English Vocabulary Lists: 48 Must-Know Words & Phrases

"get"

To obtain, receive, or become — the most versatile verb in English.

"I need to get some water before we start."

"make"

To create, produce, or cause something to happen.

"She makes a great point in every meeting."

"go"

To move, travel, or transition from one state to another.

"Let's go over the details one more time."

"know"

To have information, be aware of, or be familiar with.

"Do you know when the report is due?"

"think"

To form an opinion, believe, or reason about something.

"I think we should try a different approach."

"take"

To carry, accept, or require a certain amount.

"This project will take at least three weeks."

"come"

To move toward the speaker or arrive at a place.

"Can you come to the meeting tomorrow?"

"want"

To desire or wish for something.

"She wants to improve her pronunciation quickly."

"analyse"

To examine something in detail in order to explain or interpret it.

"The researchers analysed data from over 2,000 participants."

"concept"

An abstract idea or general principle underlying a field.

"The concept of supply and demand is central to economics."

"evidence"

Facts or information that prove something is true or valid.

"The essay must include evidence to support each claim."

"significant"

Sufficiently large or important to be worthy of attention.

"There was a significant increase in test scores."

"approach"

A way of dealing with a situation or problem; a method.

"The study uses a qualitative approach to gather data."

"establish"

To set up, create, or prove something definitively.

"The experiment established a link between diet and mood."

"factor"

A circumstance or element that contributes to a result.

"Motivation is a key factor in language acquisition."

"require"

To need something as a necessary condition.

"This assignment requires at least five academic sources."

"by the way"

Used to introduce a new but related topic into conversation.

"By the way, did you hear about the new course?"

"to be honest"

A phrase used before expressing a frank or candid opinion.

"To be honest, I found the homework quite challenging."

"sort of"

Approximately or in a particular way; used to soften a statement.

"It's sort of a mix between grammar and vocabulary."

"I mean"

Used to clarify or restate what you just said.

"I mean, it's a great idea, but the timing is off."

"go ahead"

Permission to proceed; to continue with an action.

"Go ahead and start without me — I'll catch up."

"fair enough"

An expression of acceptance or agreement with a point.

"Fair enough — your reasoning makes a lot of sense."

"no wonder"

It is not surprising given the circumstances.

"No wonder she's tired — she studied all night."

"on the other hand"

Used to introduce a contrasting or alternative point.

"It's cheaper; on the other hand, quality is lower."

"surge"

A sudden and large increase in something.

"There was a surge in demand for online courses."

"decline"

A gradual decrease in quality, quantity, or importance.

"Test scores declined after the curriculum changed."

"fluctuate"

To rise and fall irregularly over time.

"Attendance fluctuated throughout the semester."

"accelerate"

To increase in speed or rate; to make something happen faster.

"Technology has accelerated changes in education."

"stabilise"

To stop changing and reach a steady state.

"Prices stabilised after months of volatility."

"peak"

To reach the highest point before declining.

"Enrolment peaked at 1,200 students in 2022."

"recover"

To return to a previous good or normal condition.

"The economy recovered faster than analysts expected."

"reverse"

To change to the opposite direction or trend.

"The policy reversed a decade-long downward trend."

"moreover"

Used to add a stronger or more important point to an argument.

"The app is free; moreover, it works offline."

"however"

Used to introduce a contrast or exception to the previous idea.

"The plan looks good; however, costs may be higher."

"therefore"

Used to introduce a conclusion or logical result.

"She studied daily; therefore, her score improved."

"in contrast"

Used to highlight a difference between two things.

"In contrast, the second group showed no improvement."

"as a result"

Introduces the effect or consequence of something stated.

"He practised daily; as a result, he passed easily."

"for instance"

Used to introduce a specific example of a general point.

"Some apps are very helpful — Anki, for instance."

"in addition"

Used to add another point to a line of reasoning.

"In addition to grammar, you need vocabulary too."

"to sum up"

Used to introduce a brief summary of the main points.

"To sum up, consistency beats intensity every time."

"spaced repetition"

Reviewing words at increasing intervals to move them into long-term memory.

"Use spaced repetition software to learn 20 new words a day."

"context clues"

Words and sentences surrounding an unknown word that hint at its meaning.

"Use context clues to guess the meaning before checking."

"word family"

A group of words that share the same root: act, action, active, activate.

"Learning a word family multiplies your vocabulary fast."

"collocation"

Words that naturally go together in English, like "make a decision".

"Learning collocations sounds more natural than single words."

"active recall"

Testing yourself on words rather than passively re-reading them.

"Active recall through flashcards beats highlighting every time."

"input hypothesis"

Stephen Krashen's theory that we acquire language through comprehensible input.

"The input hypothesis supports watching videos to learn words."

"semantic mapping"

Visually grouping related words around a central concept or topic.

"Semantic mapping helps link new words to ones you know."

"chunking"

Learning words in fixed phrases or chunks rather than in isolation.

"Chunking is why "by the way" is easier to learn whole."