Updated June 2009
KET Vocabulary List
© UCLES 2009
VOCABULARY LIST
Key English Test (KET)
Key English Test for Schools (KETfS)
Introduction to the KET Vocabulary List
The KET Vocabulary List gives teachers a guide to the vocabulary needed when preparing students
for the KET and KET for Schools examinations.
Background to the List
The KET Vocabulary List was originally developed by Cambridge ESOL in consultation with external
consultants to guide item writers who produce materials for the KET examination. It includes
vocabulary from the Council of Europe’s Waystage (1990) specification and other vocabulary which
has been shown by corpus evidence to be high-frequency.
The list covers vocabulary appropriate to this level of English 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 in order to answer a question).
The list does not provide an exhaustive list of all words which appear on the KET and KET for
Schools question papers and candidates should not confine their study of vocabulary to the list
alone.
How the List is Updated
The vocabulary of English changes over time, with words being added and other words falling into
disuse. In order to maintain its currency, the list is updated on an annual basis by the addition and
removal of words, using a corpus-based approach. Suggested additions to the wordlist are collated
and the frequency of these words is obtained by reference to established corpora (electronic
databases). The corpora in question represent receptive and productive language in general
contexts. The main corpora used for the validation of the KET Vocabulary List are:
the Cambridge Learner Corpus (CLC) which includes over 20 million words of written learner
English;
the British National Corpus (BNC) which includes 100 million words of written and spoken native
speaker data.
Organisation of the List
Word sets
Some categories of words a learner at this level might be expected to know are not included in the
alphabetical list but are listed separately. Words formed with common affixes, some compounds and
words from some common word sets, e.g. days of the week are described below and in Appendix 1.
Although some ‘grammar words’ (pronouns, modals, etc.) are included, the Language Specifications
section of the KET and KET for Schools Handbooks (available 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 e.g. the use of bank is followed by ‘I changed my
money in a bank’ i.e. is limited to the idea of a financial institution: candidates are not expected to
know other meanings, such as ‘a river bank’.
Prefixes and Suffixes
A list of possible prefixes and suffixes is provided in Appendix 2, and these may be combined with
the vocabulary items in the list as appropriate. Words with an affix which is not included in the
appendix are listed separately in the alphabetical list.
Compound Words
Compound words are not included in the list where both individual words are present and the
meaning of the compound is literal and transparent, e.g. coursebook, school children, shopping
centre.
Multi-word Verbs
All multi-word (or phrasal) verbs that a KET or KET for Schools candidate might be expected to
know are included in the list. These verbs include ‘literal’ verbs (i.e. where the meaning is
transparent) e.g. sit down, go out and ‘non-literal’ verbs e.g. look after, get up.
Topic Lists
In Appendix 3 words have been grouped together under common KET and/or KET for Schools
themes, such as ‘House and Home’, ‘Work and Jobs’ and ‘Food and Drink’.
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 KET and KET for Schools, for example, war and politics,
and vocabulary relating to these is not included in the KET Vocabulary List.
Personal Vocabulary
The content of the KET Vocabulary List is general in nature and is unlikely to cover completely the
productive vocabulary that may be required by candidates. Candidates should know the specific
lexis they will need to describe themselves and their lives, for example, work, hobbies, likes and
dislikes.
Abbreviations
Abbreviations used in the Vocabulary List are:
abbrev abbreviation or acronym
adj adjective
adv adverb
Am Eng American English
art article
Br Eng British English
conj conjunction
det determiner
exclam exclamation
int interjection
n noun
phr v phrasal verb
pl plural
prep preposition
prep phr prepositional phrase
pron pronoun
sing singular
v verb
Summary of Points to be noted
The list does not include every word that may appear on a KET or KET for Schools paper.
The list covers receptive and productive vocabulary.
The list is updated every year.
A
a, an (art)
able (adj)
be able to
about (adv & prep)
What about a cold drink?
I have about £3. (adv)
a book about animals (prep)
above (prep)
act (v)
accident (n)
across (prep)
The bank’s across the road.
