introduction
Collins Websters Easy Learning English Vocabulary is designed for anyone who wants to broaden their knowledge of English words in key everyday situations. Whether you need English at work, at school or college, or for a vacation, Collins Websters Easy Learning English Vocabulary offers you the information you require in a clear and accessible format.
This book is divided into 50 subject areas. These cover such topics as air travel, business, food and drink, and science, arranged in alphabetical order. This arrangement by subject area helps you to learn related words and phrases together. In this way, you can always be sure of using the right word in the right context.
Within each topic, vocabulary is divided into nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, phrases, and idioms. Each word is defined in relation to the topic in question. For example, in air travel, the meaning that is given for the word connection is:
a plane that leaves after another one arrives and allows you to continue your journey by changing from one to the other.
In computers and the internet, on the other hand, connection is defined in terms of its computer-related sense:
a link between a computer and a network.
For each topic, there are plenty of authentic example sentences from the Collins corpus. These show you how words and phrases are used in real English.
At the end of the book, there are additional sections on place names and people, numbers, measurements, times, and dates. There is also an alphabetical index, and a list of irregular verbs.
We hope that this book will help you to expand your knowledge of English vocabulary in a wide range of situations. For more information about Collins dictionaries, visit us at www.collinslanguage.com.
Guide to entries
pronunciation guide
IPA Symbols
Vowel | Sounds |
calm, ah |
act, mass |
dive, cry |
out, down |
met, lend, pen |
e | say, weight |
fit, win |
i | feed, me |
lot, spot |
o | note, coat |
claw, more |
boy, joint |
could, stood |
u | you, use |
fund, must |
the first vowel in about |
i | second vowel in very |
u | second vowel in actual |
Notes
Stress is shown by a line below the stressed syllable. For example, in the word accomplish, /kmpl/, the second syllable is stressed.
Consonant | Sounds |
b | bed, rub |
d | done, red |
f | fit, if |
g | good, dog |
h | hat, horse |
k | king, pick |
l | lip, bill |
l | handle, panel |
m | mat, ram |
n | not, tin |
n | hidden, written |
p | pay, lip |
r | run, read |
s | soon, bus |
t | talk, bet |
v | van, love |
w | win, wool |
x | loch |
y | yellow, you |
z | zoo, buzz |
ship, wish |
measure, leisure |
sing, working |
t | cheap, witch |
thin, myth |
then, bathe |
d | joy, bridge |
air travel
NOUNS
aeroplane(BRIT) | see airplane |
aircraft ( PL ) aircraft | [rkrft] | a plane or a helicopter |
airline | [rlan] | a company that carries people or goods in planes |
airplane | [rplen] | a plane: a vehicle with wings and engines that can fly (In British English, useaeroplane) |
airport | [rprt] | a place where planes come and go, with buildings and services for passengers |
air-traffic controller | [r trfk kntrolr] | someone whose job is to organize where planes go |
aisle | [ a l] | the long narrow passage between the rows of seats on a plane |
arrivals | [r a vlz] | the part of an airport where passengers get off planes; wait in arrivals |
bag | [bg] | a container made of plastic, leather, or cloth used for carrying things |
baggage | [bgd] | same as luggage |
baggage claim | [bgd klem] | the place where you collect your baggage after your flight; go to baggage claim (In British English, usebaggage reclaim) |
baggage reclaim(BRIT) | see |
boarding card(BRIT) | see boarding pass |
boarding pass | [brd p] | a ticket that you must show when you get on a plane (In British English, useboarding card) |
bureau de change(BRIT) | see |
EXAMPLES
Most low-cost airlines do not serve food.
We checked in early and walked around the airport.
Please do not leave bags in the aisle.
The police said the incident occurred last weekend in arrivals at Terminal 3.
business class | [bzns kls] | seats that are cheaper than first class but more expensive than economy class; in business class |
cabin | [kbn] | the part of a plane where people sit |
cabin crew | [kbn kr] | the people whose job is to look after passengers on a plane; The cabin crew were very nice. |
captain | [kptn] | the person who is in charge of a plane |
cargo hold | [krgo hold] | the place in a plane where goods or luggage are stored (In British English, usehold) |
car hire(BRIT) | see car rental |
car rental | [kr rntl] | paying money to borrow a car, for example when you are going on holiday (In British English, usecar hire) |
carry-on luggage | [kri n lgd] | |