MALU TEACHER • UPWARD ENGLISHCore Vocabulary • A1–B1
ENGLISH FOR REAL LIFE

200 Core English Words

High-value words for speaking and understanding everyday English. The most frequent grammar words are recycled naturally inside the examples, so students meet them again and again in context.

How this list was built: these are not simply the 200 most frequent dictionary entries. The list prioritizes words that give A1–B1 learners real communicative power. Very frequent words such as the, a, to, in, on, is, are appear naturally and repeatedly in the example sentences.
PART 1

200 words only

Start here for recognition, pronunciation and quick review. Work with one category or a small group of words at a time.

Essential Verbs60 words
1be
2have
3do
4go
5come
6get
7make
8take
9want
10need
11like
12love
13know
14think
15feel
16see
17look
18hear
19listen
20speak
21say
22tell
23ask
24answer
25give
26bring
27put
28keep
29find
30use
31work
32study
33learn
34understand
35remember
36forget
37start
38finish
39try
40help
41call
42meet
43wait
44live
45stay
46leave
47arrive
48eat
49drink
50buy
51pay
52cook
53watch
54read
55write
56sleep
57wake
58travel
59play
60choose
Everyday Nouns50 words
61time
62day
63week
64weekend
65morning
66afternoon
67evening
68night
69home
70house
71family
72friend
73people
74person
75parent
76child
77job
78school
79class
80teacher
81student
82food
83water
84coffee
85money
86car
87bus
88phone
89place
90city
91country
92life
93problem
94question
95idea
96thing
97way
98name
99number
100room
101meeting
102trip
103restaurant
104store
105office
106English
107language
108music
109movie
110book
Useful Adjectives30 words
111good
112bad
113big
114small
115new
116old
117young
118easy
119hard
120difficult
121important
122different
123same
124busy
125free
126tired
127happy
128sad
129ready
130hungry
131thirsty
132late
133early
134right
135wrong
136nice
137interesting
138favorite
139expensive
140cheap
Time, Frequency & Quantity25 words
141always
142usually
143often
144sometimes
145never
146now
147today
148tomorrow
149yesterday
150again
151already
152still
153really
154very
155more
156much
157many
158some
159any
160every
161first
162last
163next
164before
165after
Conversation Builders35 words
166what
167where
168when
169who
170why
171how
172which
173because
174but
175so
176if
177and
178or
179with
180without
181for
182from
183about
184here
185there
186this
187that
188these
189those
190something
191nothing
192someone
193everyone
194yes
195no
196maybe
197please
198sorry
199thanks
200together
PART 2

The same 200 words in real sentences

The numbering is exactly the same as Part 1. Read each sentence aloud and notice how common grammar words are quietly recycled around the target word.

Essential VerbsWords in context
1be

I want to be more confident when I speak English.

2have

I have a meeting at work this afternoon.

3do

What do you usually do after dinner?

4go

I go to work by bus during the week.

5come

Can you come to my house after work?

6get

I usually get home at about seven.

7make

I make breakfast before I leave home.

8take

I take the bus to work every morning.

9want

I want to travel more next year.

10need

I need some time to finish this today.

11like

I like this place because it is quiet.

12love

I love spending time with my family.

13know

I know a good restaurant near here.

14think

I think this is a really good idea.

15feel

I often feel tired after a busy day.

16see

I see my friends on the weekend.

17look

Look at this photo from my last trip.

18hear

I can hear music from the next room.

19listen

I listen to music when I cook.

20speak

I want to speak English more naturally.

21say

What do you usually say when you meet someone new?

22tell

Can you tell me about your weekend?

23ask

I want to ask you a question about the class.

24answer

Please answer the question in a complete sentence.

25give

Can you give me a few more minutes?

26bring

Please bring your book to class tomorrow.

27put

I always put my phone on the table at night.

28keep

I keep my notes in the same place.

29find

I can't find my keys this morning.

30use

I use English at work and when I travel.

31work

I work from home two days a week.

32study

I study English in the evening.

33learn

I want to learn new words in context.

34understand

I understand the question, but I need time to answer.

35remember

I remember your name, but I don't remember the number.

36forget

I sometimes forget to bring my water bottle.

37start

I start work at eight every day.

38finish

I usually finish work at about six.

39try

I try to speak English every day.

