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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| near and dear | neer and DEER | very important emotionally | This issue is near and dear to my heart. |
| needless to say | NEED-ləs too say | obviously; it goes without saying | Needless to say, we were disappointed. |
| no pain, no gain | noh PAYN noh GAYN | you must work hard to get results | No pain, no gain if you want progress. |
| no strings attached | noh stringz uh-TACHT | with no hidden conditions | It’s a free trial with no strings attached. |
| not my cup of tea | not my KUP uhv TEE | not something I like | Horror movies are not my cup of tea. |
| off the top of my head | awf thuh TOP uhv my HED | without checking carefully; from memory | Off the top of my head, I think the meeting is at 3. |
| on cloud nine | on KLOWD nyne | extremely happy | She was on cloud nine after the promotion. |
| on the edge | on thuh EJ | very nervous or tense | The suspense kept everyone on the edge. |
| on the fence | on thuh FENS | undecided | I’m still on the fence about moving. |
| on the same page | on thuh SAYM PAYJ | agree; understand each other | Let’s make sure we’re on the same page. |
| once and for all | wuns and for awl | finally and completely | Let’s settle this once and for all. |
| once in a blue moon | wuns in uh BLOO moon | very rarely | I eat fast food once in a blue moon. |
| open a can of worms | OH-pən uh kan uhv WERMZ | create a complicated problem | That question opened a can of worms. |
| open the floodgates | OH-pən thuh FLUD-gayts | allow a lot of something to happen at once | The apology opened the floodgates for complaints. |
| out of hand | out uhv HAND | not controlled | The argument got out of hand quickly. |
| out of the blue | out uhv thuh BLOO | suddenly; unexpectedly | She called out of the blue. |
| over the moon | OH-ver thuh MOON | very happy | She was over the moon about the news. |
| pain in the neck | PAYN in thuh NEK | annoying person or thing | This printer is a pain in the neck. |
| pay through the nose | pay throo thuh NOHZ | pay too much money | We paid through the nose for parking. |
| piece of the pie | pees uhv thuh PY | a share of something, especially money or success | Everyone wants a piece of the pie. |
| pull someone's leg | /pʊl ˈsʌmwʌnz lɛɡ/ | to tease or joke with someone | I was just pulling your leg about the surprise party. |
| pull someone’s leg | pool SUN-wunz LEG | joke with someone | Relax, I’m just pulling your leg. |
| push your luck | poosh yor LUK | ask for too much or take too many risks | Don’t push your luck. |
| put all your eggs in one basket | put awl yor EGZ in wun BAS-kit | risk everything on one plan | Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. |
| put your foot in your mouth | put yor foot in yor MOUTH | say something embarrassing or rude by mistake | I really put my foot in my mouth at the party. |
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