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Shorter Word List (3000 Words)
Welcome to my list of 3,000 essential English words for educated people to understand. I created this list by culling words from my huge list of more than 31,800 words elsewhere on this site. I don't give any words here that I would consider "easy," but each one has been selected to open up new vistas into learning and into the English language. I hope this list will be useful for three types of people: 1) Those running and participating in spelling bees; 2) Those for whom English is not your native language but you want a good vocabulary list that will take you deeply into the language and into learning concepts in many fields; 3) Those native English speakers who want to hone and develop their own vocabulary. I have derived these words from a number of different sources: two or three different dictionaries, web sites of all kinds, especially those devoted to specialized subjects. Not everyone agrees on the spelling for each term, but the spelling I give is represented in at least one authoritative source.
Along with this list are hundreds of scholarly definitions of these words. The definitions of these words are themselves mini-essays that explore the linguistic root of the word, how it has been used over time, and its current usage. I also try to give examples of proper use of each word. The first page of these definitions is here. An "x" before the following words means that I have written a mini-essay on it. As of March 19, 2020, I have posted about 100 definitions, about 3% of this list. A few of the definitions are of words only occurring on the huge word list.
Enjoy your learning, and please be in touch with me about your own thoughts, and especially if you think you would like to try your hand at composing a scholarly definition or two.
Words A-G
Aardvark
x Abacus
x Abaddon
Abalone
x Abatement
x Abattoir
x Abaya
Abdominal
x Abecedarian
x Aberration
Abhorrence
x Abomination
x Abracadabra
x Abscess
x Absinthe
x Abstemious
x Abutment
x Abysmally
Accelerate
Accessibility
x Accessory
Accommodation
Accompaniment
x Accoutrement
x Acetaminophen
Acknowledgment
x Acreage
x Acquiescence
x Acromegaly
x Acrylic
x Acuminate
Acyclovir
x Addled
x Adductor
Adjacent
x Adjuvant
Admittedly
x Adventitious
x Adze
x Aerate
x Aerie
x Aerodynamics
Aesop
x Affectation
x Affenpinscher
x Affluent
x Aficionado
x Agammaglobulinemia
x Agapanthus
x Ageism
x Aggiornamento
x Agglutinative
x Aggrandize
Agoraphobia
x Ailurophobia
x Akhenaten
x Alacrity
x Albatross
x Albumen
x Aleatory
x Algebraic
x Algorithm
x Alienation
x Aliphatic
x Aliquot
x Allargando
x Allay
x Allegation
x Allemande
x Allotment
Alstroemeria
Altar
x Altricial
x Alzheimer's
Amandine
Amaryllis
x Amaurosis
x Ambulatory
x Amerindian
x Amniocentesis
Amorousness
Amoxicillin
Amphetamine
Amygdala
Amyotrophic
Anachronistic
Analogous
Anaphora
Anathematize
Androgynous
Anemone
Angelology
Anglicize
Anhidrosis
Anime
Ankh
Ankylosaur
Annatto
Annihilate
Annuity
Anodyne
Anomalous
Anonymity
Anopheles
Anorectic
Antediluvian
Anthracite
Anthropomorphism
Antidisestablishmentarianism
Antigen
Antihypertensive
Antimacassar
Antipasto
Antiphonal
Antiquarian
Antiretroviral
Anxiolytic
Apartheid
Apathy
Aperitif
Aphasia
Aphorism
Aphrodisiac
Apiarist
Apnea
Apocalypse
Apocryphal
Apoplectic
Aposematic
Apostate
