Vocabulary practice should help you do something with English: order lunch, explain a problem, compare choices or express a careful opinion. A long list of unfamiliar words does not tell you which task to practise next. Use the activities below to find a manageable starting point and turn familiar words into language you can use.
Choose vocabulary practice that matches what you can currently understand and say: everyday phrases at A1–A2, connected explanations at B1, comparisons and precise combinations at B2, and nuance and register at C1–C2. Complete a short task, check your answers and reuse the language in your own situation. The activities here guide practice; they do not determine or certify your CEFR level.
What's your English level?
Take the test and get your certificate!
Choose a Starting Point, Not a Permanent Label
The Council of Europe’s CEFR levels describe language ability from A1 to C2 through what a person can do. Vocabulary is part of that ability, alongside other aspects of communication. Recognising a few difficult words does not establish an overall level.
The activities in this guide are original practice suggestions grouped by broad learning goals. They are not official CEFR test items or a claim that each example word belongs exclusively to one level. Common words remain useful at advanced levels, where the challenge may be using them more precisely.
Begin with a section you can mostly understand. Try both the short exercise and the follow-up speaking or writing task: choosing an answer and producing a sentence are different demands. If you need to look up nearly every expression, start with a simpler section.
A1–A2: Practise Everyday Phrases
Work with language you need for daily routines, food, places, times and simple requests. Learn a word inside a short phrase, such as have breakfast or a return ticket. A phrase gives you something to say immediately.
Complete a simple conversation
Use each word once: table, water, bill. Try answering before reading the completed version below.
Customer: A ___ for two, please.
Server: Of course. What would you like to drink?
Customer: Some ___, please.
Later:
Customer: Could we have the ___, please?
Answers: table, water, bill. The first phrase asks for a place to sit; the second orders a drink; the final phrase asks for the amount to pay. In American English, check is also commonly used for the restaurant bill.
Make it your own
At an A1 starting point, say the three customer lines aloud and change the number of people or the drink. For an A2 extension, add a short request: “Could we sit by the window?” Then answer a follow-up question such as “Would you like still or sparkling water?”
Keep the exercise connected to your life. If you rarely eat in restaurants but use public transport daily, practise asking for a ticket or checking a departure time instead. The British Council offers further A1–A2 vocabulary activities for everyday topics.
B1: Explain What Happened and What You Need
Move from naming things to explaining a situation in connected sentences. Practise the words that describe a problem, its effect and a possible solution. Useful combinations include miss a connection, arrive late and change a booking.
Complete the travel message
Choose the better word in each pair. Focus on the meaning of the whole message, not just the space before the missing word.
My first train was delayed, so I (missed / lost) my connection. I need to (change / exchange) my hotel booking because I will arrive tomorrow. Could you (confirm / agree) that a room will still be available?
Answers: missed, change, confirm. You miss a connection when you do not catch the next service. Here, change a booking means alter the reservation, and confirm asks the hotel to verify availability.
Now write a similar message about a delayed flight, a missed appointment or a delivery problem. Include what happened, how it affects you and what you want the other person to do. Try writing without the example first, then check any phrases you were unsure about.
B2: Compare Options and Justify a Choice
Practise vocabulary that helps you explain advantages, limitations and consequences. The challenge is to combine words naturally and support your view with specific details. Replacing every common word with a longer synonym will not necessarily make your explanation clearer.
Choose natural combinations
Select the option that fits each sentence. Then explain your decision in your own words.
- Before choosing a venue, we should (take / do) the travel costs into account.
- The smaller venue has a (limited / limiting) capacity, so it cannot seat everyone.
- We need to (weigh / measure) the advantages against the extra cost.
Answers: take, limited, weigh. The expressions are take something into account and weigh the advantages against the cost. Limited capacity means that the available space or number of places is restricted.
Turn the phrases into a recommendation
Imagine two venues: one is cheaper but far from the station; the other costs more but is easier to reach. Write a short recommendation that considers both sides. A possible opening is: “Although the first venue is cheaper, we should take travel costs into account.”
Check whether each phrase adds a useful meaning. For more practice with familiar situations and word combinations, explore the British Council’s B1–B2 vocabulary activities. You can also practise making vocabulary more precise by naming the exact advantage or problem.
C1–C2: Practise Nuance, Register and Reformulation
At advanced levels, work on expressing the strength of a claim and adapting language to an audience. The Council of Europe’s descriptions of spoken language range emphasise appropriate style at C1 and flexible expression of finer meanings at C2. The following tasks practise those aims without assigning a level from a score.
C1 practice: make the claim fit the evidence
A small pilot study found encouraging results, but the method has not been tested more widely. Which sentence is more careful: “The pilot proves that the method always works” or “The pilot provides preliminary evidence that the method may be effective”?
Suggested answer: the second sentence. Preliminary presents the evidence as an early finding, while may leaves room for uncertainty. The first sentence makes a universal claim that the situation does not support.
C2 practice: preserve meaning while changing tone
Consider “The proposal is ambitious” and “The proposal is unrealistic.” Both may concern a difficult goal, but ambitious can recognise the scale of the aim, whereas unrealistic questions whether it is achievable. They are not neutral replacements for one another.
Rewrite this message for a professional discussion while preserving the objection: “This plan asks too much of the team in two weeks.” One possible version is: “The proposed scope appears difficult to deliver with the available staff within two weeks.” Explain which details you preserved and whether your version sounds more cautious.
For further practice, give the same feedback to a close colleague and in a formal written review. Compare the tone, directness and implied judgement. There may be several good answers; ask a teacher or proficient speaker to check whether your wording communicates the intended meaning.
Review Your Gaps and Choose the Next Task
After an exercise, identify the actual difficulty. You may understand a phrase when you see it but struggle to recall it, or know the meaning but choose an unnatural combination. Record that specific gap rather than writing “my vocabulary is bad.”
Save a corrected phrase with one personal example in your vocabulary notebook. In a later session, cover the phrase and try to produce it from the situation. Then use it in a new message or short spoken response.
Increase the challenge when you can complete similar tasks independently, not simply when you remember the answer key. Remove the word choices, change the situation or explain your answer aloud. If you can select the right word but cannot use it yet, keep practising at that stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can these exercises tell me my CEFR level?
No. They are short learning activities covering a small sample of language. An overall level assessment needs broader evidence of how you understand and use English.
Should advanced learners avoid basic words?
No. Familiar words are essential at every level. Advanced practice often means choosing among meanings, using natural combinations and adjusting tone, rather than avoiding simple language.
What if I understand B2 material but struggle with a B1 speaking task?
Practise the skill that is difficult. Recognising language while reading does not automatically make it easy to retrieve while speaking. Try the same situation with notes first, then repeat it without them.
How many new words should I learn each day?
Choose an amount you can check, review and use. A few useful phrases that you practise carefully can be a more manageable task than a long unfinished list. Adjust the amount when review begins to crowd out actual communication.
