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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| spill the tea | spil thuh TEE | share gossip or juicy news | Come on, spill the tea. |
| square peg in a round hole | SKWAIR peg in uh rownd HOHL | someone or something that does not fit well | He felt like a square peg in a round hole at that company. |
| stick your neck out | stik yor NEK out | take a risk, especially by supporting someone or something | I’ll stick my neck out and recommend her. |
| storm in a teacup | storm in uh TEE-kup | a small problem made to seem big | The argument was just a storm in a teacup. |
| take a rain check | tayk uh RAYN chek | accept later, not now | I can’t come tonight, but I’ll take a rain check. |
| take it with a grain of salt | tayk it with uh grayn uhv salt | be skeptical; do not believe it completely | Take that rumor with a grain of salt. |
| take something with a pinch of salt | tayk SUN-thing with uh PINCH uhv solt | British English for “take it with a grain of salt” | Take it with a pinch of salt. |
| take the bull by the horns | tayk thuh bool by thuh HORNZ | deal with a problem directly | She took the bull by the horns and fixed it. |
| the ball is in your court | /ðə bɔːl ɪz ɪn jɔːr kɔːrt/ | it's your turn to take action or make a decision | I've done everything I can. Now the ball is in your court. |
| the ballpark | thuh BAWL-park | a rough estimate or general range | Can you give me a ballpark number? |
| the elephant in the room | /ði ˈɛlɪfənt ɪn ðə ruːm/ | an obvious problem that people avoid discussing | Nobody mentioned the budget cuts, but it was the elephant in the room. |
| the last straw | thuh last STRAW | the final problem that makes a situation unbearable | That broken promise was the last straw. |
| the tip of the iceberg | thuh tip uhv thuh EYESE-berg | only a small visible part of a bigger problem | The delays are just the tip of the iceberg. |
| the whole nine yards | thuh hohl nyn YARDZ | everything; all the way | They offered the whole nine yards. |
| through thick and thin | throo thik and thin | through good times and bad times | They stayed friends through thick and thin. |
| throw in the towel | throh in thuh TOW-uhl | give up | After three tries, she threw in the towel. |
| throw someone under the bus | throh SUN-wun UN-der thuh BUS | blame someone else to protect yourself | He threw his teammate under the bus. |
| tied up | tyd up | busy; unable to stop | I’m tied up in a meeting right now. |
| time flies | tym flyz | time passes quickly | Time flies when you’re having fun. |
| time is money | tym iz MUN-ee | time is valuable | Let’s hurry. Time is money. |
| toss and turn | tos and TURN | sleep badly, moving a lot in bed | I tossed and turned all night. |
| touch base | tuch BAYSE | contact someone briefly | I’ll touch base with you tomorrow. |
| turn a blind eye | turn uh blynd EYE | ignore something on purpose | The manager turned a blind eye to the mistake. |
| twist someone’s arm | twist SUN-wunz ARM | persuade someone strongly, often jokingly | You don’t need to twist my arm. |
| under the gun | /ˈʌndər ðə ɡʌn/ | under pressure to meet a deadline | We're under the gun to finish this report by Friday. |
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