The Oxford 3000 words

The Oxford 3000 is a list of the 3,000 core words that every learner of English needs to know. The words have been chosen based on their frequency in the Oxford English Corpus and relevance to learners of English. Every word is aligned to the CEFR, guiding learners on the words they should know at A1-B2 level.

ALL a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
  • habit (/ˈhæbɪt/)
  • hair (/heə(r)/)
  • half (/hɑːf/)
  • hall (/hɔːl/)
  • hand (/hænd/)
  • handle (/ˈhændl/)
  • hang (/hæŋ/)
  • happen (/ˈhæpən/)
  • happily (/ˈhæpɪli/)
  • happiness (/ˈhæpinəs/)
  • happy (/ˈhæpi/)
  • hard (/hɑːd/)
  • hardly (/ˈhɑːdli/)
  • harm (/hɑːm/)
  • harmful (/ˈhɑːmfl/)
  • hat (/hæt/)
  • hate (/heɪt/)
  • have (/həv/)
  • have to (/ˈhæv tə/)
  • he (/hi/)
  • head (/hed/)
  • headache (/ˈhedeɪk/)
  • headline (/ˈhedlaɪn/)
  • health (/helθ/)
  • healthy (/ˈhelθi/)
  • hear (/hɪə(r)/)
  • hearing (/ˈhɪərɪŋ/)
  • heart (/hɑːt/)
  • heat (/hiːt/)
  • heating (/ˈhiːtɪŋ/)
  • heaven (/ˈhevn/)
  • heavily (/ˈhevɪli/)
  • heavy (/ˈhevi/)
  • heel (/hiːl/)
  • height (/haɪt/)
  • helicopter (/ˈhelɪkɒptə(r)/)
  • hell (/hel/)
  • hello (/həˈləʊ/)
  • help (/help/)
  • helpful (/ˈhelpfl/)
  • her (/hə(r)/)
  • here (/hɪə(r)/)
  • hero (/ˈhɪərəʊ/)
  • hers (/hɜːz/)
  • herself (/hɜːˈself/)
  • hesitate (/ˈhezɪteɪt/)
  • hey (/heɪ/)
  • hi (/haɪ/)
  • hide (/haɪd/)
  • high (/haɪ/)
  • highlight (/ˈhaɪlaɪt/)
  • highly (/ˈhaɪli/)
  • hill (/hɪl/)
  • him (/hɪm/)
  • himself (/hɪmˈself/)
  • hire (/ˈhaɪə(r)/)
  • his (/hɪz/)
  • historic (/hɪˈstɒrɪk/)
  • historical (/hɪˈstɒrɪkl/)
  • history (/ˈhɪstri/)
  • hit (/hɪt/)
  • hobby (/ˈhɒbi/)
  • hockey (/ˈhɒki/)
  • hold (/həʊld/)
  • hole (/həʊl/)
  • holiday (/ˈhɒlədeɪ/)
  • hollow (/ˈhɒləʊ/)
  • holy (/ˈhəʊli/)
  • home (/həʊm/)
  • homework (/ˈhəʊmwɜːk/)
  • honest (/ˈɒnɪst/)
  • honour (/ˈɒnə(r)/)
  • hope (/həʊp/)
  • horrible (/ˈhɒrəbl/)
  • horror (/ˈhɒrə(r)/)
  • horse (/hɔːs/)
  • hospital (/ˈhɒspɪtl/)
  • host (/həʊst/)
  • hot (/hɒt/)
  • hotel (/həʊˈtel/)
  • hour (/ˈaʊə(r)/)
  • house (/haʊz/)
  • household (/ˈhaʊshəʊld/)
  • housing (/ˈhaʊzɪŋ/)
  • how (/haʊ/)
  • however (/haʊˈevə(r)/)
  • huge (/hjuːdʒ/)
  • human (/ˈhjuːmən/)
  • humorous (/ˈhjuːmərəs/)
  • humour (/ˈhjuːmə(r)/)
  • hundred (/ˈhʌndrəd/)
  • hungry (/ˈhʌŋɡri/)
  • hunt (/hʌnt/)
  • hunting (/ˈhʌntɪŋ/)
  • hurricane (/ˈhʌrɪkən/)
  • hurry (/ˈhʌri/)
  • hurt (/hɜːt/)
  • husband (/ˈhʌzbənd/)
English Audio Level

habit (noun)

