a shallow rectangular column projecting from a wall, usually with a base and capital and often serving a decorative architectural role
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antinomy
C2
/ænˈtɪn.ə.mi/
a contradiction between two principles or conclusions that each appear reasonable or justified
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chiffonier
C2
/ˌʃɪfəˈnɪr/
a tall, narrow chest of drawers or cabinet, sometimes fitted with a mirror
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votary
C2
/ˈvoʊtəri/
a devoted follower, supporter, or practitioner of a cause, leader, or pursuit
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betony
C2
/ˈbɛtəni/
a perennial herb, especially Stachys officinalis, with spikes of purple flowers and a history of medicinal use
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rat-tat
C2+
/ˈrætˌtæt/
a rapid series of short, sharp knocks or tapping sounds
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raillery
C2
/ˈreɪlɚi/
formal: good-humored teasing, banter, or lightly mocking talk
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venery
C2
/ˈvɛnəri/
the pursuit of sexual pleasure
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fritillary
C2
/ˈfrɪtəlɛri/
any of several orange, brown, or tawny butterflies, especially nymphalids with dark markings and often silvery spots beneath the wings
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hydrographer
C2
/haɪˈdrɑːɡrəfər/
a specialist who surveys, measures, and charts oceans, rivers, coasts, and other bodies of water, especially for navigation
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baldric
C2
/ˈbɔldɹɪk/
a broad, often ornamented belt worn diagonally from one shoulder to the opposite hip to support a sword, bugle, or other equipment
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doggery
C2
/ˈdɔːɡəri/
historical US: a cheap, disreputable saloon or tavern
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stiver
C2
/ˈstaɪvər/
a former Dutch coin worth one twentieth of a guilder
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napery
C2
/ˈneɪpɚi/
household linen, especially tablecloths and napkins
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commonweal
C2
/ˈkɑmənˌwil/
the welfare, prosperity, or good shared by all members of a community
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gunmaker
C2
/ˈɡʌnˌmeɪkər/
One who manufactures guns.
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pomander
C2
/ˈpoʊ.mæn.dɚ/
historical: a ball of aromatic substances carried for fragrance or as a supposed protection against infection
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casuistry
C2
/ˈkæʒuːəstɹi/
case-based moral reasoning that applies general principles to particular practical dilemmas
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clasp-knife
C2
/ˈklæspˌnaɪf/
dated: a pocketknife whose blade folds into the handle
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ergometer
C2
/ɝːˈɡɑː.mə.t̬ɚ/
an apparatus that measures the work or power produced by muscles during physical effort
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fiddledeedee
C2+
/ˌfɪdəldiːˈdiː/
an exclamation expressing impatience, disbelief, scorn, or dismissal of something as nonsense
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kinematics
C2
/ˌkɪnəˈmætɪks/
the branch of mechanics concerned with motion without reference to force or mass
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batrachian
C2
/bəˈtreɪkiən/
a frog, toad, or other amphibian, especially one formerly classified in the group Batrachia
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intuitionist
C2
/ˌɪntuˈɪʃənɪst/
philosophy or ethics: an adherent of intuitionism, especially the view that some truths or moral principles are known directly rather than inferred
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stannary
C2
/ˈstænəri/
historical, usually plural: one of the tin-mining districts of Cornwall and Devon, together with its mines, works, and special legal institutions
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tercentenary
C2
/ˌtɝːsɛnˈtɛnəri/
the three-hundredth anniversary of an event, or a celebration of it
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carboy
C2
/ˈkɑːr.bɔɪ/
a large rigid bottle, traditionally glass, used for storing or transporting liquids such as acids or fermenting drinks
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correlator
C2
/ˈkɔr.əˌleɪ.tɚ/
something that correlates two sets of things; in logic, a relation that pairs terms in one field with terms in another
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possibilist
C2
/ˈpɑː.sə.bəl.ɪst/
a socialist who favors immediately achievable reforms rather than an all-or-nothing commitment to revolution
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exogamy
C2
/ɛkˈsɑːɡəmi/
marriage outside a defined kinship or social group, especially when required by custom or law
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letterpress
C2
/ˈlɛtɚˌprɛs/
printing in which an inked raised surface is pressed directly onto paper
