Wordbay · Everyday
Everyday vocabulary words
Words you have probably read or heard but rarely use yourself. They are the quickest win: you already half-know them, so a meaning, an example and a little practice are usually enough to make them yours.
Each word below is shown with its respelling (the capitals are the stressed syllables), grouped by its main topic. Everyday words are free in Wordbay, with full practice. Other levels: Well-read and Advanced.
Emotions
- ambivalent am-BIV-uh-lunt
- apprehensive AP-rih-HEN-siv
- despondent dih-SPON-dunt
- dismay dis-MAY
- elated ih-LAY-tid
- euphoria yoo-FOR-ee-uh
- exasperated ig-ZAH-spuh-ray-tid
- forlorn fuh-LORN
- indignant in-DIG-nunt
- jaded JAY-did
- melancholy MEL-un-kol-ee
- nostalgia nos-TAL-juh
- remorse rih-MORSS
- trepidation TREP-ih-DAY-shun
- vexed VEKST
Character
- affable AF-uh-bul
- aloof uh-LOOF
- brash BRASH
- candid KAN-did
- complacent kum-PLAY-sunt
- conscientious KON-shee-EN-shus
- cynical SIN-ih-kul
- eccentric ik-SEN-trik
- gregarious grih-GAIR-ee-us
- impetuous im-PECH-oo-us
- meticulous mih-TIK-yuh-lus
- pompous POM-pus
- pragmatic prag-MAT-ik
- tenacious tih-NAY-shus
- volatile VOL-uh-tyle
Arguing & persuading
Work & business
Money
Politics & society
- bureaucracy byoor-ROK-ruh-see
- censorship SEN-suh-ship
- coalition koh-uh-LISH-un
- constituency kun-STIT-yoo-un-see
- electorate ih-LEK-tuh-rut
- filibuster FIL-ih-bus-tuh
- gentrification jen-trih-fih-KAY-shun
- grassroots GRAHSS-roots
- ideology eye-dee-OL-uh-jee
- mandate MAN-dayt
- partisan par-tih-ZAN
- propaganda prop-uh-GAN-duh
- referendum ref-uh-REN-dum
- regime ray-ZHEEM
- sovereignty SOV-run-tee
Science & thinking
- anomaly uh-NOM-uh-lee
- calibrate KAL-ih-brayt
- catalyst KAT-uh-list
- cognitive KOG-nih-tiv
- correlation kor-uh-LAY-shun
- deduce dih-DYOOSS
- dissipate DIS-ih-payt
- empirical em-PIRR-ih-kul
- extrapolate ik-STRAP-uh-layt
- hypothesis hy-POTH-uh-sis
- inertia ih-NUR-shuh
- quantify KWON-tih-fy
- replicate REP-lih-kayt
- skew SKYOO
- synthesis SIN-thuh-sis
Nature & weather
Body & health
- acute uh-KYOOT
- ambidextrous am-bih-DEK-strus
- chronic KRON-ik
- dexterity dek-STERR-ih-tee
- gait GAYT
- hereditary hih-RED-ih-tree
- insomnia in-SOM-nee-uh
- lethargic lih-THAR-jik
- metabolism mih-TAB-uh-liz-um
- physique fih-ZEEK
- prognosis prog-NOH-sis
- recuperate rih-KOO-puh-rayt
- sedentary SED-un-tree
- therapeutic therr-uh-PYOO-tik
- vertigo VUR-tih-goh
Food & drink
Art & music
- aesthetic eess-THET-ik
- avant-garde av-on-GARD
- cadence KAY-dunss
- crescendo krih-SHEN-doh
- curate kyoo-RAYT
- dissonance DISS-uh-nunss
- ensemble on-SOM-bul
- homage HOM-ij
- lyrical LIRR-ih-kul
- montage MON-tahzh
- motif moh-TEEF
- muse MYOOZ
- palette PAL-it
- repertoire REP-uh-twah
- virtuoso vur-choo-OH-soh
Books & writing
- abridged uh-BRIJD
- anthology an-THOL-uh-jee
- cliffhanger KLIFF-hang-uh
- epilogue EP-ih-log
- foreshadow for-SHAD-oh
- ghostwriter GOHST-ry-tuh
- manuscript MAN-yuh-skript
- memoir MEM-wah
- narrative NARR-uh-tiv
- plagiarism PLAY-juh-riz-um
- prologue PROH-log
- protagonist pruh-TAG-uh-nist
- pseudonym SYOO-duh-nim
- synopsis sih-NOP-sis
- tome TOHM
Time
- antiquated AN-tih-kway-tid
- belated bih-LAY-tid
- chronological kron-uh-LOJ-ih-kul
- concurrent kun-KURR-unt
- contemporary kun-TEM-puh-ruh-ree
- defunct dih-FUNKT
- hiatus hy-AY-tus
- interim IN-tuh-rim
- intermittent in-tuh-MIT-unt
- obsolete OB-suh-leet
- perennial puh-REN-ee-ul
- posthumous POST-yoo-mus
- protracted pruh-TRAK-tid
- retrospect RET-ruh-spekt
- sporadic spuh-RAD-ik
Talking & language
- acronym AK-ruh-nim
- articulate ar-TIK-yoo-lut
