100 English Words and Phrases for Beginners

Learning English can feel a bit like trying to eat soup with a fork. Messy at first. But also fixable.

This starter list gives you the most useful beginner words and phrases for real life: greeting people, asking questions, talking about time, shopping, travel, work, and daily routines. These are the words that show up again and again, which is annoying for your memory, but great for progress.

If you want to check your level after reading, you can also try the English Vocabulary Test or the English Placement Test CEFR. For the bigger learning path, start at Learn English.

Below, each word or phrase includes a simple pronunciation guide, a clear meaning, and an example sentence. No drama. Just useful English.

Table of Contents

Greetings, Polite Words, And Basic Conversation

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
Hello	heh-LOH	A friendly greeting	Hello, how are you?	Neutral and safe in almost every situation.
Hi	hahy	A casual greeting	Hi, Tom!	More casual than hello.
Good morning	good MOR-ning	A greeting used in the morning	Good morning, everyone.	Polite and common in work or school.
Good afternoon	good af-ter-NOON	A greeting used after 12:00 p.m.	Good afternoon, Ms. Lee.	More formal than hi.
Good evening	good EE-ven-ing	A greeting used at night or in the evening	Good evening, sir.	Often used when arriving somewhere.
Goodbye	good-BY	A way to say you are leaving	Goodbye! See you tomorrow.	Neutral and common.
Bye	by	A casual goodbye	Bye, see you later.	Very common in speech.
Please	pleez	A polite word when asking	Please sit down.	Important for polite English.
Thank you	THANK yoo	A polite way to show gratitude	Thank you for your help.	Shorten to “Thanks” in casual speech.
You’re welcome	yoor WEL-kum	A reply to “thank you”	You’re welcome. It was no problem.	Very common after thanks.

Everyday Survival Words

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
Yes	yes	Shows agreement	Yes, I can help.	Short and very common.
No	noh	Shows disagreement	No, thank you.	Can sound blunt, so add “thank you” when polite.
Maybe	MAY-bee	Not sure; possibly	Maybe later.	Useful when you do not want to answer directly.
Okay	oh-KAY	All right; acceptable	Okay, let’s go.	Also spelled “OK” in casual writing.
Sorry	SOR-ee	Used to apologize	Sorry, I’m late.	Very important in daily English.
Excuse me	ik-SKYOOS mee	A polite phrase to get attention or pass by	Excuse me, where is the bathroom?	Useful in public places and when interrupting.
I don’t understand	eye dohnt un-der-STAND	You do not understand something	I don’t understand this question.	Good for class, work, and travel.
Can you repeat that?	kan yoo ree-PEET that	Asks someone to say it again	Can you repeat that, please?	Very useful when you miss something.
I need help	eye need help	You want assistance	I need help with this form.	Simple and clear.
Help!	help	A strong call for assistance	Help! Call someone!	Use in emergencies.

People And Personal Information

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
Name	naym	What a person is called	What is your name?	Very basic and very important.
First name	FURST naym	Your given name	My first name is Ana.	In the U.S., this means your personal name.
Last name	LAST naym	Your family name	My last name is Kim.	In the U.S., this is your family name.
Age	ayj	How old someone is	I am 20 years old.	English uses “years old” with age.
Address	AD-res	Where a person lives or a place is located	What is your address?	Common in forms and travel.
Phone number	FOHN num-ber	A number used to call someone	What is your phone number?	Useful for filling out forms.
Email	EE-mayl	A message sent by internet	Please send me an email.	Also used as a noun and a verb.
Job	job	Work you do for money	What is your job?	Very common in conversation.
Family	FAM-uh-lee	Parents, children, and close relatives	My family lives in Mexico.	A core beginner word.
Friend	frend	A person you like and know well	She is my best friend.	Simple, friendly, useful.

