English Vocabulary by Level: A1 to B2 Word Lists with Examples
The words a school-age learner meets first at each CEFR level, sorted by topic, with a meaning and a sentence for every word.
English vocabulary by level means the words a learner typically understands and uses at each CEFR stage, from A1 (beginner) to B2 (upper intermediate). This page gives 320 words, 80 per level, grouped into 8 everyday topics per level, each with a simple English meaning and a short example sentence (the other language versions of this page add a translation). Every list is free, and the flashcard mode turns any list into a 5-minute practice session.
A1 vocabulary covers the words a beginner needs to talk about themselves and their immediate world: family, school, food, animals, the home, the body, colours and shapes, numbers and time. These 80 words are the ones a child uses to follow simple classroom instructions, name what they see around them and answer short questions. At Fleydo, Grade 3 (age 8) and the first part of Grade 4 (ages 9–10) work at this level.
80 words
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| mothernoun | the woman who is your parent | My mother reads a story to me every night. |
| fathernoun | the man who is your parent | My father makes pancakes on Sunday morning. |
| sisternoun | a girl who has the same parents as you | My sister is seven and she loves dogs. |
| brothernoun | a boy who has the same parents as you | I play football with my brother after school. |
| grandmothernoun | the mother of your mother or father | My grandmother lives near the park. |
| grandfathernoun | the father of your mother or father | My grandfather tells funny stories at dinner. |
| babynoun | a very young child | The baby is sleeping in the small bed. |
| auntnoun | the sister of your mother or father | My aunt is coming to dinner tonight. |
| unclenoun | the brother of your mother or father | My uncle has a red car. |
| parentsnoun | your mother and father | My parents work in the city. |
| teachernoun | a person who helps you learn | Our teacher writes the date on the board. |
| classroomnoun | the room where you have lessons | The classroom has big windows. |
| booknoun | pages with words and pictures to read | This book is about a brave rabbit. |
| pencilnoun | a thin stick you write or draw with | I need a pencil for the maths test. |
| desknoun | a table you sit at to work | Put your bag under the desk, please. |
| homeworknoun | school work you do at home | I do my homework before dinner. |
| lessonnoun | a time when you learn something | The English lesson starts at nine. |
| friendnoun | a person you like and know well | My best friend sits next to me. |
| learnverb | to get new knowledge or a new skill | We learn a new song every week. |
| readverb | to look at words and understand them | I can read short stories now. |
| applenoun | a round fruit, often red or green | I eat an apple at break time. |
| breadnoun | a food made from flour and baked | We buy fresh bread every morning. |
| milknoun | a white drink that comes from cows | The cat drinks milk from a small bowl. |
| waternoun | the clear liquid we drink | Please give me a glass of water. |
| eggnoun | an oval food that comes from hens | I like an egg for breakfast. |
| ricenoun | small white grains that you cook and eat | We have rice with vegetables for lunch. |
| cheesenoun | a yellow or white food made from milk | This sandwich has cheese and tomato in it. |
| banananoun | a long yellow fruit | A banana is a good snack after sport. |
| hungryadjective | wanting to eat | I am hungry after swimming. |
| eatverb | to put food in your mouth and swallow it | We eat dinner together at seven. |
| dognoun | an animal that barks and lives with people | Our dog runs fast in the garden. |
| catnoun | a small animal with soft fur that says miaow | The cat sleeps on my bed. |
| birdnoun | an animal with wings and feathers | A small bird sings outside my window. |
| fishnoun | an animal that lives and swims in water | There are three fish in the tank. |
| horsenoun | a big animal that people can ride | The horse eats grass in the field. |
| cownoun | a big farm animal that gives milk | The cow is black and white. |
| rabbitnoun | a small animal with long ears | My rabbit likes carrots and lettuce. |
| lionnoun | a big wild cat with a loud roar | The lion sleeps in the sun all day. |
| elephantnoun | a very big grey animal with a trunk | An elephant can carry water in its trunk. |
| monkeynoun | an animal that climbs trees and has a long tail | The monkey jumps from tree to tree. |
| housenoun | a building where people live | Our house has a blue door. |
| kitchennoun | the room where you cook food | Mum is making soup in the kitchen. |
| bedroomnoun | the room where you sleep | My bedroom is small but very tidy. |
| bathroomnoun | the room with a bath or shower | The bathroom is next to my room. |
| doornoun | you open it to go into a room | Please close the door quietly. |
| windownoun | glass in a wall that lets light in | I can see the garden from the window. |
| bednoun | the thing you sleep on | I go to bed at eight o'clock. |
| tablenoun | furniture with a flat top and legs | The plates are on the table. |
| chairnoun | a seat for one person | Sit on this chair and wait, please. |
| gardennoun | land next to a house with plants or grass | We grow tomatoes in our garden. |
| headnoun | the top part of your body with your face | Put the hat on your head. |
| handnoun | the part at the end of your arm | Wash your hands before you eat. |
| footnoun | the part of your body you stand on | My left foot hurts a little. |
| eyenoun | you see with it | Close your eyes and count to ten. |
| earnoun | you hear with it | The rabbit has two long ears. |
| nosenoun | you smell with it | My nose is cold in the winter. |
| mouthnoun | you eat and speak with it | Open your mouth and say ah. |
| hairnoun | it grows on your head | My hair is long and brown. |
| legnoun | the part of your body you walk with | I run fast with my strong legs. |
