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
  • lab (/læb/)
  • label (/ˈleɪbl/)
  • laboratory (/ləˈbɒrətri/)
  • labour (/ˈleɪbə(r)/)
  • lack (/læk/)
  • lady (/ˈleɪdi/)
  • lake (/leɪk/)
  • lamp (/læmp/)
  • land (/lænd/)
  • landscape (/ˈlændskeɪp/)
  • language (/ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/)
  • laptop (/ˈlæptɒp/)
  • large (/lɑːdʒ/)
  • largely (/ˈlɑːdʒli/)
  • last (/lɑːst/)
  • late (/leɪt/)
  • later (/ˈleɪtə(r)/)
  • latest (/ˈleɪtɪst/)
  • laugh (/lɑːf/)
  • laughter (/ˈlɑːftə(r)/)
  • launch (/lɔːntʃ/)
  • law (/lɔː/)
  • lawyer (/ˈlɔɪə(r)/)
  • lay (/leɪ/)
  • layer (/ˈleɪə(r)/)
  • lazy (/ˈleɪzi/)
  • lead (/liːd/)
  • leader (/ˈliːdə(r)/)
  • leadership (/ˈliːdəʃɪp/)
  • leading (/ˈliːdɪŋ/)
  • leaf (/liːf/)
  • league (/liːɡ/)
  • lean (/liːn/)
  • learn (/lɜːn/)
  • learning (/ˈlɜːnɪŋ/)
  • least (/liːst/)
  • leather (/ˈleðə(r)/)
  • leave (/liːv/)
  • lecture (/ˈlektʃə(r)/)
  • left (/left/)
  • leg (/leɡ/)
  • legal (/ˈliːɡl/)
  • leisure (/ˈleʒə(r)/)
  • lemon (/ˈlemən/)
  • lend (/lend/)
  • length (/leŋkθ/)
  • less (/les/)
  • lesson (/ˈlesn/)
  • let (/let/)
  • letter (/ˈletə(r)/)
  • level (/ˈlevl/)
  • library (/ˈlaɪbrəri/)
  • licence (/ˈlaɪsns/)
  • lie (/laɪ/)
  • life (/laɪf/)
  • lifestyle (/ˈlaɪfstaɪl/)
  • lift (/lɪft/)
  • light (/laɪt/)
  • like (/laɪk/)
  • likely (/ˈlaɪkli/)
  • limit (/ˈlɪmɪt/)
  • limited (/ˈlɪmɪtɪd/)
  • line (/laɪn/)
  • link (/lɪŋk/)
  • lion (/ˈlaɪən/)
  • lip (/lɪp/)
  • liquid (/ˈlɪkwɪd/)
  • list (/lɪst/)
  • listen (/ˈlɪsn/)
  • listener (/ˈlɪsənə(r)/)
  • literature (/ˈlɪtrətʃə(r)/)
  • little (/ˈlɪtl/)
  • live (/lɪv/)
  • lively (/ˈlaɪvli/)
  • living (/ˈlɪvɪŋ/)
  • load (/ləʊd/)
  • loan (/ləʊn/)
  • local (/ˈləʊkl/)
  • locate (/ləʊˈkeɪt/)
  • located (/ləʊˈkeɪtɪd/)
  • location (/ləʊˈkeɪʃn/)
  • lock (/lɒk/)
  • logical (/ˈlɒdʒɪkl/)
  • lonely (/ˈləʊnli/)
  • long (/lɒŋ/)
  • long-term (/ˌlɒŋ ˈtɜːm/)
  • look (/lʊk/)
  • loose (/luːs/)
  • lord (/lɔːd/)
  • lorry (/ˈlɒri/)
  • lose (/luːz/)
  • loss (/lɒs/)
  • lost (/lɒst/)
  • lot (/lɒt/)
  • loud (/laʊd/)
  • loudly (/ˈlaʊdli/)
  • love (/lʌv/)
  • lovely (/ˈlʌvli/)
  • low (/ləʊ/)
  • lower (/ˈləʊə(r)/)
  • luck (/lʌk/)
  • lucky (/ˈlʌki/)
  • lunch (/lʌntʃ/)
  • lung (/lʌŋ/)
  • luxury (/ˈlʌkʃəri/)
English Audio Level

lab (noun)

UK /læb/
US /læb/
A2

label (verb)

