Essential words
The 1,000 words learners look up most, by CEFR level. Start at your level and work up.
A1 · 486
- about
- above
- across
- action
- add
- africa
- again
- age
- ago
- agree
- air
- also
- always
- an
- and
- another
- answer
- anything
- april
- area
- around
- art
- article
- as
- ask
- asked
- asking
- at
- august
- australian
- away
- baby
- bad
- ball
- band
- bank
- be
- beach
- beautiful
- became
- because
- become
- bed
- been
- beginning
- behind
- believe
- below
- best
- better
- big
- bill
- black
- blue
- body
- book
- both
- box
- boy
- break
- bring
- brother
- brown
- build
- building
- business
- but
- buy
- by
- call
- called
- came
- capital
- car
- card
- center
- century
- change
- child
- children
- china
- chinese
- class
- clean
- club
- cold
- college
- come
- comes
- common
- company
- complete
- computer
- cool
- cost
- could
- country
- course
- create
- culture
- cup
- dad
- dance
- dark
- date
- daughter
- david
- day
- design
- die
- difference
- different
- difficult
- do
- dog
- doing
- door
- down
- each
- early
- east
- easy
- eat
- eight
- end
- england
- enjoy
- enough
- europe
- event
- ever
- every
- everything
- example
- extra
- eye
- face
- fact
- family
- fast
- father
- favorite
- february
- feeling
- feet
- few
- film
- final
- find
- fine
- fire
- first
- five
- floor
- follow
- food
- football
- for
- forget
- form
- four
- free
- french
- friday
- friend
- front
- full
- funny
- game
- gave
- get
- girl
- give
- green
- group
- guess
- hair
- hand
- happen
- happy
- hard
- have
- having
- head
- health
- hear
- heard
- help
- here
- hey
- history
- hospital
- hot
- hotel
- hour
- how
- however
- husband
- ice
- idea
- if
- imagine
- important
- in
- include
- india
- interest
- interested
- interesting
- internet
- is
- island
- it
- january
- job
- join
- keep
- key
- know
- known
- land
- language
- large
- late
- learn
- left
- letter
- light
- line
- list
- listen
- little
- local
- london
- long
- looked
- looking
- lose
- lot
- love
- made
- man
- many
- march
- market
- married
- match
- may
- maybe
- mean
- meet
- meeting
- member
- men
- message
- michael
- million
- miss
- model
- modern
- moment
- money
- month
- more
- most
- mother
- moved
- movie
- much
- music
- must
- name
- named
- natural
- near
- needs
- never
- news
- next
- nice
- night
- no
- nobody
- north
- not
- note
- nothing
- now
- number
- numbers
- off
- office
- often
- on
- once
- one
- online
- only
- open
- opinion
- or
- order
- out
- over
- own
- page
- paper
- park
- part
- party
- past
- people
- perfect
- period
- person
- personal
- phone
- photo
- picture
- piece
- place
- plan
- play
- player
- playing
- please
- point
- points
- police
- poor
- popular
- positive
- possible
- post
- practice
- present
- pretty
- price
- problem
- product
- project
- put
- question
- quick
- quite
- radio
- read
- reading
- ready
- real
- really
- reason
- red
- remember
- report
- result
- return
- right
- river
- road
- room
- rule
- rules
- russian
- said
- same
- say
- science
- sea
- section
- sell
- send
- sent
- seven
- she
- short
- should
- show
- similar
- sister
- situation
- six
- small
- so
- some
- son
- song
- soon
- sorry
- space
- speak
- special
- spend
- sports
- star
- statement
- station
- stop
- stories
- story
- strong
- student
- study
- style
- success
- summer
- sun
- sure
- table
- take
- taken
- team
- tell
- ten
- test
- text
- thank
- thanks
- the
- then
- there
- they
- thing
- think
- through
- times
- title
- to
- today
- together
- tomorrow
- too
- town
- train
- travel
- true
- trying
- turn
- two
- type
- under
- understand
- university
- until
- up
- us
- using
- usually
- video
- visit
- waiting
- walk
- wall
- want
- wanted
- was
- watch
- water
- we
- week
- weekend
- welcome
- well
- were
- west
- what
- where
- white
- who
- why
- wife
- with
- woman
- women
- word
- worked
- world
- would
- write
- writing
- wrong
- wrote
- year
- yes
- you
- yourself
A2 · 294
- ability
- able
- active
- actually
- after
- against
- all
- allow
- almost
- alone
- along
- already
- although
- among
- amount
- army
- attack
- attention
- author
- available
- average
- awesome
- back
- bar
- based
- before
- between
- bit
- blood
- board
- brain
- can
- care
- case
- cash
- cause
- certain
- chance
- changed
- changes
- character
- check
- check in
- check out
- choice
- church
- clear
- clearly
- close
- coach
- code
- come back
- community
- companies
- conference
- consider
- continue
- continued
- control
- couple
- crazy
- credit
- cross
- daily
- data
- dead
- death
- decided
- decision
- deep
- degree
- department
- designed
- direction
- director
- done
- double
- drive
- earlier
- earth
- education
- effect
- either
- energy
- especially
- european
- evidence
- expect
- experience
- fair
- fall
- fall off
- fan
- fear
- female
- field
- fight
- figure
- finally
- finished
- fit
- focus
- following
- foreign
- fun
- further
- future
- gas
- general
- get away
- getting
- give up
- go down
- goal
- god
- gold
- gone
- got
- government
- ground
- growing
- gun
- half
- hand out
- heart
- heavy
- higher
- himself
- hit
- hope
- huge
- human
- hurt
- image
- immediately
- increase
- independent
