This beginner list collects high-frequency English words you’re likely to meet in lessons, apps, and everyday situations — not obscure dictionary filler.
Ready to collect a few idioms that make English sound extra lively? Keep going and scroll to the bottom of the article for your free printable english vocabulary list list PDF and free downloadable printable english list flashcards.
Lists are useful, but real English happens in phrases. Our free English lessons teach speakable chunks with audio — jump into Lesson 1 — First Greetings when you want conversation practice.
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| Expression | IPA | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| born with a silver spoon in your mouth | born with uh SIL-ver spoon in yor MOWTH | born into wealth | He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. |
| bottom line | BOT-əm lyn | the most important point | The bottom line is that we need more time. |
| break a leg | brayk uh LEG | good luck | Break a leg in your audition! |
| break the ice | brayk thuh EYESE | make people feel more relaxed | That joke helped break the ice. |
| burn the midnight oil | burn thuh MID-nyt OYL | work late into the night | I burned the midnight oil to finish the report. |
| bury the hatchet | BAIR-ee thuh HACH-it | end a conflict and become friendly | They finally buried the hatchet. |
| butterflies in my stomach | BUH-ter-flyz in my STUH-mək | nervous feeling | I get butterflies in my stomach before presentations. |
| by the book | by thuh BOOK | following rules exactly | She does everything by the book. |
| by the skin of your teeth | by thuh SKIN uhv yor TEETH | barely; just in time | He passed the class by the skin of his teeth. |
| call it a day | kawl it uh DAY | stop working for now | Let’s call it a day and finish tomorrow. |
| call the shots | kawl thuh SHOTS | make the decisions | She calls the shots in that team. |
| cash cow | kash KOW | a product or thing that makes a lot of money | That app is a cash cow for the company. |
| catch someone red-handed | kach SUN-wun red-HAN-did | catch someone while doing something wrong | The kids were caught red-handed stealing cookies. |
| caught red-handed | /kɔːt rɛd ˈhændɪd/ | caught in the act of doing something wrong | He was caught red-handed stealing from the cash register. |
| change of heart | chaynj uhv HART | a change in opinion or feeling | He had a change of heart and stayed home. |
| chip in | chip IN | contribute money, help, or ideas | Everyone chipped in for the gift. |
| clear as day | kleer az DAY | very easy to see or understand | The message was clear as day. |
| come in handy | kum in HAN-dee | be useful | This extra charger will come in handy. |
| come out of your shell | kum out uhv yor SHEL | become more confident and social | She’s coming out of her shell at school. |
| compare apples and oranges | /kəmˈpɛr ˈæpəlz ænd ˈɔːrɪndʒɪz/ | to compare two things that are very different | Comparing a startup to a multinational is like comparing apples and oranges. |
| cost an arm and a leg | /kɔːst æn ɑːrm ænd ə lɛɡ/ | very expensive | That designer handbag costs an arm and a leg. |
| count your blessings | kownt yor BLESS-ingz | be grateful for what you have | When life is hard, count your blessings. |
| crack the code | krak thuh KOHD | solve a difficult problem | We finally cracked the code. |
| cross that bridge when we come to it | kraws that brij when wee kum too it | deal with a problem later, not now | We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. |
| cry over spilled milk | /kraɪ ˈoʊvər spɪld mɪlk/ | to be upset about something that has already happened and cannot be changed | There's no use crying over spilled milk; let's move on. |
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