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Vocabulary List PDF
Vocabulary List PDF
ESOL Examinations
VOCABULARY LIST
The PET Vocabulary List gives teachers a guide to the vocabulary needed when preparing
students for the PET and PET for Schools examinations.
The PET Vocabulary List was originally developed by Cambridge ESOL in consultation
with external consultants to guide item writers who produce materials for the PET
examination. It includes vocabulary from the Council of Europe's Threshold (1990)
specification and other vocabulary which corpus evidence shows is high frequency.
The list covers vocabulary appropriate to the 81 level on the Common European
Framework of Reference (CEFR) and includes receptive vocabulary (words that the
candidate is expected to understand but which is not the focus of a question) and
productive vocabulary (words that the candidate needs to know to answer a question).
The list does not provide an exhaustive list of all words which appear on the PET and PET
for Schools question papers and candidates should not confine their study of vocabulary to
the list alone.
The vocabulary of English changes over time, with words being added and other words
falling into disuse. In order to maintain its currency, the PET Vocabulary List is updated on
an annual basis, with the decision to add or remove words being informed by reference to
the Cambridge Learner Corpus and English Profile Wordlists.
The Cambridge Learner Corpus is a collection of over 44 million words of English, based
upon evidence of language use by learners from all over the world and from which the
English Vocabulary Profile has developed. The English Vocabulary Profile shows the
most common words and phrases that learners of English need to know in British or
American English. The meaning of each word or phrase in the wordlists has been
assigned a level between A1 and 82 on the CEFR.
A preview version of the English Vocabulary Profile can be accessed by visiting the
website: http://www.englishprofile.org
Word sets
Some categories of words that a learner at this level might be expected to know, e.g. days
of the week, are not included in the alphabetical list but are listed in Appendix 1. Although
'grammar words' (pronouns, modal verbs, etc.) are included, the 'Language Specification'
section of the PET and PET for Schools Handbook (available from from
www.cambridgeesol.org) should be consulted for a more complete listing.
Exemplification
Example phrases and sentences showing how words might be used are given only where
words with different meanings need to be constrained. For example, heel is followed by 'I
can't walk in high heels' -this shows that heel is limited to the idea of shoes: candidates
are not expected to know other meanings, such as the part of the body.
Topic lists
In Appendix 2, words have been grouped together under common PET and/or PET for
Schools themes, such as 'Food and Drink', 'House and Home' and 'Sport'.
Unsuitable topics
Cambridge ESOL examinations must not contain anything that might offend or upset
candidates, potentially affect their performance or distract them during the examination. A
number of 'sensitive' topics are considered unsuitable for use in PET and PET for Schools,
for example war and politics, and vocabulary relating to these is not included in the PET
Vocabulary List.
Personal vocabulary
The content of the PET Vocabulary List is general in nature and is unlikely to cover
completely the productive vocabulary that may be required by all candidates. Candidates
should know the specific lexis they will need to describe themselves and their lives, for
example hobbies, likes and dislikes.
Abbreviations
The list does not include every word that may appear on a PET or PET for Schools
paper.
The list covers receptive and productive vocabulary.
The list is updated every year.
A advantage (n)
adventure (n)
a/an (det) advert (n)
ability (n) advertise (v)
able (adj) advertisement (n)
be able to advice (n)
about (adv & prep) advise (v)
about 500 students (adv) aeroplane (n)
The film is about a small boy. (prep) afford (v)
above (adj, adv & prep) afraid (adj)
abroad (adv) after (adv,conj & prep)
absent (adj) afternoon (n)
absolutely (adv) afterwards (adv)
The movie was absolutely awful. again (adv)
accent(n) against (prep)
age (n)
She has a beautiful French accent.