40help

Can you help me with this question?

41call

I call my family when I get home.

42meet

I often meet my friends for coffee.

43wait

I usually wait for the bus near my office.

44live

I live in a busy part of the city.

45stay

I usually stay home on Sunday night.

46leave

I leave home early when I have a meeting.

47arrive

I usually arrive at work before nine.

48eat

I eat breakfast at home every morning.

49drink

I drink a lot of water during the day.

50buy

I buy food for the week on Saturday.

51pay

I usually pay my bills online.

52cook

I cook dinner at home most nights.

53watch

I watch a movie when I have free time.

54read

I read a few pages before I sleep.

55write

I write emails in English at work.

56sleep

I try to sleep eight hours every night.

57wake

I usually wake up before seven.

58travel

I want to travel to a new country next year.

59play

I sometimes play games with my family.

60choose

It is hard to choose just one favorite movie.

Everyday NounsWords in context
61time

I don't have much time in the morning.

62day

I have a busy day at work today.

63week

I study English twice a week.

64weekend

I usually relax at home on the weekend.

65morning

I drink coffee every morning.

66afternoon

I have a meeting this afternoon.

67evening

I usually study in the evening.

68night

I don't drink coffee at night.

69home

I get home at about seven.

70house

There is a small park near my house.

71family

I have lunch with my family on Sundays.

72friend

My best friend lives in another city.

73people

There are a lot of people in the restaurant today.

74person

She is a very friendly person.

75parent

A parent often has a very busy routine.

76child

The child is reading a book in the living room.

77job

I like my job, but some days are difficult.

78school

The school is near my house.

79class

Our English class starts at seven.

80teacher

My teacher always gives clear examples.

81student

Every student learns in a different way.

82food

The food at this restaurant is very good.

83water

I always take water with me when I go out.

84coffee

I usually have coffee after breakfast.

85money

I don't have much money with me today.

86car

My car is at home, so I am taking the bus.

87bus

The bus usually arrives at this stop at eight.

88phone

I use my phone to listen to music.

89place

This is a nice place to study.

90city

I live in a big city with a lot of traffic.

91country

I want to visit a different country next year.

92life

I want more time for the important things in my life.

93problem

I have a small problem with my computer.

94question

Can I ask you a question?

95idea

That's a good idea for the weekend.

96thing

The first thing I do in the morning is drink water.

97way

This is an easy way to practice every day.

98name

Sorry, what is your name again?

99number

Can you give me your phone number?

100room

There is a table and two chairs in the room.

101meeting

I have an important meeting tomorrow morning.

102trip

I need to buy a few things before my trip.

103restaurant

There is a good restaurant near my office.

104store

I need to go to the store after work.

105office

My office is about twenty minutes from home.

106English

I use English when I travel and at work.

107language

Learning a new language takes time and practice.

108music

I listen to music when I am at home.

109movie

We usually watch a movie on Friday night.

110book

I am reading a really interesting book.

Useful AdjectivesWords in context
111good

This is a good place to have coffee.

112bad

I had a bad day, but I feel better now.

113big

I live in a big city, but my neighborhood is quiet.

114small

I have a small family and we are very close.

115new

I started a new job last month.

116old

My phone is old, but it still works well.

117young

She is young, but she has a lot of experience.

118easy

This exercise is easy when you understand the rule.

119hard

It is hard to speak when you are nervous.

120difficult

Some questions are difficult, so take your time.

121important

It is important to practice a little every day.

122different

My routine is different on the weekend.

123same

We work in the same office.

124busy

I am usually busy during the week.

125free

I am free on Saturday afternoon.

126tired

I feel tired when I don't sleep well.

127happy

I feel happy when I have time with my family.

128sad

I feel sad when a good trip ends.

129ready

I am ready to start the class.

130hungry

I am hungry because I didn't have breakfast.

131thirsty

I am thirsty, so I need some water.

132late

I don't like to be late for meetings.

133early

I usually wake up early during the week.

134right

Your first answer is right.

135wrong

This number is wrong; please check it again.

136nice

It is a nice day, so let's go outside.

137interesting

This book is interesting and easy to read.

138favorite

Friday is my favorite day of the week.

139expensive

That restaurant is good, but it is expensive.

140cheap

The bus is a cheap way to travel around the city.