Time, Days, And Dates

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
Today	tuh-DAY	This day	Today is Monday.	Use with the present day.
Tomorrow	tuh-MOR-oh	The next day	I will go tomorrow.	Very common in plans.
Yesterday	YESS-ter-day	The day before today	Yesterday was busy.	Often used with past tense.
Now	now	At this moment	I need it now.	Shows urgency.
Later	LAY-ter	After now; in the future	I will call you later.	Very useful in casual English.
Early	UR-lee	Before the usual time	I arrived early.	Opposite of late.
Late	layt	After the expected time	Sorry, I am late.	Common in school and work.
Week	week	Seven days	See you next week.	Basic time word.
Month	muntth	About four weeks	I started last month.	Used for dates and schedules.
Year	yeer	Twelve months	Next year will be busy.	Very common in time expressions.

“Today, tomorrow, and yesterday” are small words, but they do a lot of work. Tiny words. Big job. Very efficient, unlike some people’s calendars.

Numbers And Basic Counting

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
One	wun	1	I have one question.	Used in many common expressions.
Two	too	2	There are two books on the table.	Watch the spelling: t-w-o.
Three	three	3	Three people are here.	The “th” sound may feel strange at first.
Four	for	4	I need four chairs.	Do not confuse with “for.”
Five	fahyv	5	She bought five apples.	Very common in shopping.
Ten	ten	10	Ten students are absent.	Useful as a round number.
First	FURST	Number 1 in order	He is my first teacher.	Used for order, not count.
Second	SEK-und	Number 2 in order	This is my second visit.	Common in directions and lists.
Third	thurd	Number 3 in order	She finished third.	Remember: ordinal form.
Many	MEN-ee	A large number of things	There are many people here.	Used with countable nouns.

Home, Places, And Everyday Things

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
House	hows	A place where people live	My house is small.	Common in daily life.
Room	room	A part of a house or building	This room is bright.	Useful in home and hotel situations.
Kitchen	KITCH-en	The place where food is cooked	The kitchen is clean.	One of the most useful home words.
Bathroom	BATH-room	The room with a toilet, sink, and sometimes a shower	Where is the bathroom?	Very important for travel.
School	skool	A place to study and learn	My school starts at 8:00.	Also used for college in some contexts.
Office	OFF-is	A place where people work	I work in an office.	Common in business English.
Store	stor	A shop	I bought milk at the store.	American English; British English often says “shop.”
Street	street	A road in a town or city	Turn right on Main Street.	Important for directions.
Park	park	A public outdoor area	We walked in the park.	Also a verb: to park a car.
Hospital	HOS-pi-tal	A place for medical treatment	She is at the hospital.	Useful for emergencies.

Food, Drink, And Basic Restaurant English

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
Water	WAW-ter	A drink with no flavor	Can I have some water?	One of the first words travelers need.
Food	food	Things people eat	The food is delicious.	Very common and general.
Breakfast	BREK-fest	The first meal of the day	I eat breakfast at 7:00.	Notice the stress: BREK-fest.
Lunch	lunch	The meal in the middle of the day	Let’s have lunch together.	Simple and useful.
Dinner	DIN-er	The main evening meal	We had dinner at home.	In American English, dinner is usually the evening meal.
Tea	tee	A hot drink made from leaves	I drink tea in the morning.	In British English, “tea” can also mean an evening meal in some families.
Coffee	KAW-fee	A hot drink made from roasted beans	He wants coffee, not tea.	Common in cafes and work talk.
Menu	MEN-yoo	A list of food or drinks	Can I see the menu?	Useful in restaurants.
Bill	bil	The amount of money to pay	Can we have the bill, please?	British English often uses “bill”; Americans also use “check.”
Check	chek	The bill in a restaurant	Could we get the check?	Common in the U.S.

Useful Verbs For Daily Life

English	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Learner Note
Be	bee	To exist; to have a state	I am happy.	One of the most important English verbs.
Have	hav	To own or hold something	I have a pen.	Used in many grammar patterns too.
Do	doo	To perform an action	What do you do?	Also used to make questions.
Go	goh	To move or travel	I go to work at 9:00.	Very common with places.
Come	kum	To move toward the speaker	Come here, please.	Direction matters: come vs go.
Want	wont	To wish for something	I want a new phone.	Very common in beginner English.
Need	need	To require something	I need help.	Stronger than “want.”
Like	lahyk	To enjoy or prefer	I like this song.	Good for hobbies and opinions.
Help	help	To assist	Can you help me?	Also used as a noun.
Know	noh	To have information	I know the answer.	Often confused with “understand.”

