100 common English words you might not know

Learning English involves not just mastering grammar but also expanding your vocabulary. Below is a curated list of 100 common English words that are frequently used but often overlooked by English learners. Each word includes its IPA transcription, meaning, and example.

Nouns (01–20)

asset /ˈæsɛt/ - (a valuable thing or resource) – "Knowledge is an important asset in life."

flaw /flɔː/ - (a defect or imperfection) – "Every plan has a flaw."

debris /dəˈbriː/ - (scattered fragments) – "The debris was scattered after the storm."

glimpse /ɡlɪmps/ - (a quick look) – "I caught a glimpse of the actor."

lapse /læps/ - (a temporary failure) – "A lapse in memory caused the mistake."

notion /ˈnəʊʃən/ - (an idea or belief) – "The notion of freedom varies by culture."

surge /sɜːdʒ/ - (a sudden increase) – "There was a surge in demand."

venue /ˈvɛnjuː/ - (a location for an event) – "The venue for the meeting was perfect."

premise /ˈprɛmɪs/ - (a basis for reasoning) – "The story is based on an interesting premise."

hindsight /ˈhaɪndsaɪt/ - (understanding after something happens) – "In hindsight, we could have planned better."

decay /dɪˈkeɪ/ - (the process of rotting) – "Tooth decay can be prevented with proper care."

grief /ɡriːf/ - (intense sorrow) – "Her grief was evident at the funeral."

hindrance /ˈhɪndrəns/ - (something that makes progress difficult) – "Lack of funding is a major hindrance."

nuance /ˈnjuːɑːns/ - (a subtle difference) – "The artist captured every nuance of the scene."

realm /rɛlm/ - (a kingdom or domain) – "She works in the realm of science."

strain /streɪn/ - (pressure or tension) – "The strain of work affected his health."

verdict /ˈvɜːdɪkt/ - (a decision in a legal case) – "The jury reached a unanimous verdict."

insight /ˈɪnsaɪt/ - (deep understanding) – "Her insight into the problem was valuable."

legacy /ˈlɛɡəsi/ - (something handed down) – "The artist left a rich legacy of work."

obstacle /ˈɒbstəkəl/ - (something blocking progress) – "They overcame every obstacle in their way."

Verbs (21–40)

adhere /ədˈhɪə/ - (to stick firmly) – "You must adhere to the rules."

amplify /ˈæmplɪfaɪ/ - (to make stronger) – "The microphone amplified her voice."

compel /kəmˈpɛl/ - (to force someone) – "Circumstances compelled him to act."

devise /dɪˈvaɪz/ - (to create or invent) – "They devised a new strategy."

dwell /dwɛl/ - (to focus on or live in) – "Don’t dwell on the past."

enforce /ɪnˈfɔːs/ - (to make people follow a rule) – "The police enforce the law."

hinder /ˈhɪndə/ - (to block progress) – "Bad weather hindered their plans."

omit /əʊˈmɪt/ - (to leave out) – "Don’t omit important details."

refine /rɪˈfaɪn/ - (to improve) – "They refined the recipe over time."

sustain /səˈsteɪn/ - (to maintain) – "She sustained her energy throughout the race."

exceed /ɪkˈsiːd/ - (to go beyond) – "He exceeded expectations in his job."

provoke /prəˈvəʊk/ - (to cause a reaction) – "His words provoked anger in the audience."

resemble /rɪˈzɛmbəl/ - (to look like) – "The baby resembles her mother."

impart /ɪmˈpɑːt/ - (to give knowledge) – "The teacher imparted wisdom to her students."

invoke /ɪnˈvəʊk/ - (to call upon or appeal) – "He invoked his right to remain silent."

conceal /kənˈsiːl/ - (to hide) – "She concealed her disappointment."

modify /ˈmɒdɪfaɪ/ - (to change slightly) – "They modified the design for better results."

dictate /dɪkˈteɪt/ - (to give orders) – "The terms were dictated by the company."

extract /ɪkˈstrækt/ - (to remove) – "The dentist extracted a tooth."

repel /rɪˈpɛl/ - (to push away) – "The army repelled the invaders."

Adjectives (41–60)

abrupt /əˈbrʌpt/ - (sudden or unexpected) – "His departure was abrupt."

coherent /kəʊˈhɪərənt/ - (logical and clear) – "Her explanation was coherent."

intact /ɪnˈtækt/ - (undamaged) – "The structure remained intact after the earthquake."

lenient /ˈliːniənt/ - (not strict) – "The judge was lenient with the offender."

mundane /mʌnˈdeɪn/ - (ordinary) – "He handled the mundane tasks efficiently."

obsolete /ˌɒbsəˈliːt/ - (outdated) – "That computer model is obsolete now."

pristine /ˈprɪstiːn/ - (perfect condition) – "The forest is in pristine condition."

rigid /ˈrɪdʒɪd/ - (not flexible) – "The schedule was rigid and hard to follow."

tedious /ˈtiːdiəs/ - (boring) – "The job was tedious but necessary."

