Basic Vocab List- 500 Words in 10 Categories

This is just a bunch of words for quick reference: they can come in useful in all kinds of ways in the classroom

The categories are:

•           Animals

•           Clothes & Accessories

•           Family Members

•           Food & Drink

•           Jobs

•           Parts of the Body

•           Places in a Town

•           School & Office

•           Sports

•           Things In the House

Animals

1.         Alligator

2.         Ant

3.         Bat

4.         Bee

5.         Bird

6.         Buffalo

7.         Butterfly

8.         Camel

9.         Cat

10.       Chicken

11.       Cockroach

12.       Cow

13.       Crab

14.       Deer

15.       Dog

16.       Dolphin

17.       Dove

18.       Duck

19.       Eagle

20.       Elephant

21.       Fish

22.       Fly

23.       Fox

24.       Frog

25.       Goat

26.       Grasshopper

27.       Hamster

28.       Hippo

29.       Horse

30.       Iguana

31.       Jaguar

32.       Jackal

33.       Kangaroo

34.       Koala Bear

35.       Lion

36.       Lobster

37.       Monkey

38.       Moose

39.       Mosquito

40.       Octopus

41.       Orangutan

42.       Owl

43.       Ox

44.       Panda

45.       Parrot

46.       Penguin

47.       Pig

48.       Pigeon

49.       Prawn

50.       Quail

51.       Rabbit

52.       Rhino

53.       Seal

54.       Shark

55.       Sheep

56.       Snail

57.       Snake

58.       Spider

59.       Squid

60.       Squirrel

61.       Tiger

62.       Turtle

63.       Vulture

64.       Whale

65.       Wolf

66.       Yak

67.       Zebra

Clothes & Accessories

68.       Belt

69.       Bikini

70.       Blouse

71.       Boot

72.       Bow

73.       Bracelet

74.       Cap

75.       Cardigan

76.       Coat

77.       Dress

78.       Earrings

79.       Gloves

80.       Hat

81.       Helmet

82.       Jacket

83.       Jeans

84.       Jewellry

85.       Jumper

86.       Necklace

87.       Pants

88.       Ribbon

89.       Ring

90.       Sandals

91.       Shirt

92.       Shoes

93.       Skirt

94.       Slippers

95.       Sneakers

96.       Socks

97.       Suit

98.       Sunglasses

99.       Sweater

100.     Swimsuit

101.     Track-Suit

102.     Trainers

103.     Trousers

104.     T-Shirt

105.     Underwear

106.     Vest

107.     Wallet

108.     Watch

Family members

109.     Aunt

110.     Brother

111.     Brother-in-law etc

112.     Cousin

113.     Daughter

114.     Father

115.     Grand-daughter

116.     Grand-father

117.     Grand-mother

118.     Grand-son

119.     Mother

120.     Nephew

121.     Niece

122.     Sister

123.     Son

124.     Step-mother etc

125.     Uncle

Food & Drink

126.     Apple

127.     Asparagus

128.     Bacon

129.     Banana

130.     Beans

131.     Beef

132.     Beer

133.     Bread

134.     Broccoli

135.     Butter

136.     Cabbage

137.     Cake

138.     Carrot

139.     Cauliflower

140.     Cereal

141.     Champagne

142.     Cheese

143.     Chilli

144.     Chocolate

145.     Coconut

146.     Coffee

147.     Corn

148.     Crab

149.     Croissant

150.     Cucumber

151.     Curry

152.     Donut

153.     Egg

154.     Fish

155.     French Fries

156.     Garlic

157.     Grapes

158.     Ham

159.     Hamburger

160.     Hot Dog

161.     Ice Cream

162.     Jam

163.     Juice

164.     Kiwi Fruit

165.     Lamb

166.     Lasagna

167.     Lemon

168.     Lettuce

169.     Lobster

170.     Mango

171.     Marmalade

172.     Mayonnaise

173.     Melon

174.     Milk

175.     Mushroom

176.     Noodles

177.     Nuts

178.     Omelette

179.     Onion

180.     Orange

181.     Oysters

182.     Pasta

183.     Peach

184.     Peas

185.     Pepper

186.     Pineapple

187.     Pizza

188.     Pork

189.     Potato

190.     Prawn

191.     Shrimp

192.     Rice

193.     Salad

194.     Salami

195.     Salmon

196.     Salt

197.     Sandwich

198.     Sauce

199.     Sausage

200.     Soup

201.     Spaghetti

202.     Spinach

203.     Squid

204.     Steak

205.     Strawberry

206.     Sushi

207.     Tea

208.     Tomato

209.     Vegetable

210.     Water

211.     Watermelon

212.     Whisky

213.     Wine

214.     Vodka

215.     Yogurt

Jobs

216.     Accountant

217.     Actor

218.     Air Hostess

