Learn how to improve your English vocabulary, listening, and speaking at the same time using the 3000 most commonly used words in English.
Fortunately, you don’t have to learn them all to become fluent in English. Americans use around 2500 – 3000 of the most common words in their daily lives. If you know these 3000 most common words, you can understand at least 95% of all conversations, e-mails, newspapers, and books.
Sounds great! But what is the most effective way to learn these words?
Focus on example sentences when learning vocabulary. Here’s why?
When it comes to learning English vocabulary, the most important thing
you need to focus on are
example sentences because they help you to improve all your English skills — including vocabulary, listening, speaking, and writing.
If you want to speak English fluently, learn with your ears, not with your eyes
Learning English can be broken down into two parts: input and output. Input consists of reading and listening while output consists of writing and speaking. The more input you get, the more output you can produce. It’s that simple.
Here’s the little secret you probably don’t know yet:
Repetition is the secret to English fluency
If you want to quickly achieve fluency level — to speak English easily, fluently and automatically, you’ll need to do one more thing:
Learn deeply through lots of repetition.
It means that you will need to listen to every example sentence many, many times, until you MASTER it. Don’t listen just one time or a few times. It’s not enough. You will forget it very soon.
You may know how to use a word to make a correct sentence, but here’s the thing: Can you use it quickly, easily, and automatically?
If the answer is no, you need to repeat more. You must listen to that example sentence again and again.
Don’t ignore this simple secret. This is how you will achieve automatically fast speaking.
FREE English Lessons — 3000 Most Frequently Used Words in English
In the following section, you will find around 3000 free lessons for the 3000 most commonly used words in English. Each lesson consists of the definition (meaning) of the word, the audio pronunciation, and many example sentences with high-quality audio.
Listen to (and repeat) each lesson many times — and watch how fast your English speaking improves!
Enjoy the lessons!
P/S: Check out the Resources page for our recommended courses and lessons.
Get clear definitions and audio pronunciations of words, phrases, and idioms in British and American English from the three most popular Cambridge dictionaries of English with just one search: the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary, and the Cambridge Business English Dictionary.
Browse the English Dictionary
Or, browse the Cambridge Dictionary index
Key features
The Cambridge English Dictionary is based on original research on the unique Cambridge English Corpus, and includes all the words at CEFR levels A1–C2 in the English Vocabulary Profile. It’s ideal for anyone preparing for advanced-level Cambridge Exams or IELTS.
Get clear, simple definitions from the British, American, and Business dictionaries with just one search!
Hear the words spoken in British and American English
Thousands of real examples show how words are used
Guidewords take you to the exact meaning you are looking for
The Smart Vocabulary helps you expand your vocabulary with related words and phrases
Ideal for intermediate to advanced learners of English (CEFR levels A2–C2)
Based on the Cambridge English Corpus — a database of over 2 billion words
Acknowledgements
The dictionaries that you can search together as English on this Cambridge Dictionary website are:
Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 4th Edition
Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary
Cambridge Business English Dictionary
Word of the Day
pan-
UK
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio
/pæn-/
US
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio
/pæn-/
including or relating to all the places or people in a particular group
About this
Adjective
The audio portion of the broadcast was fine but the picture was poor.
They listened to an audio recording of the speech.
Noun
The picture was clear but the audio was very poor.
Recent Examples on the Web
In February, a series of audio recordings of Reed were released in which the mayor peppered diatribes with profanity while referencing the Black vote, economic development and apathy toward Maxwell Gunter Air Force Base.
—
William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 8 Apr. 2023
According to court records filed Tuesday, the audio recording captures Cohen and Trump discussing the arrangement — and whether to pay using cash or check.
—Lucien Bruggeman, ABC News, 6 Apr. 2023
When streaming from my phone, the audio quality was weak.
—Good Housekeeping, 31 Mar. 2023
Scheinfeld eventually located the original footage in an MGM film vault in Los Angeles, as well as the masters from the eight-track audio recordings made by the band themselves, given away by a late producer to the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences, and pieced together the story.
—Roy Trakin, Variety, 31 Mar. 2023
The report claims that on at least three occasions, the audio quality was so bad that the defendant was unable to hear what was happening in the courtroom — a violation of their rights.