vague /veɪɡ/ - (unclear) – "His instructions were vague and confusing."

pristine /ˈprɪstiːn/ - (clean and untouched) – "The beach was in pristine condition."

radical /ˈrædɪkəl/ - (extreme or significant) – "The company made a radical change to its policy."

rigid /ˈrɪdʒɪd/ - (not flexible) – "The schedule is very rigid."

robust /rəʊˈbʌst/ - (strong and healthy) – "He has a robust immune system."

scarce /skeəs/ - (limited or rare) – "Water is scarce in the desert."

shallow /ˈʃæləʊ/ - (not deep) – "The water in the pool is shallow."

solemn /ˈsɒləm/ - (serious and formal) – "He gave a solemn promise to help."

stagnant /ˈstæɡnənt/ - (not moving or developing) – "The project has been stagnant for months."

tedious /ˈtiːdiəs/ - (boring and repetitive) – "Filling out paperwork can be tedious."

vivid /ˈvɪvɪd/ - (clear and detailed) – "She has a vivid memory of her childhood."

Adverbs (61–80)

barely /ˈbɛəli/ - (almost not) – "She barely finished the race in time."

deliberately /dɪˈlɪbərətli/ - (on purpose) – "He deliberately ignored my question."

eagerly /ˈiːɡəli/ - (with great interest) – "They eagerly awaited the results."

frankly /ˈfræŋkli/ - (honestly and directly) – "Frankly, I think it’s a bad idea."

gracefully /ˈɡreɪsfəli/ - (in an elegant way) – "She danced gracefully across the stage."

hastily /ˈheɪstɪli/ - (in a hurry) – "He hastily packed his bag and left."

keenly /ˈkiːnli/ - (with intense interest) – "She keenly observed the changes."

nevertheless /ˌnɛvəðəˈlɛs/ - (despite something) – "It was hard, but he succeeded nevertheless."

precisely /prɪˈsaɪsli/ - (exactly) – "Tell me precisely what happened."

readily /ˈrɛdɪli/ - (easily or willingly) – "She readily agreed to help."

reluctantly /rɪˈlʌktəntli/ - (unwillingly) – "He reluctantly handed over the keys."

seemingly /ˈsiːmɪŋli/ - (appearing to be true) – "It was seemingly impossible to solve."

steadily /ˈstɛdɪli/ - (continuously) – "The temperature has been steadily rising."

subtly /ˈsʌtli/ - (not obviously) – "He subtly changed the subject."

thoroughly /ˈθʌrəli/ - (completely) – "She cleaned the house thoroughly."

unwillingly /ʌnˈwɪlɪŋli/ - (against one’s will) – "He unwillingly participated in the event."

virtually /ˈvɜːtʃʊəli/ - (almost) – "The room was virtually empty."

vividly /ˈvɪvɪdli/ - (clearly or intensely) – "I vividly remember the day we met."

widely /ˈwaɪdli/ - (over a large area) – "The book is widely read across the world."

wrongly /ˈrɒŋli/ - (incorrectly) – "He was wrongly accused of the crime."

Prepositions (81–100)

amid /əˈmɪd/ - (in the middle of) – "Amid the chaos, he remained calm."

beneath /bɪˈniːθ/ - (underneath) – "The treasure was hidden beneath the sand."

beyond /bɪˈjɒnd/ - (further than) – "The village is beyond the mountains."

concerning /kənˈsɜːnɪŋ/ - (about something) – "We discussed issues concerning the project."

despite /dɪˈspaɪt/ - (in spite of) – "He succeeded despite the challenges."

during /ˈdjʊərɪŋ/ - (throughout a period) – "She stayed quiet during the meeting."

except /ɪkˈsɛpt/ - (not including) – "Everyone was invited except him."

inside /ɪnˈsaɪd/ - (within) – "There was nothing inside the box."

onto /ˈɒntuː/ - (to a surface) – "He climbed onto the roof."

towards /təˈwɔːdz/ - (in the direction of) – "They walked towards the river."

underneath /ˌʌndəˈniːθ/ - (directly below) – "The keys were underneath the cushion."

alongside /əˈlɒŋsaɪd/ - (next to) – "The ship sailed alongside the coast."

barring /ˈbɑːrɪŋ/ - (except for) – "Barring any delays, we’ll arrive on time."

concerning /kənˈsɜːnɪŋ/ - (regarding) – "I have questions concerning the report."

excluding /ɪkˈskluːdɪŋ/ - (leaving out) – "Excluding holidays, we have 250 workdays a year."

following /ˈfɒləʊɪŋ/ - (after) – "Following the meeting, we had lunch."

regarding /rɪˈɡɑːdɪŋ/ - (about) – "I sent an email regarding the issue."

opposite /ˈɒpəzɪt/ - (facing something) – "She sat opposite me at the table."

within /wɪˈðɪn/ - (inside a boundary) – "Please stay within the marked area."

without /wɪðˈaʊt/ - (not having) – "I can’t live without my phone."

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