219.     Artist

220.     Astronaut

221.     Baker

222.     Banker

223.     Bus Driver

224.     Butcher

225.     Carpenter

226.     Chef

227.     Cleaner

228.     Dentist

229.     Director

230.     Doctor

231.     Doorman

232.     Electrician

233.     Engineer

234.     Factory Worker

235.     Judge

236.     Lawyer

237.     Maid

238.     Manager

239.     Musician

240.     Nurse

241.     Operator

242.     Optician

243.     Personal Assistant

244.     Pharmacist

245.     Pilot

246.     Plumber

247.     Policeman

248.     Radiologist

249.     Salesman

250.     Scientist

251.     Secretary

252.     Shop Assistant

253.     Singer

254.     Soldier

255.     Taxi Driver

256.     Teacher

257.     Vet

258.     Waiter

259.     Writer

Parts of the Body

260.     Adam’s Apple

261.     Ankle

262.     Arm

263.     Back

264.     Beard

265.     Belly Button

266.     Blood

267.     Bones

268.     Bottom

269.     Cheek

270.     Chest

271.     Chin

272.     Ear

273.     Elbow

274.     Eye

275.     Eyebrow

276.     Eyelash

277.     Face

278.     Finger

279.     Foot

280.     Forehead

281.     Hair

282.     Hand

283.     Heart

284.     Kidney

285.     Knee

286.     Leg

287.     Lips

288.     Liver

289.     Lungs

290.     Moustache

291.     Mouth

292.     Nails

293.     Neck

294.     Nose

295.     Shoulder

296.     Skeleton

297.     Skin

298.     Skull

299.     Stomach

300.     Thigh

301.     Thumb

302.     Toe

303.     Tongue

304.     Waist

305.     Wrist

Places in a Town

306.     Airport

307.     Apartments

308.     Bar

309.     Book Shop

310.     Bus Station

311.     Bus Stop

312.     Butcher’s

313.     Café

314.     Car Hire Firm

315.     Car Showroom

316.     Chemists

317.     Church

318.     Cinema

319.     Clinic

320.     Clothes Store

321.     Coffee Shop

322.     College

323.     Convenience Store

324.     Department Store

325.     Disco

326.     Drugstore

327.     Estate Agent

328.     Flats

329.     Grocer’s

330.     Harbour

331.     Hospital

332.     Hotel

333.     Jewellry Store

334.     Kindergarten

335.     Law Firm

336.     Liquor Store

337.     Mosque

338.     Movie Theater

339.     Music Store

340.     Newsagent

341.     Nightclub

342.     Nursery

343.     Office

344.     Off-License

345.     Pharmacy

346.     Pier

347.     Port

348.     Pub

349.     Realtor

350.     Restaurant

351.     School

352.     Stadium

353.     Supermarket

354.     Superstore

355.     Temple

356.     Toy Shop

357.     Train Station

358.     University

School & Office

359.     Bag

360.     Blackboard

361.     Book

362.     Briefcase

363.     Calculator

364.     Chalk

365.     Computer

366.     Eraser

367.     Folder

368.     Glue

369.     Hole-Punch

370.     Marker

371.     Notebook

372.     Paper

373.     Paper Clip

374.     Pen

375.     Pencil

376.     Ruler

377.     Sharpener

378.     Stapler

379.     Textbook

380.     Whiteboard

Sports

381.     American Football

382.     Archery

383.     Athletics

384.     Badminton

385.     Baseball

386.     Basketball

387.     Billiards

388.     Boxing

389.     Cricket

390.     Cycling

391.     Darts

392.     Diving

393.     Fencing

394.     Football

395.     Golf

396.     Gymnastics

397.     Hockey

398.     Horse-Racing

399.     Ice-Hockey

400.     Ice-Skating

401.     Karate

402.     Kung Fu

403.     Pool

404.     Rugby

405.     Running

406.     Sailing

407.     Skiing

408.     Snooker

409.     Snorkelling

410.     Snowboarding

411.     Surfing

412.     Swimming

413.     Taekwondo

414.     Tennis

415.     Volleyball

416.     Windsurfing

417.     Wrestling

Things in the House

418.     Air Conditioner

419.     Ball

420.     Bath

421.     Bed

422.     Bin

423.     Blanket

424.     Bottle

425.     Bowl

426.     Box

427.     Broom

428.     Bucket

429.     Camera

430.     Cards

431.     Carpet

432.     CD

433.     Chair

434.     Chimney

435.     Chopsticks

436.     Clock

437.     Computer

438.     Cooker

439.     Cup

440.     Cupboard

441.     Curtains

442.     Cushion

443.     Desk

444.     Dishwasher

445.     Doll

446.     Door

447.     Dressing Table

448.     Dustpan And Brush

449.     DVD Player

450.     Fan

451.     Fireplace

452.     Floor

