Vocab for Teachers

Deepen your understanding of vocabulary — and learn how to teach it more effectively. Practical masterclasses for English teachers, in any classroom.

Filter by vocabulary topic
Level
38 masterclasses
Word Building & Morphology
-ing and -ed Adjectives: Interesting vs Interested, Boring vs Bored
Many English adjectives come in pairs — one form ending in -ing, one ending in -ed. Interesting /…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Collocations
Adjective + Noun Collocations: Strong Coffee, Heavy Rain, Deep Sleep
When English speakers describe things, they do not pick adjectives freely. They use fixed combinations that sound natural.…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Collocations
Adjective + Preposition: Good At, Interested In, Afraid Of
In English, many adjectives always take a specific preposition after them. 'Good' takes 'at' — 'I am good…
Basic
Start this Masterclass →
Word Building & Morphology
Adjective-Forming Suffixes: -ful, -less, -ous, -al, -ive, -able
English builds many adjectives by adding small endings (suffixes) to nouns and verbs. Care (noun) becomes careful (with…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Collocations
Collocations: Make, Do, Take, and Have
A collocation is a pair or group of words that habitually go together in English — not because…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Idioms & Fixed Expressions
Common Idioms: Break the Ice, Hit the Nail on the Head, Cost an Arm and a Leg
Idioms are fixed expressions whose meaning cannot be guessed from the individual words. When a native English speaker…
Advanced
Start this Masterclass →
Word Building & Morphology
Comparatives and Superlatives: Tall, Taller, Tallest
Comparatives and superlatives are adjective forms we use to compare things. 'Tall' is basic; 'taller' compares two things;…
Basic
Start this Masterclass →
Word Building & Morphology
Compound Nouns: How Two Words Become One
English has a powerful way of making new words: join two nouns together. 'Bed' + 'room' = bedroom.…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Idioms & Fixed Expressions
Daily Situation Expressions: Asking, Suggesting, Apologising
In daily life, English speakers use a small set of fixed expressions for common social actions. To ask…
Basic
Start this Masterclass →
Discourse Markers & Linkers
Discourse Markers: However, Therefore, On the Other Hand, In Addition
At basic and intermediate level, students connect ideas with simple words: and, but, so, because. These work in…
Advanced
Start this Masterclass →
Phrasal Verbs
Everyday Phrasal Verbs: Get Up, Sit Down, Turn On, Put Off
A phrasal verb is a verb plus a small word called a particle (usually a preposition or adverb).…
Basic
Start this Masterclass →
Word Frequency & Range
Frequency Adverbs: Always, Usually, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never
At basic level, students need to talk about how often they do things. I get up at six…
Basic
Start this Masterclass →
Academic Vocabulary
Hedging Language: Tend To, May, Seems To, Apparently, Roughly
In English, speakers and writers often soften their statements with small words and phrases. Instead of saying The…
Advanced
Start this Masterclass →
Collocations
High-Frequency Collocations: Make, Do, Take, Have
Collocations are words that often go together. In English, we do not choose verbs freely — we say…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: A Moment, A While, Ages, Briefly
At basic level, students need to talk about time — how long they waited, how long a journey…
Basic
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: Argue, Claim, Assert, Maintain, Contend, Insist
When students write essays, they often need to report what another writer has said. At basic level, they…
Advanced
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: Ask, Request, Demand, Beg, Enquire
When we ask for something, we are doing more than producing words — we are positioning ourselves socially.…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: Big, Large, Great, Huge, Vast, Enormous
Ask a B1 student how they would describe a significant problem, a large building, a vast desert, and…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: Cheap, Affordable, Expensive, Exorbitant
At basic level, students often have just two words for price: cheap and expensive. But these words carry…
Basic
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: Good, Great, Fine, OK, Nice
B1 students often have two words for positive things: 'nice' and 'good'. When asked about a meal, a…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: Happy, Pleased, Delighted, Content, Thrilled, Ecstatic
B1 learners often have just two words for their emotional range: 'happy' and 'sad'. These words serve every…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: Kind, Friendly, Generous, Polite, Rude
At basic level, students need to describe people. He is kind. She is friendly. They are rude. But…
Basic
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: Like, Love, Enjoy, Prefer
At A2 level, students need to talk about what they like and don't like. But four common verbs…
Basic
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: Look, See, Watch, Observe, Notice, Glimpse, Stare, Peer
English has a surprisingly large number of verbs that describe what the eyes do. At B1, most students…
Advanced
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: Sad, Upset, Disappointed, Heartbroken
At basic level, students often have just one word for negative feelings: sad. They use it for everything…
Basic
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: Say, Tell, Speak, Talk
Say, tell, speak, and talk are among the most frequent verbs in English — and among the most…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: Small, Little, Tiny
Students at A2 level often learn 'small' first and use it for everything. But English has three common…
Basic
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: Sure, Certain, Probably, Possibly, Maybe
When English speakers talk about events or ideas, they often signal how sure they are. The new policy…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: Thin, Slim, Skinny, Slender, Lean, Emaciated
Students often learn one word for a concept and then use it in every context — 'thin' for…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Near-Synonyms & Word Choice
Near-Synonyms: Walk, Stroll, March, Stride, Wander, Trudge
English has dozens of verbs that describe walking — each one encoding a different speed, mood, purpose, or…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Word Building & Morphology
Noun-Forming Suffixes: -tion, -ment, -ity, -ness, -er, -ship, -hood
Noun-forming suffixes are small word endings that turn other parts of speech into nouns. 'Educate' (verb) becomes 'education'…
Advanced
Start this Masterclass →
Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal Verbs with Put: Put On, Put Off, Put Up With, Put Away, Put Down
The verb put alone means to place something in a position. Put the book on the table. Put…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Word Building & Morphology
Plurals: How English Makes Nouns Plural
Making a noun plural is one of the first things students learn in English. The basic rule is…
Basic
Start this Masterclass →
Word Building & Morphology
Prefixes: How Small Word-Parts Change Meaning
A prefix is a small group of letters added to the start of a word to change its…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Word Building & Morphology
Root Words and Parts of Speech: How One Word Becomes Many
One of the most powerful vocabulary strategies available to learners is understanding that a single root word can…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Collocations
Verb + Noun Collocations: Give a Speech, Pay Attention, Catch a Cold
English speakers do not pick verbs freely when they combine them with nouns. They use fixed combinations that…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Collocations
Verb + Preposition: Listen To, Depend On, Agree With
Many English verbs must be followed by a specific preposition. 'Listen' takes 'to' — you listen TO music,…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →
Word Building & Morphology
Verb-Forming Suffixes: -ise/-ize, -ify, -en
English builds many verbs from nouns and adjectives by adding small endings (suffixes). Modern (adjective) becomes modernise (=…
Intermediate
Start this Masterclass →