Common Beginner Phrases You Can Use Right Away

What’s your name? — watz yor naym — Ask someone’s name. Example: What’s your name? I’m Mina.
My name is… — my naym iz — Introduce yourself. Example: My name is David.
How are you? — how ar yoo — A common greeting. Example: How are you? I’m fine, thanks.
I’m fine, thanks. — ahym fyn, thanks — A polite answer to “How are you?” Example: I’m fine, thanks. And you?
Nice to meet you. — nys to meet yoo — Polite greeting when meeting someone. Example: Nice to meet you, Mr. Brown.
Where are you from? — wer ar yoo frum — Ask about someone’s country or city. Example: Where are you from? I’m from Peru.
I’m from… — ahym frum — Say your country or city. Example: I’m from Canada.
How much is it? — how much iz it — Ask the price. Example: How much is it? It’s five dollars.
I don’t know. — eye dohnt noh — Say you do not know something. Example: I don’t know the answer.
One moment, please. — wun MOH-ment, pleez — Ask someone to wait briefly. Example: One moment, please. I’m looking for it.
Can I have…? — kan eye hav — Polite way to ask for something. Example: Can I have a coffee, please?
I would like… — eye wood lyk — Polite way to order or request. Example: I would like a sandwich, please.
Can you help me? — kan yoo help mee — Ask for assistance. Example: Can you help me with this?
Where is…? — wer iz — Ask for a place. Example: Where is the bus stop?
What time is it? — wut tyme iz it — Ask the time. Example: What time is it? It’s 3:30.

Important Beginner Grammar Patterns

These are not fancy rules. They are the little patterns that keep your English from wobbling around like a shopping cart with one bad wheel.

Pattern	Meaning	Example	Learner Note
I am + adjective	Describe how you feel or what you are like	I am tired.	Short form: I’m tired.
I have + noun	Say what you own or have	I have a pen.	Use “a” before singular nouns.
Can I have + noun?	Polite request	Can I have a glass of water?	Very useful in restaurants and shops.
I need + noun	Say something is necessary	I need a ticket.	Common in daily life and travel.
I like + noun	Say what you enjoy	I like pizza.	Also: I like reading.
Where is + place?	Ask for location	Where is the station?	Very common question form.
I am from + place	Say your home country or city	I am from Brazil.	Very useful for introductions.
What time is it?	Ask the time	What time is it?	Memorize this whole phrase.

For a good dictionary check on real pronunciation and meaning, see Cambridge Dictionary’s entry for “hello”. Boring in the best possible way.

Mini Practice

Try these quick exercises. No pressure. A little pressure. Enough pressure to remember something.

Fill in the blank: __________ is your name? → What
Choose the polite phrase: “Give me water” or “Can I have water, please?” → Can I have water, please?
Say it another way: “I’m from Mexico.” → __________ → I come from Mexico. / I’m from Mexico.
Correct the sentence: “Where you are from?” → __________ → Where are you from?
Choose the best word: “I need help now” or “I need help later” when there is a problem now → I need help now
Translate into English: “¿Cómo estás?” → How are you?
Choose the right answer: “Thank you.” → __________ → You’re welcome.
Say the polite restaurant request: “I want coffee” → __________ → I would like coffee, please.

Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes

Common Mistake	Better English	Why It Matters
“How you are?”	How are you?	English word order in questions is different from many languages.
“My age is 20.”	I am 20 years old.	English usually talks about age this way.
“I want water please”	I would like some water, please.	More polite, especially in restaurants.
“Where is bathroom?”	Where is the bathroom?	English usually needs “the” here.
“Thanks you”	Thank you	“Thank” does not take “s” in this phrase.
“I am agree.”	I agree.	English does not use “am” here.

Yak Takeaway: learn these 100 words and phrases first, and daily English gets a lot less scary. Not magical. Just practical. Which, honestly, is better.