He walked across the bridge.
activity (n)
actor (n)
actually (adv)
add (v)
address (n)
adult (adj & n)
advanced (adj)
adventure (n)
advertisement (n)
aeroplane (n)
afraid (adj)
after (adv & prep)
afternoon (n)
afterwards (adv)
again (adv)
against (prep)
We watched England play against France.
age (n)
I don’t know his age.
ago (adv)
agree (v)
Yes, I agree with you.
Don’t you agree, Sam?
air (n)
to travel by air
airport (n)
all (det & pron)
all right/alright (adv)
almost (adv)
alone (adj & adv)
already (adv)
also (adv)
always (adv)
a.m. (adv)
amazing (adj)
ambulance (n)
among (prep)
and (conj)
angry (adj)
animal (n)
another (det & pron)
answer (n & v)
any (det and pron)
anybody (pron)
anyone (pron)
anything (pron)
anyway (adv)
anywhere (adv)
apartment (n)
apple (n)
appointment (n)
an appointment with the doctor
area (n)
arm (n)
(a)round (adv & prep)
to travel around (adv)
to sit around the table (prep)
arrive (v)
art (n)
article (n)
an article about skiing
artist (n)
as (prep)
as good as
as soon as possible
the same as
ask (v)
assistant (n)
as well (adv)
as well as (prep phr)
at (prep)
at / @ (n)
My email address is david@cambridgeesol.org
at all (adv)
It doesn’t matter at all.
aunt (n)
autumn (n)
away (adv)
He’s gone away.
It’s two miles away.
B
baby (n)
back (n, adv & adj)
bad (adj)
bag (n)
ball (n)
banana (n)
band (n)
bank (n)
I changed my money in the bank.
barbecue (n)
baseball (n)
basketball (n)
bath (n)
bathroom (n)
be (v)
beach (n)
bear (n)
beautiful (adj)
because (conj)
become (v)
bed (n)
bedroom (n)
before (adv & prep)
begin (v)
beginner (n)
behind (adv & prep)
believe (v)
belong (v)
below (prep)
belt (n)
between (prep)
bicycle (n)
big (adj)
bike (n)
bill (n)
Can I have my bill, please?
bird (n)
birthday (n)
biscuit (n)
bit (n)
Just a small bit of cake, please.
black (adj)
blanket (n)
blond(e) (adj)
blouse (n)
blue (adj)
board (n)
The teacher’s writing on the
(black/white)board.
boat (n)
body (n)
boil (v)
book (n & v)
bookshelf (n)
bookshop (n)
boot (n)
football boots
bored (adj)
boring (adj)
born (adj)
I was born in Manchester.
borrow (v)
She borrowed a book from the library.
boss (n)
both (pron & det)
bottle (n)
bottom (n)
at the bottom of the stairs
bowl (n)
box (n)
boy (n)
brake (n & v)
bread (n)
break (n & v)
a break for lunch (n)
Someone’s broken the window.(v)
breakfast (n)
bridge (n)
brilliant (adj)
I thought the film was brilliant!
bring (v)
brother (n)
brown (adj)
build (v)
building (n)
burger (n)
burn (v)
He has burnt his hand.
bus (n)
business (n)
businessman (n)
businesswoman (n)
bus station (n)
bus stop (n)
busy (adj)
but (conj)
butter (n)
buy (v)
by (prep)
C
cafe/café (n)
cake (n)
call (v)
I’ll call (phone) again later this afternoon.
He’s called John.
camel (n)
camera (n)
camp (n & v)
campsite (n)
can (n & v)
canal (n)
car (n)
card (n)
birthday card
credit card
career (n)
careful (adj)
Be careful!
carpet (n)
carrot (n)
carry (v)
cartoon (n)
cash (n & v)
I’d like to cash this cheque. (v)
castle (n)
cat (n)
catch (v)
cathedral (n)
CD (n)
CD player (n)
cent (n)
centre (n)
centimetre (n)
century (n)
certain (adj)
I’m certain (+ that clause)
certainly (not) (adv)
chair (n)
change (v & n)
channel (n)
chat (n)
chatroom (n)
cheap (adj)
check (v)
cheers! (exclam)
cheese (n)
chemist (n)
cheque (n)
chicken (n)
child (n)
chips (n pl)
egg and chips
chocolate (n)
choose (v)
church (n)
cinema (n)
circus (n)
city (n)
class (n)
a language class
a first-class ticket
class member (n)
classical (adj)
classmate (n)
classroom (n)
clean (adj & v)
clear (adj)
It’s not clear to me.
