100 British words you need to know as a beginner (with PDFs)
Learning English starts with learning words. You do not need to learn thousands of words in the beginning. First, learn the words you will use every day.
We’re going to go through 100 important English words for CEFR A1 learners. If ou scroll down, you’ll find some English vocabulary PDFs which you can save to help you with your learning.
What is CEFR A1 English?
A1 is the first level of English. Words in this level help you talk about yourself, your family, your home, food, school, and other everyday topics.
The words we are going to explain are in different groups, so they are easier to learn.
Each word has:
a simple meaning
an example sentence
Read a few words every day. Say the words out loud and read the example sentences. Try to use the new words when you speak or write in English. You can also listen for these words in YouTube videos, podcasts, songs, and films.
If you learn these 100 words, you will have a strong start in English. Keep practising every day, and your English will get better little by little.
Family and people vocabulary
Let’s start with words about family and friends. Once you know these words, you can start to talk about people who are important to you.
Like our Lovely English Stories, we will give you a word, and we’ll give you an example of how to use the word in a simple English sentence.
- Family (noun) A group of related people. My family lives in Manchester.
- Mother (noun) A female parent. My mother is a teacher.
- Father (noun) A male parent. My father drives to work.
- Brother (noun) A male sibling. My brother likes football.
- Sister (noun) A female sibling. My sister is ten years old.
- Grandmother (noun) The mother of your parent. My grandmother bakes cakes.
- Grandfather (noun) The father of your parent. My grandfather tells stories.
- Son (noun) A male child. Their son is at school.
- Daughter (noun) A female child. Their daughter plays tennis.
- Child (noun) A young person. The child is happy.
- Baby (noun) A very young child. The baby is sleeping.
- Friend (noun) A person you like and know well. Jack is my friend.
- Boy (noun) A male child. The boy is running.
- Girl (noun) A female child. The girl has a red bike.
- Man (noun) An adult male. The man is reading.
- Woman (noun) An adult female. The woman is shopping.
- Person (noun) A human being. There is one person in the room.
- Neighbour (noun) A person who lives near you. My neighbour has a dog.
- Teacher (noun) A person who teaches. Our teacher is friendly.
- Student (noun) A person who learns. The student studies English.
Around the house vocabulary
Now we’re going to go through some vocabulary all about the home. If you can learn these then you’ll be able to describe things around your house!
- House (noun) A building where people live. They live in a large house.
- Home (noun) The place where you live. I am going home.
- Room (noun) A part of a house. My room is tidy.
- Kitchen (noun) A room where food is prepared. Mum is in the kitchen.
- Bedroom (noun) A room for sleeping. My bedroom is upstairs.
- Bathroom (noun) A room for washing. The bathroom is clean.
- Living room (noun) A room for relaxing. We watch TV in the living room.
- Door (noun) Something you open to enter a room. Please close the door.
- Window (noun) An opening with glass in a wall. Open the window please.
- Wall (noun) The side of a room. The picture is on the wall.
- Floor (noun) The bottom surface of a room. The keys are on the floor.
- Table (noun) Furniture with a flat top. Dinner is on the table.
- Chair (noun) Furniture for sitting. Sit on the chair.
- Bed (noun) Furniture for sleeping. The cat is on the bed.
- Sofa (noun) A long comfortable seat. We sat on the sofa.
- Lamp (noun) A light. Turn on the lamp.
- Clock (noun) Something that shows the time. The clock is on the wall.
- Key (noun) Used to open a lock. I found my key.
- Garden (noun) Land beside a house. The children play in the garden.
- Garage (noun) A place for a car. The car is in the garage.
Beginner food and drink vocabulary
What’s your favourite food or drink? Is it in the list below?
- Food (noun) Things people eat. The food is delicious.
- Water (noun) A clear drink. Drink some water.
- Milk (noun) A white drink from animals. I drink milk every morning.
- Tea (noun) A hot drink. She likes tea.
- Coffee (noun) A drink made from coffee beans. Dad drinks coffee.