453.     Fork

454.     Furniture

455.     Game

456.     Games Console

457.     Glass

458.     Hammer

459.     Heater

460.     Iron

461.     Ironing Board

462.     Jar

463.     Jug

464.     Kettle

465.     Knife

466.     Ladder

467.     Lamp

468.     Map

469.     Memory Stick

470.     Microwave

471.     Mirror

472.     Mop

473.     Oven

474.     Pan

475.     Picture

476.     Pillow

477.     Plant

478.     Plate

479.     Pot

480.     Radio

481.     Refrigerator

482.     Roof

483.     Saw

484.     Scissors

485.     Shelves

486.     Shower

487.     Sink

488.     Spoon

489.     Stairs

490.     Table

491.     Telephone

492.     Toilet

493.     Toothbrush

494.     Torch

495.     Tray

496.     Vase

497.     Wall

498.     Washing Machine

499.     Wardrobe

500.     Window

The 100-400 Quiz Game

For this game you should draw a grid on the board as below:

                                                    Easy                                           Difficult

	100	200	300	400
Body/Health
Numbers
Art/Entertainment
Places
Sport
Verbs

Simply divide the students into teams and tell them 100 is the easiest type of question, 200 is a bit harder, 300 harder still and 400 the most difficult. They get to pick the subject-matter and level that suits them best. They can try and get more points with a ‘400’ question but run the risk of getting no points at all if it’s too hard. As teams choose a topic/points-level mark off that square with an X so that it cannot be used again. As ever, keep track of the score on the board.

Here are some typical questions you might use for the above categories. I tend to ask students to name a certain number of things because then you can just adjust it as needed e.g. ‘Name 3 winter-sports’ for a ‘100’ question but ‘Name 6 winter-sports’ for a ‘400’ question. Some of these questions are very simple but depend on the students knowing certain words and understanding you as you speak (don’t repeat it or write it on the board unless you really want to)

Body/Health

Name 5 parts of the hand

Name 3 serious diseases

Name 4 medical jobs

Numbers

What’s 48 divided by 6?

How many people in a football team?

How many thumbs in this room?

Art/Entertainment

Name 5 people who work on a movie

Name 3 wind instruments

Name 4 things you can use to draw or paint

Places

Name 5 capital cities in Europe

Name 3 famous mountain ranges

What’s the longest river in the world?

Sport

Name 4 places where sports are played

Name 5 fighting sports

What is a referee?

Verbs

Name 10 things you can do with your body

What’s the past tense of ‘fly’?

Name 5 verbs connected with school

The idea is to practise and learn English vocabulary of course so an entertainment question should be about types of movie rather than who won the Oscar this year, and a sports question should be about sporting equipment rather than who plays for Barcelona.  

You can of course use other topics. Ones I’ve attempted include Animals & Nature  (‘Name 6 insects’), Brands (‘Name 10 things sold in Macdonald’s’) The Home ('Name 6 things in the house starting with 'C'') Food & Drink ('What's a pizza made of?') and Nouns (‘What’s the noun of ‘think’?’)

Another version I sometimes do is with continents: as in this illustration

	100	200	300	400
Asia
Europe
North America
Rest of the World

Here the questions might be similar but with a continent-specific slant. e.g. name four famous scientists from Europe, five famous American sportsmen, ten Asian companies, five capital cities in South America, etc 

The Drawing Game (Pictionary)

‘The Drawing Game’ is a very simple game, perfect for kids, though it can be fun for adults too. You probably know it already. It’s basically pictionary: someone draws a picture and the others guess what it is. I always split the students into two teams, have one member of each team come up to me where I’m sitting near the board. I show them the word I’ve written, they draw it, points go to the team who can guess it first. I go through 5 words and then each team has to change the team-member who’s drawing. It’s good for 10-15 minutes at the end of class, but not for much longer, since it’s usually kind of hyperactive. As you’re doing it remind the students that they can’t write words, speak or make any actions: it’s all about the picture.  

