A2 English Vocabulary Course

The course does one thing. It is not a grammar course and it does not teach conversation. It gives you the words, with enough context to use them correctly, so that the grammar you learn elsewhere has something to work with.

A2 vocabulary by topic

The words are split into 33 units. Each unit is built around a topic, so the words in each unit are ones you would naturally use together:

• People — family and friends, character and appearance, feelings and emotions
• Home — around the house, furniture and appliances, describing things
• Daily life — clothes and colours, food and cooking, money, the weather
• Getting around — in the city, transport and travel
• The body and health
• Work and study — business, people and jobs, school and college
• The wider world — art and media, technology, nature and the environment, social and political life
• Sport, exercise and free time
• Verbs and expressions — action verbs, thinking and deciding, speaking and writing, and phrases with do, make, get and take
• Describing and comparing — adjectives, adverbs, opposites, and words for time, numbers, size and distance

Because the units are grouped by topic, you do not have to work through them in order. Start with the topic you need most and come back to the rest later.

How the words were chosen

The word list is based on an analysis of spoken and written English, so the course concentrates on the words that come up most often. It is aligned with the Oxford 3000™, the core word list published by Oxford University Press, and was put together with input from English teachers on what learners need at this level.

EnglishLeo is not affiliated with Oxford University Press.

What changes from A1

A1 covers words about yourself and your immediate surroundings. A2 moves outwards, with units on technology, the environment, business, and social and political life — topics you come across in the news and at work, not only at home.

The vocabulary also becomes more precise. You learn to describe people’s character as well as their appearance, and to talk about change, success and failure. There is also a unit on everyday phrases with do, make, get and take, which learners at this level often find harder than single words.

Word lists with definitions, audio and quizzes

Every entry gives the word, its part of speech, a short definition in plain English, and an example sentence showing how the word is used in context.

Words come with audio, so you can hear how they are pronounced. Most units also have a recording of the whole list, which you can play from start to finish.

Each unit ends with a Test Yourself quiz on that unit’s words. Answers are shown straight away, so you can see what you missed while it is still fresh.

A flashcard module with spaced repetition is being added. It will bring back each word at increasing intervals, just before you are likely to forget it, which is one of the most reliable ways to remember new words in the long term. Like the rest of the course, it will work without an account.

On the translated versions of this site, you can show a translation of each definition and example in your own language, or hide it to test yourself.

Who this A2 course is for

• Learners who have finished A1, or who know the basics and want to fill the gaps
• Learners working towards A2, or building up to B1
• Teachers who need ready-made pre-intermediate word lists for class
• Adults using English at work or for travel who want the everyday words organised by topic
• Self-study learners who want a clear path from one level to the next

If you are new to English, start with the A1 vocabulary course instead. If you can already read short articles in English without much difficulty, B1 will suit you better.

What you need

• About fifteen to twenty minutes per unit. At one unit a day the course takes just over a month, though there is no schedule to keep to.
• Nothing to buy, install or sign up for.

After A2: moving on to B1

When you finish, the B1 vocabulary course continues with the next set of words. It uses the same format and is also free. The series runs through to C1.