A2 word list: the next 50 English words to learn
Sep 8, 2026 · 9 min read
This A2 list adds the next 50 English words, one step past the A1 starter set. These are the words you reach for when you want to say how you feel, talk about time, describe work or studies, find your way around a city, and handle food and health topics. Not solid on the first 50 words yet? Start there and return.
Each word below shows its part of speech with a short example sentence, grouped into five themes of ten. Learning connected words together beats a random list, because a theme gives your memory a place for each word.
Why these 50 words come next
At A1 you name things; at A2 you describe them and connect ideas. The most valuable words at this stage are adjectives for feelings and opinions, adverbs for time and frequency, and nouns for adult daily life — work, the city, food. Each theme below mixes word types so you can actually use the words in a sentence.
Set 1: feelings and opinions (10 words)
Say what you think and how you feel:
- happy (adjective) — I was happy to see my friend.
- sad (adjective) — The film had a sad ending.
- tired (adjective) — She felt tired after the long walk.
- angry (adjective) — Please do not be angry with me.
- afraid (adjective) — He is afraid of big dogs.
- easy (adjective) — This question is easy.
- difficult (adjective) — The last task was difficult.
- important (adjective) — Water is important for health.
- agree (verb) — I agree with your idea.
- believe (verb) — I believe the train leaves at nine.
Practise with true sentences about your own day: I was tired this morning, the meeting was difficult, I agree with the plan.
Set 2: time and frequency (10 words)
Say when things happen and how often:
- always (adverb) — He always drinks tea in the morning.
- never (adverb) — I never forget her birthday.
- sometimes (adverb) — Sometimes we walk to work.
- usually (adverb) — She usually arrives at eight.
- often (adverb) — We often play games on Sunday.
- early (adverb) — I woke up early today.
- late (adjective) — The bus was late again.
- soon (adverb) — Dinner will be ready soon.
- yesterday (adverb) — Yesterday was a busy day.
- tomorrow (adverb) — Tomorrow we visit the museum.
Frequency words follow one rule: they go before the main verb (I always drink tea) but after the verb be (I am usually early). Make one sentence about your own week for each word and say it out loud.
Set 3: work and school (10 words)
For studying or working life:
- job (noun) — Her job is interesting.
- office (noun) — My office is near the station.
- meeting (noun) — The meeting starts at ten.
- email (noun) — I sent you an email.
- question (noun) — Can I ask a question?
- answer (noun) — I did not know the answer.
- lesson (noun) — The lesson was about animals.
- homework (noun) — Do your homework before dinner.
- exam (noun) — The exam is next Friday.
- team (noun) — Our team won the game.
Learn these in partnerships rather than alone: send an email, ask a question, have a meeting, do your homework. Storing each noun with the verb it usually travels with lets you produce the whole phrase when you need it, instead of hunting for single words.
Set 4: travel and the city (10 words)
For getting around a new place:
- airport (noun) — We arrived at the airport early.
- ticket (noun) — I bought a ticket for the train.
- hotel (noun) — The hotel is close to the beach.
- street (noun) — Turn left at the next street.
- bus (noun) — The bus stops at the corner.
- train (noun) — The train to London leaves at noon.
- station (noun) — Meet me at the station.
- map (noun) — Do you have a map of the city?
- bridge (noun) — The old bridge crosses the river.
- museum (noun) — The museum is free on Sundays.
This set suits picture recall: look at a photo of a station, a bridge or a ticket and name it, then reverse it and picture the place when you read the word. If you travel soon, plan a short imaginary trip and describe each step in English.
Set 5: food and health (10 words)
For meals, shopping and simple health talk:
- breakfast (noun) — Breakfast is ready at seven.
- lunch (noun) — Let us have lunch together.
- dinner (noun) — We eat dinner at home.
- vegetable (noun) — Eat one vegetable with dinner.
- fruit (noun) — I had fruit for breakfast.
- chicken (noun) — We cooked chicken and rice.
- soup (noun) — The soup is very hot.
- hungry (adjective) — Are you hungry after school?
- thirsty (adjective) — I am thirsty after the run.
- healthy (adjective) — Fruit is a healthy snack.
Combine this set with verbs you already know from the A1 list — eat, drink, like, want, have — and you can handle shopping, ordering food and everyday health talk. Describe what you ate yesterday using as many of these words as you can.
How to learn these 50 words at the A2 stage
A2 is the level where learning method matters more than the list. Learn words in natural partnerships — have a meeting, feel tired, miss the train — because English stores them that way, and use each word in a sentence about your own life within a day of meeting it. Then review on a spaced schedule: again after one day, then three days, then a week, so words move from short-term memory into long-term recall. Our spaced repetition guide explains why this rhythm works.
The daily challenge fits the same habit: a short review round every day keeps older sets alive while you learn the new ones, so Set 1 does not fade by the time you reach Set 5. Five minutes of honest recall beats thirty minutes of rereading.
How to test yourself on these 50 words
Self-testing should feel harder than comfortable. Close the example sentences and produce each word from its meaning alone, then check. Write one true sentence for each of the fifty words and read them aloud the next day. Time yourself on one full set: a word that takes more than a few seconds to surface is not learned yet — put it in tomorrow's review.
When you can move through a set quickly in both directions — from word to meaning and from meaning to word — the set is yours. After these 50, keep going theme by theme: the word lists library groups further vocabulary with definitions and example sentences so you can follow your own interests. Learn one set at a time, review on schedule, and let known words carry in the next ones.
Frequently asked questions
What does A2 level mean in language learning?
A2 is the second stage of the Common European Framework of Reference, one step above A1. At A2 you can handle simple routine conversations: describing your day, saying how you feel, asking about prices and directions, and understanding short, clear messages on familiar everyday topics.
How many words should I know at the A2 level?
Estimates vary, but an A2 learner usually recognises roughly 1,000 to 2,000 words, including the everyday core from A1. You do not need to count them precisely: learn the high-frequency words that appear in daily conversation first, and keep adding theme by theme.
Are these 50 words different from the A1 list?
Yes. The A1 list covered greetings, pronouns, the verb be, basic verbs, family and places, food, drink and time words. This A2 list moves on to feelings and opinions, time and frequency, work and school, travel and city life, and food and health, without repeating the earlier words.
How should I learn A2 words so they stick?
Learn words in short phrases or partnerships rather than alone, then review each set on a spaced schedule: again the next day, then a few days later, then a week later. Producing the word from its meaning, instead of just rereading the list, is what builds lasting recall.
How can I test myself on these 50 words?
Cover the example sentences and say the missing word from memory, or write a true sentence of your own for each word. A timed recall round works well too: see a meaning and produce the English word before the timer ends. Words that take too long are the ones to review tomorrow.