- individual
- industry
- inside
- international
- itself
- JESUS
- kid
- kill
- killed
- king
- knowledge
- lady
- last
- later
- law
- leader
- learning
- least
- less
- likely
- link
- look
- lost
- low
- major
- manager
- mark
- matter
- medical
- middle
- might
- mind
- missing
- movement
- national
- nature
- nearly
- need
- network
- none
- normal
- offer
- officer
- oil
- okay
- opportunity
- original
- outside
- paid
- pain
- particular
- pay
- peace
- per
- percent
- perhaps
- physical
- population
- position
- power
- president
- process
- professional
- program
- provide
- public
- quality
- race
- rate
- rather
- reasons
- recent
- record
- region
- regular
- relationship
- research
- response
- rest
- review
- role
- round
- run
- running
- safe
- sale
- save
- saw
- scene
- search
- season
- second
- secretary
- seem
- sense
- series
- serious
- service
- several
- shall
- ship
- side
- sign
- simple
- single
- sir
- site
- size
- sleep
- social
- society
- sort
- source
- specific
- speed
- spent
- stage
- start
- stay
- step
- store
- straight
- stupid
- such
- support
- system
- take off
- talk
- technology
- term
- themselves
- thinking
- third
- thought
- top
- tour
- towards
- track
- training
- unit
- united
- use
- view
- voice
- wait
- war
- weight
- while
- whole
- whose
- wide
- winning
- wish
- working
- worst
- wow
- yet
B1 · 128
- absolutely
- access
- according
- account
- act
- addition
- ahead
- album
- announced
- anti
- base
- battle
- beat up
- call off
- campaign
- central
- charge
- check over
- claim
- clear up
- close up
- collection
- coming
- commercial
- contact
- court
- cover
- current
- cut
- cut back
- cut off
- deal
- defense
- despite
- developed
- development
- drop
- due
- economic
- effort
- election
- episode
- except
- far
- felt
- fighting
- financial
- force
- generally
- global
- go ahead
- growth
- hate
- hell
- impact
- involved
- issue
- judge
- kind
- lack
- latest
- lead
- leading
- legal
- level
- like
- line up
- live
- living
- longer
- loss
- management
- mine
- move
- non
- official
- particularly
- pass
- performance
- policy
- political
- press
- pressure
- previous
- private
- production
- property
- provided
- published
- range
- related
- release
- respect
- risk
- safety
- san
- security
- seriously
- services
- set
- sex
- share
- simply
- staff
- standard
- studies
- stuff
- tax
- though
- throughout
- total
- trade
- treatment
- truth
- union
- unless
- used
- value
- various
- version
- vote
- western
- whether
- win
- within
- wonder
- worth
- written
B2 · 80
- additional
- administration
- annual
- approach
- ass
- association
- back end
- beat
- being
- beyond
- break off
- break through
- built
- cancer
- chief
- civil
- close in
- close out
- come off
- committee
- construction
- contract
- council
- county
- damn
- district
- entire
- face off
- federal
- feel
- fight off
- follow on
- former
- forward
- found
- fuck
- given
- giving
- hold
- income
- insurance
- justice
- league
- leave
- LED
- limited
- lord
- lower
- majority
- make
- making
- master
- material
- means
- military
- minister
- minutes
- moving
- multiple
- opening
- parts
- pick
- plus
- potential
- pro
- reach
- self
- set out
- shot
- significant
- stand
- stock
- subject
- super
- tried
- trust
- try
- very
- way
- works
C1 · 10
C2 · 2
Idioms · 250
- a balm in Gilead
- a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
- a bottomless pit
- a coat of many colors
- a cross to bear
- a crown of thorns
- a drop in the bucket
- a fly in the ointment
- a good and faithful servant
- a Herculean task
- a house built on sand
- a house divided
- a Judas kiss
- a labor of love
- a land flowing with milk and honey
- a leopard cannot change its spots
- a lot
- a millstone around your neck
- a perfect storm
- a pillar of salt
- a Pyrrhic victory
- a Roman holiday
- a Sisyphean task
- a still small voice
- a stitch in time saves nine
- a thorn in the side
- a two-edged sword
- a voice crying in the wilderness
- a wolf in sheep's clothing
- ace in the hole
- Achilles' heel
- actions speak louder than words
- ad hoc
- ad nauseam
- add insult to injury
- all roads lead to Rome
- Alpha and Omega
- alter ego
- an apple a day keeps the doctor away
- annus horribilis
- annus mirabilis
- Ariadne's thread
- as if
- back on the sauce
- bad thing
- bark up the wrong tree
- best thing since sliced bread
- better late than never
- between Scylla and Charybdis
- beware the Ides of March
- birds of a feather flock together
- bona fide
- bread and circuses
- break a leg
- burn bridges
- bury your talents
- by now
- by the skin of your teeth
- by the sweat of your brow
- Caesar's wife must be above suspicion
- calm before the storm
- carpe diem
- cast into outer darkness
- casus belli
- caught in a labyrinth
- caveat emptor
- chips on shoulders put chips in pockets
- cloak and dagger
- cloud nine
- cross the Rubicon
- crossing the Styx
- cui bono
- David and Goliath
- de facto
- de jure
- divide and conquer
- do unto others as you would have them do unto you
- don't beat a dead horse
- don't count your chickens before they hatch
- don't give up your day job
- drinking from Lethe
- dupe culture
- each other
- elephant in the room
- Et tu, Brute?