UK /ˈleɪbl/
US /ˈleɪbl/
B1

laboratory (noun)

UK /ləˈbɒrətri/
US /ˈlæbrətɔːri/
B1

labour (noun)

UK /ˈleɪbə(r)/
US /ˈleɪbər/
B2

lack (verb)

UK /læk/
US /læk/
B1

lady (noun)

UK /ˈleɪdi/
US /ˈleɪdi/
A2

lake (noun)

UK /leɪk/
US /leɪk/
A2

lamp (noun)

UK /læmp/
US /læmp/
A2

land (verb)

UK /lænd/
US /lænd/
A2

landscape (noun)

UK /ˈlændskeɪp/
US /ˈlændskeɪp/
B2

language (noun)

UK /ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
US /ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
A1

laptop (noun)

UK /ˈlæptɒp/
US /ˈlæptɑːp/
A2

large (adjective)

UK /lɑːdʒ/
US /lɑːrdʒ/
A1

largely (adverb)

UK /ˈlɑːdʒli/
US /ˈlɑːrdʒli/
B2

last (verb)

UK /lɑːst/
US /læst/
A2

late (adverb)

UK /leɪt/
US /leɪt/
A1

later (adverb)

UK /ˈleɪtə(r)/
US /ˈleɪtər/
A1

latest (noun)

UK /ˈleɪtɪst/
US /ˈleɪtɪst/
B2

laugh (verb)

UK /lɑːf/
US /læf/
A1

laughter (noun)

UK /ˈlɑːftə(r)/
US /ˈlæftər/
A2

launch (verb)

UK /lɔːntʃ/
US /lɔːntʃ/
B2

law (noun)

UK /lɔː/
US /lɔː/
A2

lawyer (noun)

UK /ˈlɔɪə(r)/
US /ˈlɔɪər/
A2

lay (verb)

UK /leɪ/
US /leɪ/
B1

layer (noun)

UK /ˈleɪə(r)/
US /ˈleɪər/
B1

lazy (adjective)

UK /ˈleɪzi/
US /ˈleɪzi/
A2

lead (verb)

UK /liːd/
US /liːd/
A2

leader (noun)

UK /ˈliːdə(r)/
US /ˈliːdər/
A2

leadership (noun)

UK /ˈliːdəʃɪp/
US /ˈliːdərʃɪp/
B2

leading (adjective)

UK /ˈliːdɪŋ/
US /ˈliːdɪŋ/
B1

leaf (noun)

UK /liːf/
US /liːf/
B1

league (noun)

UK /liːɡ/
US /liːɡ/
B2

lean (verb)

UK /liːn/
US /liːn/
B2

learn (verb)

UK /lɜːn/
US /lɜːrn/
A1

learning (noun)

UK /ˈlɜːnɪŋ/
US /ˈlɜːrnɪŋ/
A2

least (determiner, pronoun)

UK /liːst/
US /liːst/
A2

leather (noun)

UK /ˈleðə(r)/
US /ˈleðər/
B1

leave (verb)

UK /liːv/
US /liːv/
A1

lecture (verb)

UK /ˈlektʃə(r)/
US /ˈlektʃər/
A2

left (noun)

UK /left/
US /left/
A1

leg (noun)

UK /leɡ/
US /leɡ/
A1

legal (adjective)

UK /ˈliːɡl/
US /ˈliːɡl/
B1

leisure (noun)

UK /ˈleʒə(r)/
US /ˈliːʒər/
B1

lemon (noun)

UK /ˈlemən/
US /ˈlemən/
A2

lend (verb)

UK /lend/
US /lend/
A2

length (noun)

UK /leŋkθ/
US /leŋkθ/
B1

less (determiner, pronoun)

UK /les/
US /les/
A2

lesson (noun)

UK /ˈlesn/
US /ˈlesn/
A1

let (verb)

UK /let/
US /let/
A1

letter (noun)

UK /ˈletə(r)/
US /ˈletər/
A1

level (verb)

UK /ˈlevl/
US /ˈlevl/
B2

library (noun)

UK /ˈlaɪbrəri/
US /ˈlaɪbreri/
A1

licence (noun)

UK /ˈlaɪsns/
US /ˈlaɪsns/
B2

lie (verb)

UK /laɪ/
US /laɪ/
B1

life (noun)

UK /laɪf/
US /laɪf/
A1

lifestyle (noun)