clever (adj)
click (v)
Click here to go to our website.
climb (v)
clock (n)
close (v)
closed (adj)
close to (prep phr)
clothes (n pl)
cloud (n)
cloudy (adj)
clown (n)
club (n)
to join a club
coach (n)
a coach trip
a tennis coach
coat (n)
coffee (n)
cold (adj & n)
colleague (n)
collect (v)
college (n)
colour (n)
comb (n)
come (v)
comfortable (adj)
company (n)
What’s the name of your company?
competition (n)
computer (n)
concert (n)
congratulations! (exclam)
conversation (n)
cook (n & v)
cooker (n)
cool (adj)
That’s a cool bike!
corner (n)
the corner of the street
correct (adj)
cost (n & v)
costume (n)
I forgot my swimming costume.
The dancers wore colourful costumes.
could (v)
country (n)
countryside (n)
course (n)
a university course
a main course
of course (not)
cousin (n)
cow (n)
cream (n)
credit card (n)
cross (v)
Don’t cross the road here!
crossing (n)
Use the crossing to cross the street.
crossroads (n)
crowd (n)
crowded (adj)
cry (v)
The baby’s crying.
cup (n)
cupboard (n)
curtains (n)
customer (n)
cut (v)
cycle (v)
D
dad(dy) (n)
daily (adj & adv)
dance (n & v)
dancing (n)
danger (n)
dangerous (adj)
dark (adj)
date (n)
What’s the date today?
daughter (n)
day (n)
dead (adj)
dear (adj)
Dear Anne,
decide (v)
degree (n)
The temperature’s 30 degrees today.
delay (n & v)
There will be a delay of two hours. (n)
The flight is delayed. (v)
dentist (n)
department (n)
describe (v)
desk (n)
diary (n)
dictionary (n)
die (v)
difference (n)
different (adj)
difficult (adj)
digital (adj)
dining room (n)
dinner (n)
dinosaur (n)
diploma (n)
dirty (adj)
disco (n)
discount (n)
dish (n)
Chicken and chips is my favourite dish.
do (v)
doctor (n)
dog (n)
dollar (n)
dolphin (n)
door (n)
dot (n)
dot com
double (adj)
a double room
down (adv & prep)
download (n & v)
I downloaded the songs from the
internet. (v)
Can you get these as a download? (n)
downstairs (adv)
dragon (n)
draw (v)
drawing (n)
dream (n & v)
dress (n & v)
drink (n & v)
drive (v)
driving licence (n)
drum (n)
dry (adj & v)
during (prep)
DVD (n)
DVD player (n)
E
each (det & pron)
ear (n)
early (adj & adv)
earn (v)
east (n, adj & adv)
easy (adj)
eat (v)
egg (n)
electric (adj)
electricity (n)
elephant (n)
else (adv)
Anything else?
email (n & v)
empty (adj & v)
end (v & n)
engine (n)
engineer (n)
enjoy (v)
enough (det & pron)
enter (v)
Are you going to enter the poster
competition?
Please enter through the side door.
entrance (n)
envelope (n)
euro (n)
even (adv)
evening (n)
ever (adv)
every (det)
everybody (pron)
everyone (pron)
everything (pron)
everywhere (adv)
examination/exam (n)
example (n)
Look at the example first.
for example
excellent (adj)
except (prep)
exercise (n & v)
excited (adj)
exciting (adj)
excuse (v)
Excuse me!
exhibition (n)
art exhibition
exit (n)
expensive (adj)
explain (v)
explore (v)
When I travel, I love exploring new cities.
explorer (n)
This book’s about famous explorers.
extra (det & adj)
F
face (n)
factory (n)
fan (n)
fail (v)
fair (adj)
She has fair hair.
fall (v)
family (n)
famous (adj)
far (adv)
How far is the next garage?
farm (n)
fashion (n)
fast (adj & adv)
fast food (n)
fat (adj)
father (n)
favourite (adj)
feel (v)
to feel well
festival (n)
few (det & adj)
field (n)
fill (v)
fill in (phr v)
to fill in a form
film (n & v)
find (v)
fine (adj)
That’s fine!