Below are a few specific word-lists which suit this game. And you can also use:

1)                  Brands

2)                  Adjective Plus Noun (e.g. a big cat, a happy policeman, a strong old woman)

3)                  Verb Plus Noun (e.g. kick a ball, throw a cat, kiss a frog, shoot a bottle)

and so on

Good Words For The Drawing Game

Airport

Alarm Clock

Alien

Ambulance

Apartment

Axe

Baby

Bank

Bath

Beach

Beggar

Bell

Bench

Bicycle

Big Ben

Binoculars

Birthday

Boat

Bomb

Bottle-Opener

Boy

Breakfast

Bridge

Brother

Bus

Bus Station

Bush

Button

Candle

Castle

Chess

Chewing Gum

Christmas Tree

Church

Cinema

Circle

Cloud

Coin

Corkscrew

Court

Credit Card

Crocodile

Dinner

Drink

Driver

Drum

Eiffel Tower

Face Cream

Father

Fence

Field

Film

Fire

Flag

Flower

Fog

Garden

Gas Station

Ghost

Grass

Guide-Dog

Guitar

Gun

Headphones

Helicopter

Hill

Hospital

Hotel

House

Ice-Skating

ID Card

Key

King

Kitchen

Kite

Lake

Leaf

Lego

Letter

Library

Light-Bulb

Lightning

Lipstick

London Eye

Lunch

Machine-Gun

Mall

Mask

Medicine

Menu

Microphone

Microscope

Mobile Phone

Money

Moon

Morning

Mother

Motorbike

Mountain

Museum

Neighbour

Newspaper

Night

Paint

Palace

Palm Tree

Parade

Park

Pen-Knife

Perfume

Petrol

Pharmacy

Photograph

Piano

Picnic

Plane

Plate

Plug

Pocket

Police Boat

Pop Star

Post Office

Poster

President

Prince

Princess

Pub

Pyramids

Queen

Rain

Razor

Restaurant

River

Robot

Rocket

Rubik’s Cube

Satellite

Saxophone

School

Shadow

Shampoo

Ship

Shop

Shopping Basket

Shopping Trolley

Sister

Skinhead

Skyscraper

Soap

Square

Statue

Statue Of Liberty

Storm

Straw

Street-Light

Sun

Switch

Sword

Taj Mahal

Taxi

Teddy Bear

Temple

Tennis Racket

Tent

Test Tube

Theatre

Thief

Thunder

Tissue

Toothpaste

Traffic-Light

Train

Train Station

Tree

Triangle

Trumpet

Typewriter

Umbrella

Valentine’s Day

Wave

Wire

Xmas

Yo-Yo

Verbs

Bite

Bring

Catch

Close

Come

Cry

Dive

Find

Fold

Give

Go

Hate

Jump

Laugh

Learn

Live

Look

Lose

Love

Open

Pull

Push

Receive

Run

Smile

Sneeze

Speak

Spit

Teach

Throw

Walk

Watch

Adjectives

Alive

Angry

Beautiful

Big

Bitter

Bland

Boring

Bright

Clever

Cold

Dark

Dead

Deep

Dry

Empty

Fat

Full

Happy

Happy

Hard-Working

Healthy

Heavy

High

Hot

Lazy

Light

Long

Low

Modern

Narrow

New

Old

Old

Old-Fashioned

Outgoing

Polite

Proud

Rough

Rude

Sad

Shallow

Short

Shy

Smooth

Strong

Stupid

Sweet

Tasty

Thick

Thin

Tidy

Ugly

Weak

Wet

Wide

Young

Famous People, Movies, Pop Culture Archetypes

Alien

Avatar

Barack Obama Batman

Bugs Bunny

Cowboy

Dinosaur

Donald Duck

Doraemon

Dragon

Elvis

Frankenstein

Gangster

Garfield

Godzilla

Harry Potter

Hitler

James Bond

Jurassic Park

Marilyn Monroe

Michael Jackson

Mickey Mouse

Monster

Ninja

Pac-Man

Robin Hood

Santa Claus

Sherlock Holmes

Spiderman

Superman

Tarzan

Titanic

Transformers

Vampires

X-Men

Zombies