- Bread (noun) Food made from flour. We bought fresh bread.
- Butter (noun) A yellow food spread. Put butter on the bread.
- Cheese (noun) Food made from milk. I like cheese sandwiches.
- Egg (noun) Food laid by birds. I ate an egg for breakfast.
- Apple (noun) A fruit. She ate an apple.
- Banana (noun) A long yellow fruit. The banana is ripe.
- Orange (noun) A round fruit. I peeled an orange.
- Meat (noun) Food from animals. We had meat for dinner.
- Fish (noun) An animal that lives in water; also food. The fish was tasty.
- Chicken (noun) A bird; also food. We cooked chicken.
- Rice (noun) Small grains used as food. I like rice.
- Pasta (noun) Food made from flour. We ate pasta tonight.
- Cake (noun) A sweet baked food. The birthday cake was large.
- Breakfast (noun) The first meal of the day. I eat breakfast at seven.
- Lunch (noun) A meal in the middle of the day. We had lunch together.
Animals in English
Another important beginner English topic is animals. What’s your favourite animal listed below?
- Dog (noun) A common pet animal. My dog is friendly.
- Cat (noun) A small pet animal. The cat is sleeping.
- Bird (noun) An animal with feathers and wings. The bird is singing.
- Fish (noun) An animal that lives in water. The fish swims quickly.
- Horse (noun) A large animal used for riding. She rides a horse.
- Cow (noun) A farm animal. The cow eats grass.
- Sheep (noun) A farm animal with wool. The sheep are in the field.
- Pig (noun) A farm animal. The pig is muddy.
- Rabbit (noun) A small animal with long ears. The rabbit jumped away.
- Mouse (noun) A small animal. A mouse ran across the floor.
- Duck (noun) A bird that swims. The duck is on the pond.
- Chicken (noun) A farm bird. The chicken laid an egg.
- Lion (noun) A large wild cat. The lion is strong.
- Tiger (noun) A large striped cat. The tiger is sleeping.
- Elephant (noun) A very large animal. The elephant has a long trunk.
- Monkey (noun) An animal that climbs trees. The monkey is playful.
- Bear (noun) A large wild animal. The bear lives in the forest.
- Frog (noun) A small animal that jumps. The frog is green.
- Bee (noun) A flying insect. The bee is on the flower.
- Butterfly (noun) An insect with colourful wings. The butterfly landed on a leaf.
Vocabulary about school
We have listed words about school and different subjects you might study.
- School (noun) A place where children learn. I go to school every day.
- Classroom (noun) A room where lessons happen. The classroom is quiet.
- Book (noun) Something you read. I borrowed a book.
- Pen (noun) Something used for writing. She has a blue pen.
- Pencil (noun) A tool for writing. My pencil is sharp.
- Rubber (noun) Used to remove pencil marks. Can I borrow your rubber?
- Ruler (noun) Used for measuring. The ruler is thirty centimetres long.
- Bag (noun) Something used to carry things. My books are in my bag.
- Desk (noun) A table used for work. The student sits at a desk.
- Lesson (noun) A period of learning. Today’s lesson is maths.
- Maths (noun) The study of numbers. I enjoy maths.
- English (noun) The English language subject. We have English today.
- Science (noun) The study of the natural world. Science is interesting.
- Teacher (noun) A person who teaches. The teacher explained the lesson.
- Student (noun) A person who learns. The student answered correctly.
- Homework (noun) School work done at home. I finished my homework.
- Exam (noun) A test. The exam is tomorrow.
- Question (noun) Something you ask. I have a question.
- Answer (noun) A reply to a question. Her answer was correct.
- Learn (verb) To gain knowledge. Children learn at school.
The story below will teach you all about the school system in England.
Now you know 100 new words in English!
Keep reading through these and practise writing your own sentences with the words.
Do you want to improve your accent? Then our blog all about how to get a British English accent could be useful for you or visit the Lovely English Stories YouTube channel for stories about all these topics.