I’m fine, thank you.
The weather is fine.
finish (v)
fire (n)
first (adv & adj)
First… then… (adv)
John came first. (adv)
first name (adj)
fish (n & v)
fit (adj)
flat (n)
flight (n)
floor (n)
The bedrooms are on the first floor.
Don’t leave your clothes on the floor.
flower (n)
fly (n & v)
fog (n)
foggy (adj)
follow (v)
food (n)
foot (n)
my right foot
football (n)
for (prep)
foreign (adj)
forest (n)
forget (v)
fork (n)
knife and fork
form (n)
Fill in this form.
free (adj)
fresh (adj)
fresh fruit
fridge (n)
fried (adj)
friend (n)
friendly (adj)
from (prep)
front (n)
in the front of the train
Stand in front of me.
fruit (n)
fry (v)
full (of) (adj)
fun (n)
funny (adj)
furniture (n)
G
game (n)
garage (n)
garden (n)
gas (n)
a gas cooker
gate (n)
get (v)
get fit (v)
get off (phr v)
to get off the bus
get on (phr v)
to get on the bus
get up (phr v)
to get up in the morning
girl (n)
give (v)
glad (adj)
glass (n & adj)
glasses (n pl)
go (v)
go out (phr v)
Are you going out this evening?
golf (n)
gold (n & adj)
good (adj)
goodbye (exclam)
gram(me) (n)
grandchild (n)
grand(d)ad (n)
granddaughter (n)
grandfather (n)
grandma (n)
grandmother (n)
grandpa (n)
grandparent (n)
grandson (n)
grape (n)
grass (n)
great (adj)
green (adj)
grey (adj)
grill (v)
grilled (adj)
group (n)
grow (v)
grow up (phr v)
guest (n)
guest-house (n)
guide (n)
guidebook (n)
guitar (n)
guy (n)
He’s a really nice guy.
H
hair (n)
hairdresser (n)
hairdryer (n)
half (n & pron)
hall (n)
hallo/hello! (exclam)
hand (n)
happen (v)
happy (adj)
hard (adj & adv)
hard wood (adj)
the homework was hard (adj)
to work hard (adv)
hat (n)
hate (v)
have (v)
have got (v)
have to (v)
he (pron)
head (n)
My head hurts.
health (n)
healthy (adj)
hear (v)
heart (n)
heating (n)
Can you turn the heating on?
heavy (adj)
a heavy blanket
helicopter (n)
help (v)
her (det & pron)
herself (pron)
here (adv)
hers (pron)
high (adj)
hill (n)
him (pron)
himself (pron)
hip hop (n)
his (det & pron)
hit (v)
hobby (n)
hockey (n)
holiday(s) (n)
home (n & adv)
homework (n)
hope (v)
horse (n)
hospital (n)
hot (adj)
hotel (n)
hour (n)
house (n)
how (adv)
hungry (adj)
hurry (v)
hurt (v)
husband (n)
I
I (pron)
ice (n)
ice cream (n)
ice skating (n)
idea (n)
if (conj)
ill (adj)
immediately (adv)
important (adj)
impossible (adj)
improve (v)
in (adv & prep)
include (v)
indoor (adj)
indoors (adv)
information (n)
in front of (prep phr)
insect (n)
inside (adv & prep)
instead (adv)
instead of (prep phr)
instructions (n pl)
instrument (n)
insurance (n)
car insurance
interested (adj)
interesting (adj)
international (adj)
internet (n)
into (prep)
invite (v)
island (n)
it (pron)
its (det)
itself (pron)
J
jacket (n)
jam (n)
fruit jam
jeans (n pl)
job (n)
join (v)
journalist (n)
journey (n)
juice (n)
jump (v)
just (adv)
I’ve just seen Tom.
