Learning vocabulary is a critical step in your child’s journey to becoming a strong, consistent reader. However, we understand that it can be difficult for parents to know exactly how to teach vocabulary. But, where do you even begin with nearly 200,000 words in the English language? Don’t be afraid! We are here to Assist. We have listed 50 basic and common English words, their meanings, and how to use them in a sentence. You can start with this English word list to begin teaching your toddlers.
A List of Common English Words That Kids Use At Home
Here are some basic English words that you use at home. Learning these words will allow your toddler to tell you what he or she wants.
Attic
A room below the roof of a house – “The Attic is dusty.”
Bathroom
Any room with a toilet, sink, shower or bathtub. People use it to take a bath every morning – “Come out of the bathroom.”
Basement
The level of a house that is completely underground – “Get the basket from the basement.”
Bedroom
The room which houses the bed – “Richard, clean up your bedroom now!”
Pantry
A room where you store food -“Get the cookies from the Pantry.”
Dining room
The room where meals are eaten, generally as a family – “Keep the groceries in the dining room.”
Driveway
The short “road” adjacent to a house where a car can be parked or driven into the garage – “Take out the garbage from the driveway.”
Garage
The space where you keep a car – “Park the car in the garage.”
Hallway
A hall or hallway is a narrow pathway that connects different rooms in a house – “Put up that picture in the hallway.”
Kitchen
The space where you prepare and store food – “I am making a pizza in my new kitchen.”
Living room
A living room is a space meant for relaxing or entertaining guests -“Put up the TV in the living room.”
Porch
A poach refers to a covered outer space near the entrance of the building -“I am setting up a projector in the porch so that we can watch movies outside.”
Pillow
The object you put your head on while lying on the bed – “Ali, change the covers of the pillows on your bed.”
Some Frequently Used English Words Related to School
These frequently used English words are commonly heard at school. Learning this English word list will help your child converse easily in school.
Backpack
A large pack or bag that is used for carrying supplies – “I want a new backpack for school this year.”
Eraser
A piece of soft rubber that is used to rub out something written on paper -“Can I borrow your eraser?”
Exam
A test that consists of questions to test a student’s knowledge -“I have a Math exam on Monday.”
Encyclopedia
A book or a set of books that give educational information on many subjects, typically arranged in alphabetical order -“Complete your assignment by referring to an encyclopedia.”
Library
A room or building containing a collection of books -“I am going to visit the Library this afternoon.”
Paper Clip
A piece of plastic or bent wire that is used to hold many sheets of paper together – “Give me a paper clip for these papers.”
Calculator
A device that people use to make mathematical calculations – “All students must bring their calculators to the next lab.”
Calendar
A chart that shows the days, months and weeks of a particular year – “Look at the calendar and tell me what day does 29th of August falls on.”
Dictionary
A book that lists the different words of a language and their meaning – “If you don’t know what any word in this story means then look up its meaning in the dictionary.”
Teacher
A person who teaches a single or group of students -“My English teacher is very strict.”
Glue Stick
A solid stick of adhesive in a tube – “Use a glue stick to glue the papers together.”
Blackboard
A large, smooth dark surface generally used by schools for writing on with chalk – “Clean the blackboard before the next teacher walks in.”
An English Word List With All this Related to Food
Food is a necessity for life. Hence, children should know about these basic English words related to food and its preparation.
Appetizer
Food served before the main course – “For our appetizers, we’ll have crab cakes and fish fingers, please.”
Bake
To cook a dish in an oven – “Let’s bake a cake for his birthday”
Junk food
Foods that are unhealthy due to the fat, salt or sugar they contain – “People tend to consume a lot of junk food, that’s why they are unhealthy.”
Menu
The list contains all the foods and drinks served in a restaurant – “Check the menu before deciding whether to eat.”
Recipe
A set of instructions for cooking a dish – “This is the best brownie recipe I have seen.”
Tasteless
A food item that has very little flavour – “This pasta is tasteless.”
Cuisine
A region or country’s style of cooking – “Indian cuisine is more than just curry.”
Dessert
Sweet food that is eaten at the end of a meal -“My favourite dessert is chocolate ice cream.”
Fast food
Quickly served food like french fries, burgers etc – “My kids eat an unhealthy amount of fast food.”
Fry
To cook ingredients in hot oil or fat – “Fry the chopped onions before adding tomatoes to the pan.”
Grill
To cook food using a grill – “Grilling a fish is healthier than frying it.“
Ingredients
All the components that are used to make a dish – “One of the ingredients in a chocolate cake is milk.”
Common English Words Related to Professions
Children have so many options on what they can do once they grow up. This list of professions will surely help them dream big.
Artist
A person who creates drawings or paintings as a hobby or profession – “My sister is an artist. Her paintings will be exhibited in the gallery on Friday.”
Astronaut
A person who is trained to go into outer space -“She wants to become an astronaut and go to the moon.”
Chef
A professional cook, generally working at a hotel or restaurant -“I want to become a chef when I grow up.”
Firefighter
A person whose job is to put out fires -“Firefighters showed up in 10 mins to save the building from burning to the ground.”
Doctor
Someone who is qualified to treat sick people -“My doctor gave me a lollipop after my check-up.”
Police
The people responsible for the prevention and detection of crime as well as maintenance of public order -“The police caught the thief in 2 days.”
Lawyer
A person who practices law -“The lawyer made a very good case against the criminal.”
Veterinarian
Someone qualified to treat injured animals -“My dog loves visiting his veterinarian.”
Actress
A woman whose profession is to act on stage, in moves or on television -“My favourite actress is Jennifer Lawrence.”
Architect
Someone who designs buildings or homes and supervises their construction – “He received the best architect award of 2022.”
Dentist
A person who treats diseases of the teeth and gums – “My dentist told me to floss every day.”
Lifeguard
An expert swimmer who rescues people who get into difficulty at the beach or pool – “The lifeguard rescued the kid who was drowning.”
Plumber
A person who fits and repairs pipes, fittings, and other components of water supply and sanitation systems – “The toilet is overflowing, call the plumber.”
Final Thoughts
These frequently used English words are the first step in building your toddler’s vocabulary. Using these terms in the correct context will assist your children to learn them far more easily and quickly, which in turn will help them assemble an outstanding vocabulary that will help them do better in both school and work life.
You may read more articles on the English language and Grammar on the Podium School blog.