UK /ˈlaɪfstaɪl/
US /ˈlaɪfstaɪl/
A2

lift (verb)

UK /lɪft/
US /lɪft/
A2

light (verb)

UK /laɪt/
US /laɪt/
A2

like (verb)

UK /laɪk/
US /laɪk/
A1

likely (adjective)

UK /ˈlaɪkli/
US /ˈlaɪkli/
A2

limit (verb)

UK /ˈlɪmɪt/
US /ˈlɪmɪt/
B1

limited (adjective)

UK /ˈlɪmɪtɪd/
US /ˈlɪmɪtɪd/
B2

line (verb)

UK /laɪn/
US /laɪn/
B2

link (verb)

UK /lɪŋk/
US /lɪŋk/
A2

lion (noun)

UK /ˈlaɪən/
US /ˈlaɪən/
A1

lip (noun)

UK /lɪp/
US /lɪp/
B1

liquid (noun)

UK /ˈlɪkwɪd/
US /ˈlɪkwɪd/
B1

list (verb)

UK /lɪst/
US /lɪst/
A1

listen (verb)

UK /ˈlɪsn/
US /ˈlɪsn/
A1

listener (noun)

UK /ˈlɪsənə(r)/
US /ˈlɪsənər/
A2

literature (noun)

UK /ˈlɪtrətʃə(r)/
US /ˈlɪtrətʃər/
B1

little (determiner, pronoun)

UK /ˈlɪtl/
US /ˈlɪtl/
A1

live (verb)

UK /lɪv/
US /lɪv/
A1

lively (adjective)

UK /ˈlaɪvli/
US /ˈlaɪvli/
B2

living (noun)

UK /ˈlɪvɪŋ/
US /ˈlɪvɪŋ/
B1

load (verb)

UK /ləʊd/
US /ləʊd/
B2

loan (noun)

UK /ləʊn/
US /ləʊn/
B2

local (noun)

UK /ˈləʊkl/
US /ˈləʊkl/
B1

locate (verb)

UK /ləʊˈkeɪt/
US /ˈləʊkeɪt/
B1

located (adjective)

UK /ləʊˈkeɪtɪd/
US /ˈləʊkeɪtɪd/
B1

location (noun)

UK /ləʊˈkeɪʃn/
US /ləʊˈkeɪʃn/
B1

lock (verb)

UK /lɒk/
US /lɑːk/
A2

logical (adjective)

UK /ˈlɒdʒɪkl/
US /ˈlɑːdʒɪkl/
B2

lonely (adjective)

UK /ˈləʊnli/
US /ˈləʊnli/
B1

long (adverb)

UK /lɒŋ/
US /lɔːŋ/
A1

long-term (adverb)

UK /ˌlɒŋ ˈtɜːm/
US /ˌlɔːŋ ˈtɜːrm/
B2

look (verb)

UK /lʊk/
US /lʊk/
A1

loose (adjective)

UK /luːs/
US /luːs/
B2

lord (noun)

UK /lɔːd/
US /lɔːrd/
B2

lorry (noun)

UK /ˈlɒri/
US /ˈlɔːri/
A2

lose (verb)

UK /luːz/
US /luːz/
A1

loss (noun)

UK /lɒs/
US /lɔːs/
B1

lost (adjective)

UK /lɒst/
US /lɔːst/
A2

lot (pronoun)

UK /lɒt/
US /lɑːt/
A1

loud (adverb)

UK /laʊd/
US /laʊd/
A2

loudly (adverb)

UK /ˈlaʊdli/
US /ˈlaʊdli/
A2

love (verb)

UK /lʌv/
US /lʌv/
A1

lovely (adjective)

UK /ˈlʌvli/
US /ˈlʌvli/
A2

low (noun)

UK /ləʊ/
US /ləʊ/
B2

lower (verb)

UK /ˈləʊə(r)/
US /ˈləʊər/
B2

luck (noun)

UK /lʌk/
US /lʌk/
A2

lucky (adjective)

UK /ˈlʌki/
US /ˈlʌki/
A2

lunch (noun)

UK /lʌntʃ/
US /lʌntʃ/
A1

lung (noun)

UK /lʌŋ/
US /lʌŋ/
B2

luxury (noun)

UK /ˈlʌkʃəri/
US /ˈlʌkʃəri/
B1