UK /ˈhæbɪt/
US /ˈhæbɪt/
A2

hair (noun)

UK /heə(r)/
US /her/
A1

half (determiner, pronoun)

UK /hɑːf/
US /hæf/
A1

hall (noun)

UK /hɔːl/
US /hɔːl/
A2

hand (verb)

UK /hænd/
US /hænd/
B1

handle (verb)

UK /ˈhændl/
US /ˈhændl/
B2

hang (verb)

UK /hæŋ/
US /hæŋ/
B1

happen (verb)

UK /ˈhæpən/
US /ˈhæpən/
A1

happily (adverb)

UK /ˈhæpɪli/
US /ˈhæpɪli/
A2

happiness (noun)

UK /ˈhæpinəs/
US /ˈhæpinəs/
B1

happy (adjective)

UK /ˈhæpi/
US /ˈhæpi/
A1

hard (adverb)

UK /hɑːd/
US /hɑːrd/
A1

hardly (adverb)

UK /ˈhɑːdli/
US /ˈhɑːrdli/
B1

harm (verb)

UK /hɑːm/
US /hɑːrm/
B2

harmful (adjective)

UK /ˈhɑːmfl/
US /ˈhɑːrmfl/
B2

hat (noun)

UK /hæt/
US /hæt/
A1

hate (verb)

UK /heɪt/
US /heɪt/
A1

have (auxiliary verb)

UK /həv/
US /həv/
A2

have to (modal verb)

UK /ˈhæv tə/
US /ˈhæv tə/
A1

he (pronoun)

UK /hi/
US /hi/
A1

head (verb)

UK /hed/
US /hed/
B1

headache (noun)

UK /ˈhedeɪk/
US /ˈhedeɪk/
A2

headline (noun)

UK /ˈhedlaɪn/
US /ˈhedlaɪn/
B1

health (noun)

UK /helθ/
US /helθ/
A1

healthy (adjective)

UK /ˈhelθi/
US /ˈhelθi/
A1

hear (verb)

UK /hɪə(r)/
US /hɪr/
A1

hearing (noun)

UK /ˈhɪərɪŋ/
US /ˈhɪrɪŋ/
B2

heart (noun)

UK /hɑːt/
US /hɑːrt/
A2

heat (verb)

UK /hiːt/
US /hiːt/
A2

heating (noun)

UK /ˈhiːtɪŋ/
US /ˈhiːtɪŋ/
B1

heaven (noun)

UK /ˈhevn/
US /ˈhevn/
B2

heavily (adverb)

UK /ˈhevɪli/
US /ˈhevɪli/
B1

heavy (adjective)

UK /ˈhevi/
US /ˈhevi/
A2

heel (noun)

UK /hiːl/
US /hiːl/
B2

height (noun)

UK /haɪt/
US /haɪt/
A2

helicopter (noun)

UK /ˈhelɪkɒptə(r)/
US /ˈhelɪkɑːptər/
B1

hell (noun)

UK /hel/
US /hel/
B2

hello (exclamation, noun)

UK /həˈləʊ/
US /həˈləʊ/
A1

help (verb)

UK /help/
US /help/
A1

helpful (adjective)

UK /ˈhelpfl/
US /ˈhelpfl/
A2

her (pronoun)

UK /hə(r)/
US /hər/
A1

here (adverb)

UK /hɪə(r)/
US /hɪr/
A1

hero (noun)

UK /ˈhɪərəʊ/
US /ˈhɪrəʊ/
A2

hers (pronoun)

UK /hɜːz/
US /hɜːrz/
A2

herself (pronoun)

UK /hɜːˈself/
US /hɜːrˈself/
A2

hesitate (verb)

UK /ˈhezɪteɪt/
US /ˈhezɪteɪt/
B2

hey (exclamation)

UK /heɪ/
US /heɪ/
A1

hi (exclamation)

UK /haɪ/
US /haɪ/
A1

hide (verb)

UK /haɪd/
US /haɪd/
A2

high (noun)

UK /haɪ/
US /haɪ/
B2

highlight (verb)

UK /ˈhaɪlaɪt/
US /ˈhaɪlaɪt/
B1

highly (adverb)

