English is a tremendously valuable language to learn. Beginners often wonder if it’s difficult to learn English, but you just need to know where to start. It’s helpful to know a lot of basic English words on everyday topics like food, clothing, colors, household objects, and places in the community.
Words are like building blocks: The more words you know, the better sentences you can build. This helpful guide can jumpstart your learning of basic vocabulary and pronunciation, so you’ll be on your way to communicating effectively in English.
Table of Contents
English words for greetings and polite manners
One of the first steps in learning how to speak English is saying hello to someone. From here you can make a new friend, make small talk, or begin a social interaction, such as in a shop or restaurant. It’s considered polite to say hello and goodbye in many situations, as well as please and thank you.
These are some of the most common English words and phrases to speak politely:
- Hello: appropriate for any greeting; used when answering the phone
- Hi: a more casual greeting
- Good morning: used at the beginning of the day and before noon
- Good afternoon: used from 12:00 noon until 6:00 p.m. or so.
- Good evening: used as a greeting after around 6:00 p.m.
- Have a good day: used to say goodbye in the early part of the day
- Good night: used as a goodbye before sleeping or in the late part of the evening
- Bless you: said after someone sneezes
- Excuse me: used to get someone’s attention/to interrupt/when passing someone in a tight space
- Pardon?: used if you didn’t hear someone clearly
- Please: used when making any request
- Thank you: used in response to someone helping you
- You’re welcome: used as a response to “thank you”
- Sorry: used as a simple apology
- I’m so sorry: used to respond to something sad
Words used for travel in English-speaking countries
You’ll need a wide variety of English nouns and verbs to travel to and within English-speaking countries. You’ll want to check schedules for the times for arrival and departure as well as the price of a ticket or fare. Make a reservation for a hotel room and learn English phrases for how to pay.
| English | Pronunciation |
| airplane | AIR-pleyn |
| bank | bangk |
| bus | buhs |
| buy/purchase | bahy/PUR-chuhs |
| car | kahr |
| cash | kash |
| cash register | kash REJ-uh-ster |
| check-in | CHEK-in |
| check-out | CHEK-out |
| credit card | KRED-it kahrd |
| elevator | EL-uh-vey-ter |
| key | kee |
| nonsmoking | non-SMOH-king |
| pay | pey |
| price | prahys |
| reservation | rez-er-VEY-shuhn |
| subway | SUHB-wey |
| taxi | TAK-see |
| ticket | TIK-it |
English words for services and places to visit
Getting around your new destination can be much easier if you can ask for a few landmarks using common English words.
| English | Pronunciation |
| airport | AIR-pawrt |
| grocery store | GROH-suh-ree stawr |
| mall | mawl |
| market | MAHR-kit |
| movie theater | MOO-vee thee-uh-ter |
| museum | myoo-ZEE-uhm |
| park | pahrk |
| police station | puh-LEES stey-shuhn |
| stadium | STEY-dee-uhm |
| store/shop | stawr/shop |
| theater | THEE-uh-ter |
| university | yoo-nuh-VUR-si-tee |
Basic English words for food and dining
There are all kinds of dining options, from fast-food drive-thru windows to fine-dining restaurants. Use these words to order at restaurants and ask for things you need or wish to avoid.
| English | Pronunciation |
| alcoholic/nonalcoholic | al-kuh-HAW-lik/non-al-kuh-HAW-lik |
| allergy | AL-er-jee |
| appetizer | AP-it-tahy-zer |
| beef | beef |
| bar/pub | bahr/puhb |
| beverage/drink | BEV-er-ij/dringk |
| bread | bred |
| bowl | bohl |
| cheese | cheez |
| chicken | CHIK-uhn |
| dessert | dih-ZURT |
| eat | eet |
| eggs | egz |
| entrée/main course | AHN-trey/meyn kawrs |
| fish | fish |
| fork | fawrk |
| fruit | froot |
| glass | glas |
| knife | nahyf |
| meat | meet |
| milk | milk |
| menu | MEN-yoo |
| napkin | NAP-kin |
| nuts | nuhts |
| order | AWR-der |
| pasta | PAH-stuh |
| peanut | PEE-nuht |
| plate | pleyt |
| pork | pawrk |
| potato | puh-TEY-toh |
| restaurant | RES-tuh-rahnt |
| rice | rahys |
| salad | SAL-uhd |
| seafood | SEE-food |
| server | SUR-ver |
| snack | snak |
| soup | soop |
| spoon | spoon |
| straw | straw |
| table | TEY-buhl |
| check/bill | chek/bil |
| vegetable | VEJ-tuh-buhl |
| vegetarian/vegan | vej-i-TAIR-ee-uhn/VEE-guhn |
| water | WAW-ter |
Common English words for clothing
There is a wide range of vocabulary in English for clothing and accessories. These standard basic words will help you sort out what clothing you are looking for or help you compliment someone’s outfit.