Time, Frequency & QuantityWords in context
141always

I always check my phone before I leave home.

142usually

I usually have lunch at about one.

143often

I often listen to podcasts when I travel.

144sometimes

I sometimes work from home on Fridays.

145never

I never drink coffee before I eat something.

146now

I am busy now, but I can call you later.

147today

I have a lot of things to do today.

148tomorrow

I have an English class tomorrow evening.

149yesterday

I was very tired yesterday after work.

150again

Can you say that again, please?

151already

I already have plans for this weekend.

152still

I am still at work, but I will leave soon.

153really

I really like this part of the city.

154very

This question is very easy.

155more

I want to speak English more often.

156much

I don't have much free time during the week.

157many

How many people are in your class?

158some

I need some help with this exercise.

159any

Do you have any questions before we finish?

160every

I try to read something in English every day.

161first

The first thing I do is check my calendar.

162last

I went to a really good restaurant last weekend.

163next

I want to travel more next year.

164before

I usually drink water before breakfast.

165after

I often feel tired after work.

Conversation BuildersWords in context
166what

What do you usually do on weekends?

167where

Where do you normally have lunch?

168when

When do you usually study English?

169who

Who do you talk to every day?

170why

Why do you want to learn English?

171how

How do you usually get to work?

172which

Which movie do you want to watch?

173because

I study English because I want to travel more.

174but

I like coffee, but I don't drink it at night.

175so

I am tired, so I am going home early.

176if

If I have time, I usually read before bed.

177and

I work and study during the week.

178or

Would you like coffee or water?

179with

I live with my family.

180without

I don't like to start the day without breakfast.

181for

This book is for my English class.

182from

I work from home two days a week.

183about

Tell me about your typical day.

184here

I usually wait for the bus here.

185there

There is a good café near my office.

186this

This is my favorite restaurant.

187that

I think that this is a good idea.

188these

These questions are easy to understand.

189those

Those books are for the English class.

190something

I want to eat something before the meeting.

191nothing

There is nothing in the fridge, so we need to shop.

192someone

I need someone to help me with this.

193everyone

Everyone in my family likes this restaurant.

194yes

Yes, I do. I usually study at night.

195no

No, I don't. I usually stay home on Sundays.

196maybe

Maybe we can meet after work tomorrow.

197please

Can you speak more slowly, please?

198sorry

Sorry, I don't understand the question.

199thanks

Thanks for your help with my English.

200together

We usually have dinner together on Sundays.

PART 3

Power words: more than one real-life use

Some common verbs change meaning depending on the words around them. Learn the pattern, not only the translation.

get

  • arriveI get home at about seven.
  • becomeI get tired after a long day.
  • receiveI get a lot of emails at work.
  • obtainI need to get a new phone.

have

  • possessI have two brothers.
  • eat / drinkI have breakfast at home.
  • experienceI have a meeting this afternoon.
  • timeI don't have much free time today.

take

  • transportI take the bus to work.
  • routineI take a shower in the morning.
  • pauseLet's take a short break.
  • photoCan you take a photo for me?

make

  • create / prepareI make dinner at home.
  • decisionI need to make a decision today.
  • planLet's make a plan for the weekend.
  • mistakeIt is okay to make mistakes when you learn.

do

  • activityWhat do you do after work?
  • taskI need to do my homework tonight.
  • exerciseI do exercise three times a week.
  • general actionWhat can I do to improve my English?

go

  • movementI go to work by bus.
  • activityI go shopping on Saturday.
  • social activityWe go out for dinner sometimes.
  • future planI want to go to another country next year.

come

  • move hereCan you come here for a minute?
  • arriveWhat time do you come home?
  • joinDo you want to come with us?
  • originCoffee can come from many different countries.

feel

  • emotionI feel happy when I travel.
  • physical stateI feel tired after work.
  • impressionI feel this is the right choice.
  • changeI feel better after I rest.

think

  • opinionI think this is a good idea.
  • considerI need time to think about it.
  • beliefI think she is at home now.
  • possibilityI often think about taking a new trip.

work

  • jobI work in an office.
  • functionMy phone doesn't work very well.
  • effortI need to work on my pronunciation.
  • scheduleI work from home on Fridays.

Make it personal

Choose 5 words from this material and make true sentences about your life. Then say them aloud without reading.

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