UK /ˈhaɪli/
US /ˈhaɪli/
B1

hill (noun)

UK /hɪl/
US /hɪl/
A2

him (pronoun)

UK /hɪm/
US /hɪm/
A1

himself (pronoun)

UK /hɪmˈself/
US /hɪmˈself/
A2

hire (verb)

UK /ˈhaɪə(r)/
US /ˈhaɪər/
B1

his (pronoun)

UK /hɪz/
US /hɪz/
A2

historic (adjective)

UK /hɪˈstɒrɪk/
US /hɪˈstɔːrɪk/
B1

historical (adjective)

UK /hɪˈstɒrɪkl/
US /hɪˈstɔːrɪkl/
B1

history (noun)

UK /ˈhɪstri/
US /ˈhɪstri/
A1

hit (verb)

UK /hɪt/
US /hɪt/
A2

hobby (noun)

UK /ˈhɒbi/
US /ˈhɑːbi/
A1

hockey (noun)

UK /ˈhɒki/
US /ˈhɑːki/
A2

hold (verb)

UK /həʊld/
US /həʊld/
A2

hole (noun)

UK /həʊl/
US /həʊl/
A2

holiday (noun)

UK /ˈhɒlədeɪ/
US /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/
A1

hollow (adjective)

UK /ˈhɒləʊ/
US /ˈhɑːləʊ/
B2

holy (adjective)

UK /ˈhəʊli/
US /ˈhəʊli/
B2

home (noun)

UK /həʊm/
US /həʊm/
A1

homework (noun)

UK /ˈhəʊmwɜːk/
US /ˈhəʊmwɜːrk/
A1

honest (adjective)

UK /ˈɒnɪst/
US /ˈɑːnɪst/
B1

honour (verb)

UK /ˈɒnə(r)/
US /ˈɑːnər/
B2

hope (verb)

UK /həʊp/
US /həʊp/
A1

horrible (adjective)

UK /ˈhɒrəbl/
US /ˈhɔːrəbl/
B1

horror (noun)

UK /ˈhɒrə(r)/
US /ˈhɔːrər/
B1

horse (noun)

UK /hɔːs/
US /hɔːrs/
A1

hospital (noun)

UK /ˈhɒspɪtl/
US /ˈhɑːspɪtl/
A1

host (verb)

UK /həʊst/
US /həʊst/
B2

hot (adjective)

UK /hɒt/
US /hɑːt/
A1

hotel (noun)

UK /həʊˈtel/
US /həʊˈtel/
A1

hour (noun)

UK /ˈaʊə(r)/
US /ˈaʊər/
A1

house (verb)

UK /haʊz/
US /haʊz/
B2

household (noun)

UK /ˈhaʊshəʊld/
US /ˈhaʊshəʊld/
B2

housing (noun)

UK /ˈhaʊzɪŋ/
US /ˈhaʊzɪŋ/
B2

how (adverb)

UK /haʊ/
US /haʊ/
A1

however (adverb)

UK /haʊˈevə(r)/
US /haʊˈevər/
A1

huge (adjective)

UK /hjuːdʒ/
US /hjuːdʒ/
A2

human (noun)

UK /ˈhjuːmən/
US /ˈhjuːmən/
A2

humorous (adjective)

UK /ˈhjuːmərəs/
US /ˈhjuːmərəs/
B2

humour (noun)

UK /ˈhjuːmə(r)/
US /ˈhjuːmər/
B2

hundred (number)

UK /ˈhʌndrəd/
US /ˈhʌndrəd/
A1

hungry (adjective)

UK /ˈhʌŋɡri/
US /ˈhʌŋɡri/
A1

hunt (verb)

UK /hʌnt/
US /hʌnt/
B1

hunting (noun)

UK /ˈhʌntɪŋ/
US /ˈhʌntɪŋ/
B2

hurricane (noun)

UK /ˈhʌrɪkən/
US /ˈhɜːrəkeɪn/
B1

hurry (verb)

UK /ˈhʌri/
US /ˈhɜːri/
B1

hurt (verb)

UK /hɜːt/
US /hɜːrt/
A2

husband (noun)

UK /ˈhʌzbənd/
US /ˈhʌzbənd/
A1