English vocabulary includes the words, phrases, and expressions used to communicate ideas clearly and accurately. Building vocabulary helps you understand meanings, choose suitable words, and express yourself more naturally in speaking and writing.
Explore lessons on phrasal verbs, collocations, idioms, descriptive words, commonly confused words, expressions, alternatives, and themed word lists. Each section provides clear meanings, practical examples, and useful guidance for using vocabulary in context.
AM and PM are used with the 12-hour clock to show which half of the day a time belongs to. AM refers to times before midday, while PM refers to times after midday. Most times are straightforward. The confusing part…
Etc. is short for et cetera and is used to show that a list could continue with other similar items. We bought notebooks, pens, folders, etc. The abbreviation is useful when the examples already make the rest of the group…
E.g. and i.e. are both Latin abbreviations, but they do different jobs. Use e.g. to introduce one or more examples. Use i.e. to clarify, define, or restate exactly what you mean. That difference can change the meaning of a sentence.…
You do not always need to say I don’t understand when something is unclear. If you know what the problem is, you can ask for exactly what you need: help, repetition, a slower explanation, an example, more detail, or confirmation.…
You do not need complicated vocabulary to sound polite in English. Often, a small change in wording can make a request, correction, refusal, or interruption sound more considerate. The best phrase depends on the situation, your relationship with the other…
Knowing I think, I agree, and I disagree is enough to get started, but real conversations often need more nuance. You may want to sound certain, soften your opinion, agree only partly, or disagree without sounding too direct. The key…
You may go over a report, go through a difficult period, or go ahead with a plan. Each expression begins with go, but the added particle or preposition changes its meaning and grammar pattern. Unlike many phrasal verbs with put,…
You may come across an old photograph, come up with a solution, or come down with a cold. Each expression begins with come, but the following particle or preposition creates a different meaning and grammar pattern. Some phrasal verbs with…
You may put away your clothes, put forward a proposal, or put up with a delay. Each expression begins with put, but the added particle or preposition changes both its meaning and grammar pattern. Many two-word phrasal verbs with put…
You may look forward to a holiday, put up with a delay, or talk someone out of making a rushed decision. Each expression contains three main words, but the noun or pronoun does not always appear in the same position.…
You may turn off the light or turn the light off, but you must look after the child, not look the child after. The object changes position because turn off is separable in this meaning, while look after is inseparable.…
Food idioms use familiar foods, ingredients, and eating actions to describe ideas that often have nothing to do with meals. They may express ease, difficulty, success, disagreement, pressure, personality, or emotion. For example, calling an explanation clear as consommé would…