aged(adj)
accept (v)
agency (n)
access (n)
ago (adv)
disabled access
agree (v)
internet access ahead (adv)
accident (n) aim (n & v)
accommodation (n) air (n)
accompany (v)
air conditioning (n)
according to (prep phr) air force (n)
account (n) airline (n)
accountant (n) airport (n)
accurate (adj) alarm (n)
ache (n) alarm clock (n)
achieve (v) album (n)
across (adv & prep) alike (adv)
act (n & v) alive (adj)
in the second act (of the play) (n) all (adj, adv, det & pron)
to act in a play (v) all right/alright (adj,adv & exclam)
to act strangely (v) allow (v) almost
action (n) (adv) alone (adv
active (adj) & adj)
activity (n) along (adv & prep)
actor (n) aloud (adv)
actress (n) alphabet (n)
actually (adv) already (adv)
She seems a bit strict at first, but she's also (adv)
actually very nice. although (conj)
Are you actually going to take the job? altogether (adv)
ad (advertisement) (n) always (adv)
add (v) a.m. (adv)
addition (n) amazed (adj)
in addition amazing (adj)
address (n) ambition (n)
admire (v) ambulance (n)
admission (n) among (amongst) (prep)
charges/cost/price amount (n)
admit (v) amusing (adj)
adult (adj & n) an (det)
advance (n) ancient (adj)
book in advance and (conj)
cover (n & v)
cow (n) dad (n)
crash (n & v) daily (adj & adv)
crazy (adj) damage (n & v)
cream (adj & n) damaged (adj)
create (v) dance (n & v)
creative (adj) dancer (n)
creature (n) dancing (n)
credit (n) danger (n)
credit card (n) dangerous (adj)
crew (n) dark (adj & n)
date (n & v)
cabin crew
cricket (n) today's date (n)
crime (n) daughter (n)
criminal (n) day (n)
crop (n) dead(adj)
cross (n & v) deaf (adj)
crossing (n) deal (v)
pedestrian crossing deal with (sth) (phr v)
cross out (phr v) I've had some problems to deal with.
Cross it out and write it again. dear (adj & exclam)
crossroads (n) too dear to buy (adj)
crowd (n) Dear Sir (adj)
crowded (adj) Oh dear! (exclam)
cruel (adj) death (n)
cruise (n) decide (v)
cry (n & v) decision (n)
declare (v)
E engine (n)
engineer (n)
each (det & pron) engineering (n)
ear(n) enjoy (v)
earache (n) enormous (adj)
early (adj & adv) enough (adv, det & pron)
earn (v) enquiry (n)
earring (n) enter (v)
earth (n) entertain (v)
east (adj,adv & n) entertainment (n)
eastern (adj)
easily (adv)
K lamb (n)
lamp (n)
kangaroo (n) land (n & v)
keen (adj) landscape (n)
He's keen on cycling. language (n)
to be keen to do something laptop (computer) (n)
keep (v) large (adj)
keeper (n) last (adj, adv, det & v)
keep in (phr v) late (adj & adv)
She kept the children in as it was so lately (adv)
cold. later (adj & adv)
keep on (phr v) latest (adj)
He kept on talking. laugh (n & v)
keep up (phr v) law (n)
lawyer (n)
Keep up the good work!
lay (v)
kettle (n)
lay the table
key (n)
lazy (adj)
key to a lock
lead (v)
key to success
to lead someone by the hand
keyboard (n)
Where does this road lead?
computer keyboard
leader (n)
keyboard music
leaf (n)
kick (n & v)
league (n)
kid (n)
learn (v)
We're taking the kids camping.
least (adj & adv)
kill (v)
the least amount (adj)
kilogramme (kg) (n) (Br Eng) (Am Eng:
kilogram) at least (adv)
leather (n)
kilometre (km) (n) (Br Eng) (Am Eng:
leave (v)
kilometer)
lecture (n)
kind (adj & n)
left (n, adj & adv)
king (n)
left-hand (adj)
kiss (n & v)
leg (n) leisure
kit (n)
(n) lemon (n)
kitchen (n)
lemonade (n)
kite (n)
lend (v)
kitten (n)
length (n)
knee (n)
less (adv, det & pron)
knife (n)
lesson (n)
knit (v)
let (v)
knock (v)
knock down (phr v) Let her do it.
lip (n)
machine (n)
liquid (n)
mad (adj)
list (n)
Madam (n)
listen (v)
made of/from/out of (v)
literature (n)
litre (n) (Br Eng) (Am Eng: liter) Her shirt is made of cotton.
litter (n) magazine (n)
little (adj,det & pron) magic (adj & n)
magnificent (adj)
live (v)
mail (n & v)
live (adj)
main (adj)
live music/sport
main course (n)
lively (adj)
make (v)
living room (n)
make sure (v)
load (n)
make-up (n)
loan (n)
male (adj)
local (adj)
man (n)
locate (v)
manage (v)
The station is located in the city centre.
