Learn English vocabulary

Grow your vocabulary with interactive tools, real-life word practice, and expert support. Whether you’re learning for work, travel, or everyday conversations, our resources help you remember and use new words effectively.

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Free tools to expand your English vocabulary

Test Your Vocabulary

Find out how many words you already know. Take our quick quiz to estimate your vocabulary level and get personalized insights to guide your next step.

Practice English Vocabulary for Free

Turn new words into lasting knowledge. Use bite-sized, tutor-designed exercises to help you use new vocabulary naturally in speaking, writing, and listening.

Vocabulary Extension Tool

Learn new words while you browse the web. Install the Preply vocab tool to instantly check word meanings and save them to your personal word bank as you surf online.

Build real-world vocabulary with these free English lessons

300 Most Common English Words

Learn the top 300 words that appear in everyday English. Understand over half of written English by mastering these core words — plus tips on how to memorize and use them.

Travel English: Vocabulary, Phrases & Expressions for Traveling

Sound confident and prepared on any trip. Learn common travel-related phrases to help you navigate airports, hotels, and local interactions with ease.

Business English Vocabulary Exercises

Speak professionally and feel confident at work. Practice business terms and expressions that will help you in meetings, emails, interviews, and more.

Explore English vocabulary by theme

How to learn English with Preply

  1. 1

    Find your tutor

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    Learn at your own pace

    Perfect your reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills without the pressure to move on until you’re ready.

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  • Learn at your own pace to make sure you retain new vocabulary, grammar, and other concepts
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Effective

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Engaging

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Affordable

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the average English vocabulary?

After analyzing one million test-takers, researchers from Ghent University found that native English-speaking Americans know an average of at least 42,000 words by the time they turn 20 years old. By 60, they will know around 48,000 words.

However, don’t let that intimidate you if English is not your native language. Leading linguistic researcher Paul Nation says that “a much smaller size is needed” to read a foreign language than we are usually taught in a classroom.

In fact, according to a study conducted at Swansea University, UK, the average English vocabulary for each language level is the following:

A1: less than 1,500 words

A2: about 1,500 - 2,500 words

B1: about 2,750 - 3,250 words

B2: about 3,250 - 3,750 words

C1: about 3,750 - 4,500 words

C2: about 4,500 - 5,000 words

How can I learn 10 new words a day?

Learning 10 new words a day is a challenge for even the most experienced language learners! Try this exercise to remember more words and learn how to use them in context.

Commit to a daily practice of reading several sentences from an English newspaper, article, or book.

Whenever you find a new word, look up its definition, pronunciation, and how to use it in context.

Practice these new words by writing them down in a phrase or sentence.

Then practice speaking these phrases and sentences out loud.

After you’ve created your ten sentences, stop writing. If you want to stick to your learning habit, don’t overload yourself! Every day, go back and review yesterday’s words and any older, unfamiliar ones to refresh your memory. Download the Preply app and add the words you're learning. The app automatically creates flashcards with definitions, pronunciations, and sample sentences. It also has practice exercises to build your long-term memory!

Which is the best book to improve English vocabulary?

There are so many books you can choose to improve your English vocabulary, from classic literature to business books and self-improvement guides. You can learn new words from all of them! However, there are books created specifically to develop a reader’s vocabulary. Here are some of our top picks:

504 Absolutely Essential Words: This vocabulary book is for English learners looking to build a strong foundation by learning the most frequently used words in English. It comes with short reading passages and exercises that help you learn the words in context.

1100 Words You Need to Know: Looking for something more advanced? This vocabulary book helps thousands of students prepare for the SAT and ACT exams. It comes with word lists, analogy exercises and words-in-context exercises.

30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary: Millions of English learners have used this guide to improve their business English skills, academic performance and confidence with new vocabulary. All you need is a pencil and fifteen minutes a day to complete the simple exercises and quizzes inside.

Word Power Made Easy: This is a well-known and humorous classic for English learners who want to improve their communication skills in many contexts. It is arranged in thematic sections—from “how to flatter your friends” to “how to insult your enemies”!

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