| English | Pronunciation |
| boots | boots |
| bra | brah |
| coat | koht |
| dress | dres |
| gloves | gluhvz |
| hat | hat |
| jacket | JAK-it |
| jeans | jeenz |
| pants | pants |
| scarf | skahrf |
| shoes | shooz |
| shorts | shawrts |
| skirt | skurt |
| socks | soks |
| suit | soot |
| swimsuit/bathing suit | SWIM-soot/BEY-thing soot |
| tee-shirt/t-shirt | TEE-shurt |
| tie | tahy |
| underwear | UHN-der-wair |
| vest | vest |
Colors in English
This list of the most common English words for colors will be a starting place for the wide variety of colors you will encounter in English. These basics can come in light or dark shades and many have specific names for the objects they remind us of, such as turquoise or cranberry.
| English | Pronunciation |
| black | blak |
| blue | bloo |
| brown | broun |
| gray | grey |
| green | green |
| orange | AWR-inj |
| pink | pingk |
| purple | PUR-puhl |
| red | red |
| white | wahyt |
| yellow | YEL-oh |
Words in English for house and home
These words will help you navigate a house or apartment and some of the essential furniture and appliances that you’ll find in it.
| English | Pronunciation |
| apartment | uh-PAHRT-muhnt |
| attic | AT-ik |
| basement | BEYS-muhnt |
| bathroom | BATH-room |
| bathtub | BATH-tub |
| bed | bed |
| bedroom | BED-room |
| closet | KLOZ-it |
| couch/sofa | kouch/SOH-fuh |
| counter | KOUN-ter |
| dishwasher | DISH-wosh-er |
| door | dawr |
| driveway | DRAHYV-wey |
| dryer | DRAHY-er |
| garage | guh-RAHZH |
| garden | GAHR-dn |
| hall | hawl |
| kitchen | KICH-uhn |
| lamp | lamp |
| laundry room | LAWN-dree room |
| living room | LIV-ing room |
| microwave | MAHY-kroh-weyv |
| oven | UHV-uhn |
| refrigerator | ri-FRIJ-uh-rey-ter |
| shower | SHOU-er |
| sink | singk |
| stairs | stairz |
| stove | stovv |
| toilet | TOI-lit |
| washing machine | WOSH-ing muh-sheen |
| window | WIN-doh |
| yard | yahrd |
Family and people words in English
These English words for people will help you to introduce your family, friends, and neighbors. Unlike Spanish, which has similar words for relationships of both genders, such as tío/tía, these same words in English are often very different, like uncle and aunt.
| English | Pronunciation |
| aunt | ant |
| boy | boi |
| boyfriend | BOI-frend |
| brother | BRUHTH-er |
| child | chahyld |
| cousin | KUHZ-uhn |
| daughter | DAW-ter |
| father | FAH-ther |
| friend | frend |
| girl | gurl |
| girlfriend | GURL-frend |
| grandchild | GRAN-chahyld |
| granddaughter | GRAN-daw-ter |
| grandfather | GRAN-FAH-ther |
| grandmother | GRAN-muhth-er |
| grandson | GRAN-suhn |
| husband | HUHZ-buhnd |
| man | man |
| mother | MUHTH-er |
| neighbor | NEY-ber |
| nephew | NEF-yooor |
| niece | nees |
| parent | PAIR-uhnt |
| partner | PAHRT-ner |
| people | PEE-puhl |
| person | PUR-suhn |
| relative | REL-uh-tiv |
| sister | SIS-ter |
| son | suhn |
| spouse | spous |
| uncle | uhng-kuhl |
| wife | wahyf |
| woman | WOOM-uhn |
Animal names in English
No list of common English words would be complete without a few of our furry, scaly, or feathered friends. This list has just a few of the most recognizable words in English for animals, so you can identify your favorites.