to manage a business
location (n)
to manage to do something (succeed
lock (n & v)
in)
locker (n)
logo (n) manager (n)
mango (n)
lonely (adj)
long (adj) many (det & pron)
map (n)
look (n & v)
wrong (adj)
z
y
zebra
zero (n)
yard (n) zone (n)
yeah (exclam) zoo (n)
year (n)
yellow (adj)
yes (adv)
yesterday (adv)
yet (adv)
yoga (n)
yog(h)urt (n)
you (pron)
you know (exclam)
young (adj)
your (det)
yours (pron)
yourself (pron)
youth (n)
Word sets
In addition to the words in the alphabetical list, PET and PET for Schools candidates
are expected to know:
Cardinal numbers
one, two, three, etc.
Ordinal numbers
first, second, third, fourth, etc.
Continents
Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America.
Topic Lists
Colours
(dark/light/pale) gold orange silver
black golden pink yellow
blue green purple white
brown grey red
Education
Environment
bottle bank litter public transport recycling
climate change petrol (Br Eng) recycle rubbish (bin)
gas (Am Eng) pollution recycled traffic Uam)
Food and Drink
apple cookie ingredients rice
bake (v) corn jam roast (v & adj)
banana cream jug roll
barbecue (n & v) cucumber juice salad
bean cup kitchen salmon
biscuit curry knife salt
bitter (adj) cut lamb sandwich
boil (v) delicious lemon sauce
boiled dessert lemonade saucepan
bottle diet lettuce saucer
bowl dinner lunch sausage
box dish main course slice (n)
bread drink meal snack
break duck meat soft drink
breakfast eat melon soup
broccoli egg menu sour
bunch (of fish microwave (n) spicy
bananas) flavour milk spinach
burger flour mineral water spoon
butter food mushroom steak
cabbage fork oil strawberry
cafe I cafe French fries omelette sugar
cafeteria fresh onion sweet (adj & n)
cake fridge orange takeaway
can (of beans) fried pan taste
candy fruit pasta tasty
canteen fruit juice pea tea
carrot fry peach thirsty
cereal frying pan peanut toast
cheese garlic pear tomato
chef glass pepper tuna
chicken grape picnic turkey
chilli grill (n & v) pie vegetable
chips grilled piece of cake vegetarian
chocolate herbs pineapple waiter
coconut honey pizza waitress
coffee hot plate wash up
cola hungry potato yog(h)urt
cook (n & v) ice recipe
cooker ice cream refreshments
Hobbies and Leisure
barbecue dance hobby painting
beach dancing holidays park
bicycle doll jogging party
bike draw join in photograph
camera drawing keen on picnic
camp DVD (player) keep fit playground
camping facilities magazine quiz
campsite fan member(ship) sculpture
CD (player) festival model sightseeing
chess fiction museum slide
club gallery music sunbathe
collect(or) go out musician tent
collection guitar nightlife
computer hang out opening hours
cruise hire paint
Places: Countryside
area field path sea
bay forest port seaside
beach harbour railway sky
campsite hill rainforest stream
canal island region valley
cliff lake river village
desert land rock waterfall
earth mountain sand wood
farm ocean scenery
Services
bank doctor library swimming pool
cafe I cafe gallery museum theatre
cafeteria garage post office tourist information
cinema hairdresser restaurant
dentist hotel sports centre
Travel and Transport
abroad backpacker bus capital city
accommodation backpacking bus station car
(aero) I (air)plane bag bus stop car alarm
airline baggage by air car park
airport bicycle I bike by land case
ambulance board (v) by rail catch (v)
announcement boarding pass by road change (v)
arrival boat by sea charter
arrive border cab check in (v)
at sea bridge cabin check-in (n)
backpack brochure canal check out (v)
Weather
blow fog icy sunshine
breeze foggy lightning temperature
centigrade freezing mild thunder(storm)
cloud frozen rain warm
cloudy gale shower weather
cold get wet snow wet
cool heat snowfall wind
degrees hot storm windy
dry humid sun
forecast ice sunny
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