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quietist
C2
/ˈkwaɪətɪst/
a follower of Quietism, a mystical tradition emphasizing passive contemplation and surrender of the will
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stomacher
C2
/ˈstʌm.ə.kɚ/
historical: a stiff, often richly decorated triangular panel worn over the chest and stomach at the front of a woman's bodice
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cockchafer
C2
/ˈkɑkˌtʃeɪfɚ/
a large European scarab beetle whose larvae and adults can damage crops and other vegetation
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mormal
C2
/ˈmɔːr.məl/
A bad sore; a gangrene or cancer
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counteractant
C2+
/ˌkaʊntɚˈæktənt/
a thing that counteracts, offsets, or reduces the effect of something else
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nemertean
C2+
/nəˈmɝtiən/
an unsegmented worm of the phylum Nemertea, typically marine and equipped with a long eversible proboscis; a ribbon worm
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breakfast-time
C2+
/ˈbrɛkfəstˌtaɪm/
the customary or appointed time for eating breakfast
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barrowful
C2+
/ˈbæroʊfʊl/
the amount that a barrow, especially a wheelbarrow, can hold
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carousal
C2
/kəˈraʊzəl/
noisy, festive, and often drunken revelry, or an occasion marked by such revelry
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pewee
C2
/ˈpiːwiː/
a small North American flycatcher of the genus Contopus, named for its call
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cottar
C2
/ˈkɑːtər/
Scottish history: a peasant or farm laborer who occupied a cottage and sometimes a small plot, usually in return for labor services
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jerry-builder
C2+
/ˈd͡ʒɛɹiˌbɪldɚ/
a builder who puts up cheap, poorly made buildings, often quickly and for speculative profit
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canonry
C2
/ˈkænənri/
the office, benefice, or prebend held by a canon of a cathedral or collegiate church
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harpooneer
C2
/ˌhɑːr.puːˈnɪr/
historical whaling: a specialist who throws or fires the harpoon, typically stationed in the bow of a whaleboat
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ephor
C2
/ˈɛf.ɚ/
one of five annually elected senior magistrates in ancient Sparta, empowered to supervise the kings and enforce civic law
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mu-meson
C2+
/ˈmjuː ˌmez.ɑːn/
dated, the former name for the muon, used when that particle was mistakenly classified as a meson rather than a lepton
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veery
C2
/ˈvɪəɹi/
a tawny North American woodland thrush noted for its descending, flute-like song
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annuitant
C2
the recipient of an annuity
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inerrancy
C2
/ɪˈnɛɹənsi/
(Christianity) exemption from error
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pew-opener
C2+
/ˈpjuːˌoʊpənɚ/
historically, a church attendant who opened enclosed or reserved pews and showed worshippers to their seats
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teru-tero
C2+
/ˌtɛruːˈtɛroʊ/
a South American lapwing with a conspicuous crest, a sharp alarm call, and a spur at the bend of each wing
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baluster
C2
/ˈbælɪstɚ/
a short upright post that supports the handrail of a staircase, balcony, or terrace
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ingathering
C2
/ˈɪnˌɡæðərɪŋ/
the gathering in of a harvest
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spicery
C2
/ˈspaɪsəri/
spices considered collectively; archaic or literary
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winterberry
C2
/ˈwɪntɚˌbɛri/
an eastern North American deciduous holly (Ilex verticillata) bearing persistent bright red berries
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weatherboarding
C2
/ˈwɛðɚˌbɔrdɪŋ/
a building's outer covering of long, usually overlapping boards designed to shed rain
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washpan
C2+
/ˈwɑːʃˌpæn/
a broad, shallow pan or basin used to hold water for washing
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lych-gate
C2+
/ˈlɪtʃˌɡeɪt/
a roofed gateway to a churchyard where a coffin traditionally rested before a funeral service
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pyrometer
C2
/paɪˈrɑmətər/
a thermometer designed to measure high temperatures
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latchstring
C2
/ˈlætʃˌstrɪŋ/
a string attached to a door latch and passed through a hole so the latch can be lifted from outside
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seignior
C2
/ˈsiːn.jɚ/
historical: a feudal or manorial lord, especially in France or French colonial territories
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