- every dog has his day
- faith can move mountains
- farm to table
- festina lente
- fiddle while Rome burns
- fight the good fight
- fit as a fiddle
- fly too close to the sun
- fortune favours the bold
- forty days and forty nights
- foxtrot oscar
- get a taste of your own medicine
- get your act together
- give someone the benefit of the doubt
- give someone the cold shoulder
- gnashing of teeth
- go back to the drawing board
- go on a wild goose chase
- good afternoon
- good evening
- good morning
- good thing
- Hannibal at the gates
- hard pivot
- he has bigger fish to fry
- he who laughs last laughs loudest
- hear something straight from the horse's mouth
- high school
- high street
- hit the sauce
- homo homini lupus
- how the mighty have fallen
- human being
- human rights
- ignorance of the law is no excuse
- in fact
- in medias res
- in other words
- in the twinkling of an eye
- in vino veritas
- instead of
- ipso facto
- it ain't over till the fat lady sings
- it is a poor workman who blames his tools
- it is always darkest before the dawn
- it takes two to tango
- Jacob's ladder
- jump on the bandwagon
- jump ship
- last straw
- leave no stone unturned
- let my people go
- let there be light
- like Atlas carrying the world
- lipstick on a pig
- magnum opus
- make hay while the sun shines
- man shall not live by bread alone
- manna from heaven
- memento mori
- modus operandi
- money changers in the temple
- my brother's keeper
- my cup runneth over
- no doubt
- no matter
- non sequitur
- nota bene
- nothing burger
- nothing new under the sun
- O ye of little faith
- off the hook
- old as Methuselah
- on the sauce
- Pandora's box
- per capita
- per se
- persona non grata
- play devil's advocate
- pot calling the kettle black
- pride comes before a fall
- Promethean ambition
- Promethean fire
- pull someone's leg
- quid pro quo
- rage scrolling
- reap what you sow
- red pilled
- rest on one's laurels
- rise from the ashes
- Rome wasn't built in a day
- sackcloth and ashes
- science fiction
- semper fidelis
- separate the sheep from the goats
- shape up or ship out
- si vis pacem, para bellum
- sic semper tyrannis
- siren song
- sleeping like Endymion
- snowball effect
- so that
- Sodom and Gomorrah
- spare the rod
- sweat blood
- tabula rasa
- tempus fugit
- thank you
- the apple of discord
- the blind leading the blind
- the devil is in the details
- the die is cast
- the eleventh hour
- the eye of a needle
- the face that launched a thousand ships
- the Fates have spoken
- the Gordian knot
- the judgment of Paris
- the labors of Hercules
- the letter and the spirit of the law
- the loudest boos come from the cheapest seats
- the mark of Cain
- the meek shall inherit the earth
- the Midas touch
- the patience of Job
- the patience of Penelope
- the powers that be
- the prodigal son
- the promised land
- the quick and the dead
- the root of all evil
- the salt of the earth
- the status quo
- the straight and narrow
- the sword of Damocles
- the valley of the shadow of death
- the wages of sin
- the whole nine yards
- the widow's mite
- the wings of Icarus
- the writing on the wall
- there's no such thing as a free lunch
- thirty pieces of silver
- those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
- throw away
- throw shade
- to descend into Hades
- to err is human
- to outwit the Cyclops
- to the victor belong the spoils
- Tower of Babel
- Trojan horse
- two by two
- veni, vidi, vici
- vice versa
- vox populi
- wardrobe malfunction
- wash your hands of it
- we'll cross that bridge when we come to it
- wear the purple
- whack a mole
- when it rains it pours
- you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink
- you can't judge a book by its cover
- you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs