Unit 1 Wordlist American Language Hub Level 4 

Part of
Word/Phrase speech IPA (UK) IPA (US) Definition Sample sentence
Feelings
awkward adjective ˈɔːkwə(r)d ˈɔkwərd not comfortable, relaxed, or He’s always really
confident awkward when
meeting new people.
devastated adjective ˈdevəˌsteɪtɪd ˈdevəˌsteɪtəd feeling very shocked and upset Olga was devastated to
learn her car had been
stolen.
disgusted adjective dɪsˈɡʌstɪd dɪsˈɡʌstəd feeling very angry and upset I was disgusted by
about something that you do the way he treated his
not approve of employees.
frustrated adjective frʌˈstreɪtɪd ˈfrʌˌstreɪtəd feeling annoyed and impatient I’m just frustrated
because you are prevented by our overall lack of
from achieving something progress.
furious adjective ˈfjʊəriəs ˈfjʊriəs extremely angry Yuri was absolutely
furious that I’d
scratched her car.
horrified adjective ˈhɒrɪfaɪd ˈhɔrɪˌfaɪd very shocked or frightened Dad was horrified when
he saw the prices on the
menu.
impressed adjective ɪmˈprest admiring someone or I was very impressed
something very much, by the level of customer
especially because of an service.
unusually good achievement,
quality, or skill
overwhelmed adjective ˌəʊvə(r)ˈwelmd ˌoʊvərˈwelmd feeling unable to cope with all I’m just a little
of the things that need to be overwhelmed to be
done honest – there’s so much
to do!
relieved adjective rɪˈliːvd rɪˈlivd happy and relaxed because Mom wasn’t angry, just
something bad has not relieved that I’d made it
happened or because a bad home safely.
situation has ended
stunned adjective stʌnd very shocked or upset, Barcelona was left
especially so that you are stunned by Liverpool’s
unable to act normally last-minute winner.
tense adjective tens feeling nervous and not He was tired, but too
relaxed, usually because you tense to sleep.
are worried about what is
going to happen
thrilled adjective θrɪld very pleased and excited Ben was thrilled to win
the competition.
Personality adjectives
ambitious adjective æmˈbɪʃəs wanting to be successful, rich, Anna is pretty
famous, etc ambitious; I don’t think
she’ll stay unless they
promote her.
arrogant adjective ˈærəɡənt someone who is arrogant To be honest, I thought
thinks they are better or more she was rude and
important than other people arrogant!
and behaves in a way that is
rude and over confident
determined adjective dɪˈtɜː(r)mɪnd dɪˈtɜrmɪnd not willing to let anything Aishia was always
prevent you from doing what determined to make it
you have decided to do as a dancer.
down-to-earth adjective ˈdaʊn tu ˌɜː(r)θ ˈdaʊn tə ˌɜrθ practical and sensible Jane’s so down-to-earth;
she’s great in a crisis.

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Unit 1 Wordlist American Language Hub Level 4 

Part of
Word/Phrase speech IPA (UK) IPA (US) Definition Sample sentence
easy-going adjective ˌiːziˈɡəʊɪŋ ˌiziˈɡoʊɪŋ relaxed, calm, and not getting Marco won’t mind if
easily upset about things we’re a little late; he’s
very easy-going.
flexible adjective ˈfleksəb(ə)l able to make changes or You need to be more
deal with a situation that is flexible in your
changing approach.
loyal adjective ˈlɔɪəl willing to support, work for, or In his 45 years with the
be a friend to someone, even in family, Randell remained
difficult times a loyal employee.
naïve adjective naɪˈiːv nɑˈiv lacking experience in life and Jim’s so naïve he’ll
too ready to trust or believe in believe whatever anyone
others tells him.
open-minded adjective ˈəʊpən ˌmaɪndɪd ˈoʊpən willing to consider new ideas Talk to the new manager
ˌmaɪndəd about it – she’s pretty
open-minded.
optimistic adjective ˌɒptɪˈmɪstɪk ˌɑptɪˈmɪstɪk hopeful about the future and The CEO seemed pretty
expecting good things to optimistic about the
happen future of the company.
passionate adjective ˈpæʃ(ə)nət showing or expressing strong Cody has been a
beliefs, interest or enthusiasm passionate Boston
Celtics fan his entire life.
pessimistic adjective ˌpesəˈmɪstɪk thinking that the worst thing Try not to be so
will happen in every situation pessimistic; it’ll
probably be fine.
self-centered adjective ˈself ˌsentə(r)d ˈself ˌsentərd too interested in yourself, so Chris is so self-centered;
that you do not think about he never thinks of
what other people feel or need anyone else!
sensitive adjective ˈsensətɪv likely to become upset quickly If I’d known Juan was
so sensitive, I wouldn’t
have teased him.
stubborn adjective ˈstʌbə(r)n ˈstʌbərn not willing to change ideas He definitely won’t
or to consider anyone else’s change his mind; he’s
reasons or arguments too stubborn.
witty adjective ˈwɪti clever and funny Hassan struggled to
think of something
original and witty to say.
Noun suffixes
arrogance noun ˈærəɡəns behavior that shows that you Frankly, I’m amazed by
think you are better or more your level of arrogance.
important than other people
confidence noun ˈkɒnfɪd(ə)ns ˈkɑnfɪdəns the belief that you are able to You should have more
do things well confidence in yourself!
determination noun dɪˌtɜː(r)mɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n dɪˌtɜrmɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n the refusal to let anything You’ve got to admire
prevent you from doing what his determination; he
you have decided to do never gives up.
loyalty noun ˈlɔɪəlti support that you always give Barry inspires great
to someone or something loyalty among his
because of your feelings of employees.
duty and love toward them
optimism noun ˈɒptɪˌmɪzəm ˈɑptɪˌmɪzəm a tendency to be hopeful and There’s much greater
to expect that good things will optimism within the
probably happen company now.
responsibility noun rɪˌspɒnsəˈbɪləti rɪˌspɑnsəˈbɪləti blame for something that has I take full responsibility
happened for the problems that we
are facing.

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Unit 2 Wordlist American Language Hub Level 4 

Part of
Word/Phrase speech IPA (UK) IPA (US) Definition Sample sentence
Health and fitness
anxiety noun æŋˈzaɪəti the feeling of being very It’s generally agreed that
worried that something bad is too much caffeine can
going to happen cause anxiety.
calorie noun ˈkæləri units for measuring how much How many calories are
energy you get from food there in a slice of pizza?
cholesterol noun kəˈlestərɒl kəˈlestərɑl a type of fat in the blood that Try to avoid fatty
can cause heart disease if you foods that are high in
have too much cholesterol.
depression noun dɪˈpreʃ(ə)n a medical condition in which He has suffered from
a person is so unhappy they depression for years.
cannot live a normal life
level of fitness phrase ˈlev(ə)l əv ˈfɪtnəs how healthy and strong Regular biking can help
someone is increase your level of
fitness.
life expectancy noun laɪf ɪkˈspektənsi the length of time that Medical advances have
someone is likely to live helped increase life
expectancy.
mental health noun ˈment(ə)l helθ the condition of your mind Adel has suffered from
various mental health
problems for years now.
obesity noun əʊˈbiːsəti oʊˈbisəti a condition in which someone Unhealthy school
is too fat in a way that is lunches contribute to
dangerous for their health obesity in children.
physical adjective ˈfɪzɪk(ə)l relating to your body rather Adults are generally
than your mind advised to get at least
30 minutes of physical
activity every day.
processed foods noun ˈprəʊsest fuːdz prəˈsest fudz edible products that are My doctor suggested I
manufactured cut down on processed
foods.
reduce the risk phrase rɪˈdjuːs ðə rɪsk rɪˈdus ðə rɪsk to lower the chances of Cutting down on fatty
something bad happening foods can reduce the
risk of heart disease.
slow the aging phrase sləʊ ðə ˈeɪdʒɪŋ sloʊ ðə ˈeɪdʒɪŋ to reduce the speed at which Eating well and
process ˈprəʊses ˈprɑses people’s bodies deterioriate exercising can slow the
aging process.
stress noun stres pressure or worry caused by I just couldn’t take the
problems in everyday life stress of working in the
city anymore.
Adverbs of stance
admittedly adverb ədˈmɪtɪdli ədˈmɪtədli saying something is true even I’m sure it was her
though it may weaken your although, admittedly,
argument she was wearing a
different coat.
apparently adverb əˈpærəntli əˈperəntli based only on what you have Apparently, Felix is
heard, not on what you are looking for a new job.
certain is true
frankly adverb ˈfræŋkli saying that you are about to Frankly, I don’t care who
give your honest opinion, even you are.
though the person you are
talking to might not like it
merely adverb ˈmɪə(r)li ˈmɪrli saying that something is small This job is merely a way
or unimportant for me to pay the bills.
naturally adverb ˈnætʃ(ə)rəli saying that something happened Naturally, Maria was
in the way that you would expect very eager to meet the
new hires.

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Unit 2 Wordlist American Language Hub Level 4 

Part of
Word/Phrase speech IPA (UK) IPA (US) Definition Sample sentence
sadly adverb ˈsædli saying that you think She made it through to
something is bad or wrong the last round, but sadly,
didn’t get the job.
simply adverb ˈsɪmpli used for emphasizing that what We simply don’t have
you are saying is nothing more time to go through
than what you say it is everything now.
undoubtedly adverb ʌnˈdaʊtɪdli saying that something is In my opinion, she was
certainly true or is accepted by undoubtedly the best
everyone person for the job.
Adverb + adjective collocations
absolutely adjective ˈæbsəluːtli ˈæbsəluːtli very silly or unreasonable and Steph looks absolutely
ridiculous phrase rɪˈdɪkjʊləs rɪˈdɪkjələs deserving to be laughed at ridiculous in that hat.

bitterly adjective ˈbɪtə(r)li ˈbɪtərli unhappy because something They were bitterly
disappointed phrase ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntəd that you hoped for or expected disappointed to lose
did not happen or because on the final day of the
someone or something was season.
not as good as you expected
deeply adjective ˈdiːpli kənˈsɜː(r)nd ˈdipli kənˈsɜrnd very worried about something I’m deeply concerned
concerned phrase about your lack of
progress this year.
highly likely adjective ˈhaɪli ˈlaɪkli very probable It seems highly likely
phrase that she will step down
at the end of the month.
ridiculously easy adjective rɪˈdɪkjʊləsli ˈiːzi rɪˈdɪkjələsli ˈizi not difficult to do, or not These days, it’s
phrase needing much work ridiculously easy to
keep in touch with
friends.

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Unit 3 Wordlist American Language Hub Level 4 

Part of
Word/Phrase speech IPA (UK) IPA (US) Definition Sample sentence
Descriptive verbs
crackle verb ˈkræk(ə)l to make continuous short The fire crackled gently
sounds like the sound of wood as they sat and talked.
burning
creak verb kriːk krik if something creaks, especially The old wooden chair
something wooden, it makes creaked as he sat down.
a high noise when it moves or
when you put weight on it
crunch verb ˈkrʌntʃ to make a noise like something The leaves crunched
being crushed under our feet as we
walked toward the
cabin.
groan verb ɡrəʊn ɡroʊn if wood, metal, or another The bridge groaned
material groans, it makes a long under the weight of the
low sound as it moves truck.
growl verb ˈɡraʊl if an animal growls, it makes a Karim stepped back as
frightening or unfriendly low the guard dog started to
noise growl.
hiss verb hɪs to make a long ‘s’ sound like the The snake hissed and
sound that a snake makes arched back.
rumble verb ˈrʌmb(ə)l to make a continuous deep Thunder rumbled in
sound the distance as Tim put
another log on the fire.
screech verb skriːtʃ skritʃ to make a loud, high and The car’s brakes
unpleasant noise screeched loudly as it
came to a stop.
slam verb ˈslæm to shut a door or a lid with He left the room angrily,
great force so that it makes a slamming the door
loud noise, often because you behind him.
are angry
smash verb smæʃ to break something noisily into They smashed the
many pieces by dropping or window, setting off the
hitting it with a lot of force alarm.
snap verb snæp to suddenly break something The rope snapped
with a short loud noise, or to be under his weight,
broken in this way sending him 150 ft into
the water.
trickle verb ˈtrɪk(ə)l if a liquid or a substance such The cave was silent,
as sand trickles somewhere, a apart from the sound of
small amount of it flows there water trickling down
slowly the walls.
whir verb ˈwɜː(r) wɜr to make a fast repeated quiet The fan whirred quietly
sound in the corner.
Phrasal verbs to describe problems
deal with phrasal verb diːl wɪð dil wɪð to accept and control a difficult Dan doesn’t deal with
emotional situation so that you stress very well, does he?
can start to live a normal life
again
go through phrasal verb ɡəʊ θruː ɡoʊ θru to experience something That was awful; I hope
difficult or unpleasant we never have to go
through it again.
put up with phrasal verb pʊt ʌp wɪð to accept someone or something I refuse to put up with
unpleasant in a patient way his insults any longer!
sort out phrasal verb sɔː(r)t aʊt sɔrt aʊt to do what is necessary to solve We still need to sort out
a problem the invitations for the
wedding.

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Unit 3 Wordlist American Language Hub Level 4 

Part of
Word/Phrase speech IPA (UK) IPA (US) Definition Sample sentence
talk over phrasal verb tɔːk ˈəʊvə(r) tɔk ˈoʊvər to discuss a problem or a plan I think you both need
to talk over what
happened last night.
weigh out phrasal verb weɪ aʊt to consider the good and bad Carefully weigh out the
aspects of something in order pros and cons before
to reach a decision about it making a decision.
work out phrasal verb wɜː(r)k aʊt wɜrk aʊt to solve a problem by We need to work out
considering the facts what to do next.
Dependent prepositions: adjectives
anxious about adjective + ˈæŋkʃəs əˈbaʊt worried about something in I’m just a little anxious
preposition particular because you think about what we’re going
something bad might happen to do next.

ashamed of adjective + əˈʃeɪmd ɒv əˈʃeɪmd ɑv feeling guilty or embarrassed He says he’s ashamed of
preposition because you have done his behavior and wants
something wrong, or think to apologize.
that you have not reached a
standard that people expect
aware of adjective + əˈweə(r) ɒv əˈwer ɑv knowing about a situation or Many people are
preposition a fact aware of the dangers
of smoking, but do it
anyway.
envious of adjective + ˈenviəs ɒv ˈenviəs ɑv unhappy because you really I’ve always been
preposition want to do something that envious of his ability to
someone else does or to have make new friends.
something that they have
sensitive toward adjective + ˈsensətɪv ˈsensətɪv showing that you care about I wish he was more
preposition təˈwɔː(r)d təˈwɔrd someone or something and do sensitive toward other
not want to cause offense or people’s feelings.
distress
sick of adjective + sɪk ɒv sɪk ɑv wanting something to end I’m just sick of it now – I
preposition because you are bored with it can’t wait to work on
or annoyed by it something different.

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