—Katie Mettler, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2023
McLeavey: For Jukebox, the audio quality itself was okay but not amazing.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 24 Mar. 2023
What to Consider: The audio quality isn’t the strongest.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2023
Value also hinges on the audio quality; some machines offer a more enhanced sound experience than others.
—Lindsay Modglin, Verywell Health, 10 Mar. 2023
In his class, some students work in groups where one is the creator and the others help by spotting trends to seize on, making adjustments to lighting and clothing, and editing video and audio.
—Kailyn Rhone, WSJ, 28 Mar. 2023
His machine learning ideas are used to create all kinds of outputs, including deepfake photos, videos and audio, leaving those who study misinformation worried about how the tools can be used.
—CBS News, 25 Mar. 2023
The Toy Story characters are all depicted in the restaurant’s decor and in overhead audio, but not in person.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2023
Snow for 3 Hours In 911 audio released by FDNY, a dispatcher can be heard walking one of the kids through a series of questions.
—Abigail Adams, Peoplemag, 23 Mar. 2023
By figuring out how to predict missing data, either in a static image or a video or audio sequence, the MAE system must be constructing a world model, LeCun says.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023
The city on Wednesday also plans to release about 20 hours of video and audio related to the arrest of the 29-year-old motorist who died Jan. 10, three days after his violent arrest.
—Adrian Sainz, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Mar. 2023
The city on Wednesday also plans to release about 20 hours of video and audio related to the arrest of the 29-year-old motorist who died Jan. 10, three days after his violent arrest.
—Adrian Sainz, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2023
About 20 more hours of police video and audio in the Tyre Nichols case will be released Wednesday afternoon, according to City of Memphis Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Sink.
—Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 7 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘audio.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
- Top Definitions
- Quiz
- Related Content
- Examples
- British
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
[ aw-dee-oh ]
/ ˈɔ diˌoʊ /
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
adjective
Electronics. designating an electronic apparatus using audio frequencies: audio amplifier.
of, relating to, or employed in the transmission, reception, or reproduction of sound.
of or relating to frequencies or signals in the audible range.
noun
Television.
- the audio elements of television (distinguished from video).
- the circuits in a receiver for reproducing sound.
- the audio part of a television broadcast.
the field of sound recording, transmission, reception, and reproduction.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Which sentence is correct?
Origin of audio
First recorded in 1920–25; independent use of audio-
Words nearby audio
audience, audience room, audience share, audile, auding, audio, audio book, audiocassette, audio conference, audio description, audio disc
Other definitions for audio (2 of 2)
a combining form used in the formation of compound words, with the meanings: “sound within the range of human hearing” (audiometer); “hearing” (audiology); “sound reproduction” (audiophile).
Origin of audio-
<Latin audī- (stem of audīre to hear) + -o-
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to audio
box, station, video, audile, hearing, baby-sitter, eye, receiver, telly, tube, auditory, aural, phonic, radio frequency, boob tube, idiot box, small screen, vid
How to use audio in a sentence
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Ford’s programmers ensured that the software would be quick to respond to audio system input, according to Ford SYNC software supervisor Husein Dakroub.
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Transcripts of the relevant City Council meetings from nearly 50 years ago do not exist and the audio recording is inaccessible because it exists only in magnetic reel to reel format, according to the city clerk’s office.
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Interest in the departures of McNeil and Andy Mills — an audio producer on “The Daily” and the ill-fated podcast series “Caliphate” — has been likewise robust.
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The 5-year old, meanwhile, was drifting in and out of consciousness as she was transported to the hospital, according to audio of police dispatches reviewed by the Star.
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If wired audio is important to you, be sure to look for a device with the appropriate jack setup.
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His monotonous music is, really, like the audio soundtrack to a k-hole.
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Due to the video lacking audio, what they were fighting about remains a mystery—“was Jay cheating?”
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The audio message featured the words, “the real battle in Lebanon is yet to begin.”
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A transcript and an audio recording of his remarks were obtained by The Daily Beast.
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Baghdadi accepted the various loyalty oaths three days later in an audio message released on Nov. 13.