Just a moment.
K
keep (v)
May I keep this?
Keep right!
key (n)
keyboard (n)
I play the keyboard in a band.
The keyboard for my computer is broken.
kilo(gram[me]) / kg (n)
kilometre / km (n)
kind (adj & n)
That’s very kind of you.
What kind of book do you want?
king (n)
kitchen (n)
kite (n)
knife (n)
know (v)
L
lake (n)
lamp (n)
language (n)
laptop (computer) (n)
large (adj)
last (adj & adv)
late (adj & adv)
The train is going to be late.
later (adv)
I’ll see you later.
laugh (v)
learn (v)
leather (n & adj)
leave (v)
The train leaves at 10 o’clock.
I left my bag in the cinema.
There isn’t any milk left.
left (n, adj & adv)
Go to the left. (n)
left hand (adj)
Turn left. (adv)
leg (n)
lemon (n)
lemonade (n)
less (adj, det, pron & adv)
lesson (n)
let (v)
letter (n)
level (n)
language level
library (n)
licence (n)
driving licence
lie down (phr v)
life (n)
lift (n)
Take the lift to the third floor.
light (n & adj)
like (v, prep & adv)
I’d like a drink. (v)
It’s like an orange but bigger. (prep)
What’s the weather like? (adv)
line (n)
draw a line
the next line
lion (n)
listen (v)
litre (n)
little (adj, det & pron)
live (v)
living room (n)
long (adj)
look (v)
You look happy.
Don’t look now!
look after (phr v)
look at (phr v)
look for (phr v)
look out (phr v)
Look out – it’s going to fall!
lorry (n)
lose (v)
We lost the game.
I’ve lost my passport.
lot (n)
a lot of homework.
lots (n)
loud (adj)
love (n & v)
lovely (adj)
low (adj)
luck (n)
lucky (adj)
luggage (n)
lunch (n)
M
machine (n)
magazine (n)
make (v)
make up (n)
man (n)
manager (n)
many (det, adj & prom)
map (n)
market (n)
married (adj)
match (n)
football match
matter (v)
It doesn’t matter.
maybe (adv)
me (pron)
meal (n)
mean (v)
meat (n)
mechanic (n)
medicine (n)
meet (v)
meeting (n)
member (n)
a member of a club
menu (n)
message (n)
metre (n)
middle (n)
in the middle
midnight (n)
mile (n)
milk (n)
million (n)
mind (v)
Do you mind if I close the window?
I don’t mind if…
Mind your head!
mine (pron)
mineral water (n)
minute (n)
mirror (n)
Miss (n)
miss (v)
mistake (n)
mobile (phone) (n)
modern (adj)
moment (n)
Just a moment.
money (n)
monkey (n)
month (n)
monthly (adj & adv)
moon (n)
more (adj, det, pron & adv)
morning (n)
most (adj, det, pron & adv)
mother (n)
motorbike (n)
motorway (n)
mountain (n)
mouse (n)
mouth (n)
move (v)
MP3 player (n)
Mr (n)
Mrs (n)
Ms (n)
much (adj, det, pron & adv)
mum(my) (n)
museum (n)
music (n)
musician (n)
must (v)
my (det)
myself (pron)
N
name (n)
national (adj)
nationality (n)
nature (n)
near (adv & prep)
nearly (adv)
neck (n)
need (v)
neighbour (n)
never (adv)
new (adj)
news (n)
newsagent (n)
newspaper (n)
next (adj & adv)
next to (prep)
nice (adj)
night (n)
no (det & exclam)
nobody (pron)
no one (pron)
noisy (adj)
noon (n)
no one (pron)
none (pron)
normal (adj)
north (n, adj & adv)
nose (n)
not (adv)
note (n & v)
nothing (pron)
now (adv)
nowhere (adv)
number (n)
nurse (n)
O
occupation (n)
o'clock (adv)
of (prep)
of course (not) (adv)
off (adv)
office (n)
often (adv)
oil (n)
car oil
cooking oil
OK/okay (exclam)
old (adj)
omelette (n)
on (prep & adv)
once (adv)
only once
one (pron, det & num)