| English | Pronunciation |
| bear | bair |
| bird | burd |
| bull | bool |
| cat | kat |
| chicken | CHIK-uhn |
| cow | kou |
| deer | deer |
| dog | dawg |
| duck | duhk |
| fox | foks |
| frog | frawg |
| goose | goos |
| horse | hawrse |
| lion | LAHY-uhn |
| lizard | LIZ-erd |
| monkey | MUHNG-kee |
| pet | pet |
| pig | pig |
| rabbit | RAB-it |
| sheep | sheep |
| snake | sneyk |
English words for school and the office
These common objects can help you with homework or working on tasks at your desk. You may need to use some of these English words while planning your day.
| English | Pronunciation |
| agenda | uh-JEN-duh |
| book | book |
| calendar | KAL-uhn-der |
| charger | CHAHR-jer |
| computer | kuhm-PYOO-ter |
| desk | desk |
| dictionary | DIK-shuh-ner-ee |
| eraser | ih-REY-ser |
| folder | FOHL-der |
| highlighter | HAHY-layh-ter |
| marker | MAHR-ker |
| notebook | NOHT-book |
| office | AW-fis |
| paper | PEY-per |
| phone/telephone | fohn/TEL-uh-fohn |
| pen | pen |
| pencil | PEN-suhl |
| scissors | SIZ-erz |
| stapler | STEY-pler |
| tape | teyp |
English words for sports and entertainment
Whatever you enjoy in your free time, you can practice your English with your entertainment. Consider playing board games in English, or attending special events near you.
| English | Pronunciation |
| baseball | BEYS-bawl |
| basketball | BAS-kit-bawl |
| concert | KON-surt |
| football | FOOT-bawl |
| game | geym |
| hockey | HOK-ee |
| movie | MOO-vee |
| music | MYOO-zik |
| play | pley |
| podcast | POD-kast |
| read | reed |
| show | shoh |
| soccer | SOK-er |
| song | sawng |
| swimming | SWIM-ing |
| tennis | TEN-is |
| track and field | trak-and-FEELD |
| volleyball | VOL-ee-bawl |
| watch | woch |
Health and wellness words in English
No one wants to have a sickness or emergency, but knowing some English words ahead of time can help reduce your worry should any of these situations occur. This list contains some common words for advice to keep you feeling your best.
| English | Pronunciation |
| allergy | AL-er-jee |
| bleeding | BLEE-ding |
| breathe | BREEth |
| broken | BROH-kuhn |
| cold | kohld |
| doctor | DOK-ter |
| eat | eet |
| exercise | EK-ser-sahtz |
| fever | FEE-ver |
| flu | floo |
| help | help |
| hurt | hurt |
| ice | ahys |
| infection | in-FEK-shuhn |
| injury | IN-juh-ree |
| medication | med-i-KEY-shuhn |
| nurse | nurs |
| pain | peyn |
| sick | sik |
| sleep | sleep |
| to rest | rest |
Names for parts of the body in English
At the bare minimum, you could always say it hurts here and point to a specific part of your body. In English, we use the possessive my to talk about our own body parts, so you could also say my arm hurts or my eyes hurt.
| English | Pronunciation |
| ankle | ANG-kuhl |
| arm | ahrm |
| back | bak |
| chest | chest |
| ear | eer |
| elbow | EL-bow |
| eye | ahy |
| face | feys |
| finger | FING-ger |
| foot | foot |
| hand | hand |
| head | hed |
| heart | hahrt |
| hip | hip |
| knee | nee |
| leg | leg |
| lungs | luhngz |
| neck | nek |
| nose | nohz |
| shoulder | SHOHL-der |
| stomach | STUHM-uhk |
| throat | throht |
| tooth/teeth | tooth/teeth |
Speak English from day one with Rosetta Stone
English is an important language around the world, so knowing how to read, to write, to speak, and to understand common English words is incredibly valuable. Tackle the most common English vocabulary words by seeing them in easy-to-understand sentences with Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion, and pronounce them well with feedback from the TruAccent speech recognition engine. Before long, you’ll be ready to have full conversations in everyday situations in English.
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