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But human beings are good at picking their names out of audio confusion — it’s a survival trait.
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There were all kinds of great suggestions for AbusesOfAuthority coming in; hundreds of little and big ones, pictures and audio.
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By trial and error Jason brought in the audio for the stations he wanted and tried to follow the course of the attack.
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Assistant: (Opening a pinch cock in the tube that enters the arm, increasing video contrast, increasing audio): He’s weakening.
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Oliver slowly drew Lee’s head for the fifteenth time and wished he dared to turn on the audio for the news.
British Dictionary definitions for audio (1 of 2)
noun (modifier)
of or relating to sound or hearingaudio frequency
relating to or employed in the transmission, reception, or reproduction of sound
of, concerned with, or operating at audio frequencies
Word Origin for audio
C20: independent use of audio-
British Dictionary definitions for audio (2 of 2)
combining form
indicating hearing or soundaudiometer; audiovisual
Word Origin for audio-
from Latin audīre to hear
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Princeton’s WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 2 votes
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audio, soundnoun
the audible part of a transmitted signal
«they always raise the audio for commercials»
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audio, audio frequencynoun
an audible acoustic wave frequency
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sound recording, audio recording, audionoun
a recording of acoustic signals
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audionoun
the sound elements of television
WiktionaryRate this definition:1.5 / 2 votes
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audionoun
A sound, or a sound signal
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audioadjective
Of or relating to audible sound.
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audioadjective
Of or relating to the broadcasting or reproduction of sound, especially high-fidelity reproduction.
-
Etymology: From audio
FreebaseRate this definition:1.0 / 2 votes
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Audio
Audio is the debut album by Blue Man Group and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. It was released in 1999 by Virgin Records.
This album was released in two versions: The DVD had 5.1-channel versions of the music in both DVD-Video and DVD-Audio formats and a CD that had a 2-channel stereo mix of each track.
A behind the scenes video of the album is viewable on a promotional 2000 VHS known as Audio Video. This video is also included as a bonus on the Audio 5.1 Surround Sound DVD.
Matched Categories
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- Auditory Communication
- Component
- Frequency
- Recording
How to pronounce audio?
How to say audio in sign language?
Numerology
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Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of audio in Chaldean Numerology is: 1
-
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of audio in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5
Examples of audio in a Sentence
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George Trejo:
There is audio. Antonio is not heard saying that.
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Francois Molins:
Ayoub el Khazzani had watched YouTube audio files whilst already on the Thalys train in which an individual called on the faithful to fight and take up arms in the name of the Prophet.
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David Letterman:
When our announcer of 15 years Bill Wendell retired, producer Robert Morton came to my office with an audio tape containing auditions for several announcers. Alan’s was the first and only voice we listened to. We knew he would be our choice, whatever else, we always had the best announcer in television. Wonderful voice and eagerness to play a goofy character of himself. Did I mention he could sing? Yes he could. He enthusiastically did it all. A very sad day, but many great memories.
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Ryu Hyun-soo:
I went all in on the LG phones due to the audio.
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Mark Ostrowski:
Deepfake technology and techniques to fake video or audio are now advanced enough to be used in targeted content to manipulate opinions, financial transactions or stock prices as examples, awareness is key that these type[s] of cyber activities are open to anyone on the globe to participate in terms of posts on social media channels and applications.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translations for audio
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- أوديو, سمعيArabic
- àudioCatalan, Valencian
- sainWelsh
- lydDanish
- Audio-, AudioGerman
- ήχουGreek
- sonido, audioSpanish
- heli-, kuuldavEstonian
- audio-, ääni-, ääni, audioFinnish
- audioFrench
- fuaimIrish
- claisneachScottish Gaelic
- שמעHebrew
- ऑडियोHindi
- odyoHaitian Creole
- hangHungarian
- AudioItalian
- オーディオJapanese
- 오디오Korean
- awdjoMaltese
- lydNorwegian
- áudioPortuguese
- audioRomanian
- аудио-, звуковойRussian
- zvučni, audio, čujanSerbo-Croatian
- audioSwedish
- sesTurkish
- آڈیوUrdu
- âm thanhVietnamese
- 音頻Chinese
Get even more translations for audio »
Translation
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