| armnoun | the part of your body between shoulder and hand | Lift your arms up high. |
| redadjective | the colour of a tomato | The fire engine is red. |
| blueadjective | the colour of the sky on a sunny day | My new shoes are blue. |
| greenadjective | the colour of grass | The frog is green and small. |
| yellowadjective | the colour of a lemon | The sun in my picture is yellow. |
| blackadjective | the darkest colour, like the night | The cat is black with white feet. |
| whiteadjective | the colour of snow | I write on white paper. |
| circlenoun | a round shape | Draw a circle for the face. |
| squarenoun | a shape with four equal sides | The window is a big square. |
| trianglenoun | a shape with three sides | A slice of pizza looks like a triangle. |
| starnoun | a shape with five points | The teacher gave me a gold star. |
| oneother | the number 1 | I have one brother. |
| twoother | the number 2 | There are two cats on the wall. |
| tenother | the number 10 | Count to ten slowly. |
| hundredother | the number 100 | There are a hundred pages in the book. |
| daynoun | a time of 24 hours, like Monday | Friday is my favourite day. |
| weeknoun | seven days | We have swimming once a week. |
| morningnoun | the first part of the day | I brush my teeth every morning. |
| nightnoun | the time when it is dark | The stars shine at night. |
| clocknoun | a thing that shows the time | The clock on the wall says three. |
| todayadverb | on this day | I have swimming today. |
How to use these word lists at home
Ten words a week, said out loud in a sentence, is a routine that works well for a child at home. Pick one topic at the child's level, read the 10 words together, and ask the child to say each one in their own sentence rather than repeating the example. Then open the flashcard mode and let the child sort the cards into "I knew it" and "Not yet"; the "Not yet" pile is tomorrow's practice. Five minutes a day beats an hour on Sunday, and copying words out 20 times usually helps memory less than saying and using them.
The words were chosen for frequency and usefulness to school-age learners, not copied from an exam syllabus or coursebook. For each level we asked which 80 words a child of that age meets most often in class, in stories and in everyday conversation, and which ones unlock the most sentences. That is why A1 has body parts and family members, while B2 has words such as evidence, sustainable and negotiate that appear in upper-secondary reading. Each definition uses simpler words than the word it explains, and every example sentence is original and written for a young reader.
CEFR levels describe what a learner can do, not a fixed number of words, so these lists are a practical starting point rather than an official requirement. A1 and A2 are the basic user stages, B1 and B2 are the independent user stages, and vocabulary grows with each one, from concrete nouns at A1 to abstract and academic words at B2. If you are not sure which level to start with, the free English level test on this site gives an indicative CEFR level in about 12 minutes, and the English level by age page shows the typical range for each school year.
Questions parents ask about vocabulary by level
Common estimates put A1 at roughly 500 words, A2 at roughly 1,000, B1 at roughly 2,000 and B2 at roughly 4,000, though published figures vary widely because they count words in different ways. The 80 words per level on this page are a focused core, not the whole level, chosen so a child can build useful sentences quickly.
No. Memorising a word list builds recognition, but a child only owns a word after using it in speech and writing several times. Treat each list as raw material: say the words in sentences, use them in a game, hear them in a story and bring them into a live lesson. Lists work best as a short daily warm-up, not as the whole learning plan.
For most primary-age children, 5 to 10 new words a week is realistic when the words are reviewed daily for a few minutes. Teenagers at B1 or B2 can manage 10 to 15 if the words come from reading they are already doing. Fewer words that are used actively beat a long list that is only read once, so stop adding words when the "Not yet" pile grows.
No. These lists are an original selection made by Fleydo for school-age learners, based on how often the words appear in children's reading and classroom language. They overlap naturally with exam vocabulary because frequent words are frequent everywhere, but they are not copied from any exam syllabus and are not a substitute for the official list of a specific exam.
There is no printable version of these lists at the moment; the page is designed for on-screen practice with the search, filter and flashcard tools. If you want paper activities, the free materials page on this site has worksheets, stories and reading challenges for CEFR Pre-A1 to C1, some of which cover similar topics to these word lists.
Each meaning gives the most common sense of the word, the one used in the example sentence, in simpler words than the word itself. Many English words have several meanings, so the meaning here is a guide rather than a full dictionary entry. If a word looks different in context, the example sentence shows which sense is intended, and a teacher can explain the others.
Start with the level where the child knows most of the words but not all of them. If an A1 list is too easy, move to A2; if more than half of a list is new, go down a level. The free English level test on this site gives an indicative CEFR level in about 12 minutes, and a free trial lesson with a Fleydo teacher gives a fuller picture.
Play, repetition and real sentences work better than drilling. Point to objects at home and name them in English, ask the child to find the word that matches a picture, or use the flashcard mode together and let the child be the teacher. Keep sessions short, 5 to 10 minutes, and praise attempts rather than correctness; confidence with speaking matters more than perfect recall.
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