English Vocabulary - Learn English words, one day at a time.

Many English words have almost the same meaning, but a different level. The easy word is common in everyday talk. The high-level word is more formal, or used in special areas like law or tech.

How to read these tables

Each table goes from the easiest word (A1 or A2) to the hardest word (C1 or C2). The levels are about. Dictionaries can differ a little. See the English levels page to learn what each level means.

Learn the easy word first

Always learn the low-level word first. You can use it almost everywhere. Learn the high-level word when you see it often in your work or reading.

Stop something

Level	Word	Example
A2	cancel	Cancel the key.
B1	remove / delete	Delete the key.
B2	disable	Disable the key.
C2	revoke	Revoke the key.

In tech, you see revoke a lot: API keys, tokens and access. Outside tech, most people say cancel.

Start something

Level	Word	Example
A1	start	Let's start the meeting.
A2	begin	Let's begin the meeting.
B2	launch	We launched the app last week.
C1	initiate	The system initiates a backup every night.

Get something

Level	Word	Example
A1	get	I got an email from my boss.
A2	receive	I received an email from my boss.
B2	obtain	You need to obtain a visa before you travel.
C1	acquire	The company acquired a small startup.

Help someone

Level	Word	Example
A1	help	Can you help me?
B1	support	Our team supports the new developers.
B2	assist	How can I assist you today?
C1	facilitate	Good tools facilitate teamwork.

Fix a problem

Level	Word	Example
A2	fix	I fixed the bug.
B1	repair	They repaired my laptop.
B2	solve / resolve	We resolved the issue.
C2	rectify	We will rectify the mistake immediately.

Repair is usually for physical things like a laptop or a car. For a bug, say fix or resolve.

Show something

Level	Word	Example
A1	show	Let me show you my app.
B1	display	The page displays a list of users.
B2	demonstrate	I will demonstrate how the app works.

Use something

Level	Word	Example
A1	use	I use VS Code.
B2	make use of	We make use of caching to speed up the site.
C1	utilize	We utilize caching to speed up the site.

Many English teachers say: don't write utilize when use is fine. Use is shorter and clearer.

Ask for something

Level	Word	Example
A1	ask for	I asked for more time.
B1	request	I requested more time.
C1	inquire	I'm writing to inquire about the job.

Plain English or formal English?

Situation	Better choice	Example
Talking with friends	easy words	Can you fix it?
Chat with your team	easy words	I got your message.
Formal email	some formal words	I received your message.
Documentation, legal text	formal words	Access will be revoked.

Thai speakers: high level is not always better

Some learners think big words make their English sound better. Often, it is the opposite. Native speakers usually use the simple word when they talk. Use formal words only in formal writing, and use simple words everywhere else.