Beginner starter words
These are the highest-frequency words in English, and getting them right matters more than any advanced vocabulary because you will say them thousands of times. Several are irregular: the has two pronunciations depending on the next sound, and of ends in a v. Start here and build outward.
Accent
15 words · beginner · your accent and voice are remembered across the site. More options on the settings page.
The words
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Words that lose a syllable
Chocolate, comfortable, vegetable: fewer syllables than the spelling suggests. Hear the real count.
WH words
What, where, who, whole: the WH spelling covers three different sounds. Hear which is which.
Business English words
Entrepreneur, niche, liaison, quarterly: office vocabulary you need to say with confidence.
Travel words
Itinerary, concierge, lounge, queue: airport and hotel vocabulary said the right way.
Animal names
Chameleon, hyena, koala, giraffe: animal vocabulary with unexpected stress and vowels.
Colour words
Turquoise, beige, fuchsia, mauve: colour names borrowed from French with tricky vowels.
Keep practising
Browse every practice list, hear two accents back to back on Compare, or test your ear with the listening quiz.