- colloquial kuh-LOH-kwee-ul
- digress dye-GRESS
- eloquent EL-uh-kwunt
- enunciate ih-NUN-see-ayt
- euphemism YOO-fuh-miz-um
- garble GAR-bul
- idiom ID-ee-um
- inflection in-FLEK-shun
- interject in-ter-JEKT
- jargon JAR-gun
- tirade tye-RAYD
- verbose vur-BOHSS
- vernacular vuh-NAK-yoo-luh
Law & order
- acquit uh-KWIT
- affidavit af-ih-DAY-vit
- clemency KLEM-un-see
- contraband KON-truh-band
- culpable KUL-puh-bul
- embezzle im-BEZ-ul
- extradite EK-struh-dyte
- injunction in-JUNK-shun
- jurisdiction joor-is-DIK-shun
- liability ly-uh-BIL-ih-tee
- loophole LOOP-hohl
- perjury PUR-juh-ree
- precedent PRES-ih-dunt
- verdict VUR-dikt
- vigilante vij-ih-LAN-tee
Travel & places
- embark im-BAHK
- excursion ik-SKUR-shun
- expatriate eks-PAT-ree-ut
- hinterland HIN-tuh-land
- itinerary eye-TIN-uh-ruh-ree
- jaunt JAWNT
- layover LAY-oh-vuh
- locale loh-KAHL
- nomad NOH-mad
- odyssey OD-ih-see
- picturesque pik-chuh-RESK
- secluded sih-KLOO-did
- sojourn SOJ-urn
- trek TREK
- vista VIS-tuh
Love & friendship
- affinity uh-FIN-ih-tee
- amicable AM-ih-kuh-bul
- ardent AR-dunt
- besotted bih-SOT-id
- camaraderie KAM-uh-RAH-duh-ree
- confidant KON-fih-dant
- estranged ih-STRAYNJD
- infatuation in-FACH-oo-AY-shun
- kindred KIN-drid
- platonic pluh-TON-ik
- rapport ra-POR
- reconcile REK-un-syle
- smitten SMIT-un
- solace SOL-iss
- unrequited UN-rih-KWY-tid
Humour & insults
Philosophy & belief
- agnostic ag-NOS-tik
- conscience KON-shunss
- dogma DOG-muh
- enlightenment in-LY-tun-munt
- epiphany ih-PIF-uh-nee
- ethics ETH-iks
- existential eg-zih-STEN-shul
- free will free WILL
- heresy HERR-uh-see
- karma KAR-muh
- metaphysical met-uh-FIZ-ih-kul
- pious PY-us
- sceptic SKEP-tik
- secular SEK-yuh-luh
- utopia yoo-TOH-pee-uh
Old & rare words
- anon uh-NON
- betwixt bih-TWIKST
- dilly-dally DIL-ee-dal-ee
- ere AIR
- forsooth fur-SOOTH
- gallivant GAL-ih-vant
- gumption GUMP-shun
- hullabaloo hul-uh-buh-LOO
- kerfuffle kur-FUF-ul
- mollycoddle MOL-ee-kod-ul
- perchance pur-CHAHNSS
- skedaddle skih-DAD-ul
- wherewithal WAIR-with-awl
- whippersnapper WIP-uh-snap-uh
- yonder YON-duh
Borrowed words
- aficionado uh-fish-uh-NAH-doh
- carte blanche kart BLONSH
- déjà vu day-zhah VOO
- doppelgänger DOP-ul-gang-uh
- ennui on-WEE
- faux pas foh PAH
- fiasco fee-ASS-koh
- hygge HYOO-guh
- je ne sais quoi zhuh nuh say KWAH
- juggernaut JUG-uh-nawt
- kowtow kow-TOW
- raison d'être ray-zon DET-ruh
- schadenfreude SHAH-dun-froy-duh
- wanderlust WON-duh-lust
- zeitgeist ZYTE-gyst
Words you didn’t know
- aglet AG-lit
- defenestrate dee-FEN-ih-strayt
- ferrule FERR-ool
- glabella gluh-BEL-uh
- interrobang in-TERR-uh-bang
- lunule LOON-yool
- mondegreen MON-dih-green
- obelus OB-ih-lus
- pareidolia parr-eye-DOH-lee-uh
- petrichor PET-rih-kor
- philtrum FIL-trum
- phosphene FOS-feen
- spoonerism SPOO-nuh-riz-um
- tittle TIT-ul
- tsundoku tsun-DOH-koo
Commonly confused
- affect uh-FEKT
- complement KOM-plih-ment
- compliment KOM-plih-munt
- discreet dih-SKREET
- discrete dih-SKREET
- effect ih-FEKT
- elicit ih-LIS-it
- flaunt FLAWNT
- flout FLOWT
- imply im-PLY
- infer in-FUR
- principal PRIN-sih-pul
- principle PRIN-sih-pul
- stationary STAY-shuh-nuh-ree
- stationery STAY-shuh-nuh-ree
Often misused
- bemused bih-MYOOZD
- decimate DESS-ih-mayt
- dilemma dih-LEM-uh
- disinterested dis-IN-truh-stid
- enormity ih-NOR-mih-tee
- epicentre EP-ih-sen-tuh
- fortuitous for-TYOO-ih-tus
- ironic eye-RON-ik
- irregardless ir-ih-GARD-luss
- literally LIT-uh-ruh-lee
- nauseous NAW-zee-us
- nonplussed non-PLUST
- penultimate pih-NUL-tih-mut
- peruse puh-ROOZ
- plethora PLETH-uh-ruh