Apotheosis
Appeasement
Appellation
Appendectomy
Appoggiatura
Apportion
Appraise
Apprise
Appropriation
Apropos
Apse
Aquaculture
Aquarius
Aquifer
Arachnophobia
Araucaria
Arbitrage
Archaeological
Archangel
Archetype
Archipelago
Arcturus
Arduous
Aretalogy
Argumentative
Arirang
Armistice
Armoire
Aromatherapy
Arpeggio
Arraignment
Arrears
Arrhythmia
Arteriosclerosis
Arugula
Asbestosis
Asceticism
Ascorbic
Ashkenazi
Asiago
Aspartame
Asphodel
Asphyxiate
Assassination
Assbackwards
Assiduous
Assimilation
Astatine
Asterisk
Astragalus
Astronomical
Asymptomatic
Atelier
Atherosclerosis
Athleticism
Atonality
Atonement
Attrition
Aubade
Aucuba
Audad/Aoudad
Audubon
Aural
Auschwitz
Auslese
Australopithecine
Autistic
Autochthonous
Aver
Aviatrix
Avocet
Avoirdupois
Avuncular
Awestruck
Awning
Axel
Axiomatic
Ayatollah
Ayurveda
Azimuth
Azithromycin
Azulejo
Azure
Babel
Babesia
Baboon
Babushka
Babylon
Bacardi
Baccalaureate
Baccarat
Bacchanalia
Bacillus
Bacteriology
Bacteriophage
Badass
Badinage
Baedeker
Bagatelle
Bahasa
Bahuvriri
Baignoire
Bailiwick
Baklava
Baksheesh
Balaclava
Balalaika
Balderdash
Baleen
Balkanize
Ballet
Balloon
Ballyhoo
Balneotherapy
Balsamic
Balustrade
Bambino
Bamboozle
Banderilla
Bandolier
Banister
Banns
Banshee
Bantling
Banzai
Baptistery
Barbarous
Barbate
Barbican
Barbiturate
Barbizon
Barcarolle
Barouche
Barratry
Barrenness
Barrette
Bartizan
Baryon
Basenji
Basilica
Basilisk
Bassinet
Bastille
Bastinado
Bathyscaphe
Batrachian
Battalion
Bauble
Bauhaus
Bauhinia
Bauxite
Bavardage
Bayadere
Bayonet
Bayou
Bazillion
Bdellium
Beadle
Beaker
Béarnaise
Beatification
Beaucoup
Beaujolais
Beautician
Bebop
Beccafico
Becquerel
Bedaub
Bedevil
Bedizen
Bedraggled
Beelzebub
Beethovenian
Befitting
Beguilement
Behistun
Behoove
Beignet
Beijing
Beleaguer
Belleek
Belletrist
Bellicose
Bellwether
Belvedere
Benedictine
Benzodiazepine
Berceuse
Bergamot
Berserk
Beryllium
Besmirch
Bestiary
Betelgeuse
Betimes
Beurre
Beveled
Bewussteinslage
Bezel
Bezoar
Bhagavad
Bhakti
Bhutanese
Bibelot
Bicameral
Bicentennial
Bicephalous
Bidet
Biennially
Bildungsroman
Bilharzia
Bilingual
Billabong
Bimetallic
Bioengineering
Birefringence
Biretta
Biscotti
Bismuth
Bizarrerie
Blagueur
Blancmange
Blastomycosis
Blepharoplasty
Blesbok
Blitzkrieg
Bludgeon
Bluesy
Boatswain
Bobolink
Bocaccio
Bodacious
Bodhisattva
Bodice
Boeuf
Bogatyr
Bohemia
Boiserie
Bologna
Bombazine
Bondieuserie
Bonhomie
Bonkers
Booboisie
Boolean
Borborygmus
Bordelaise
Borscht
Bottomry
Boudoir
Bouffant
Bougainvillea
Bouillabaisse
Boulangerie
Bouleversement
Bouquiniste
Bourgeoisie
Boutonniere
Bovine
Bowdlerize
Brachiosaurus
Bracketology
Bradykinin
Braeburn
Braggadocio
Braille
Brasserie
Bravura
Breathalyzer
Breccia
Bremsstrahlung
Brewski
Bricolage
Brie
Brioche
Broccoli
Bromance
Bromide
Bronchitis
Brucellosis
Bruxism
Bryology
Bubonic
Buffoonery
Bulimic
Bumptious
Bundestag
Bungee
Bupkis
Bureaucracy
Buttinsky
Byzantine
Cabaletta
Caballero
Cabernet
Cabochon
Caboodle
Cacciatore
Cacophony
Cadaverous
Cadeau
Cadenza
Caecum
Caesarean
Caesura
Cahoots
Caipirinha
Caliginous
Calliope
Calomel
Calumny
Camaraderie
Camembert
Campanula
Cancellation
Candidiasis
Cannabinoid
Cannelloni
Cantatrice
Caoutchouc
Cappelletti
Cappuccino
Capybara
Carafe
Caratenoid
Carborundum
Carcinomatous
Cardiomyopathy
Carillonneur
Carrefour
Cartilaginous
Cartonnage
Caseation
Cashew
Castilian
Casuistry
Catachresis
Catafalque
Catamaran
Catarrhine
Catastrophism
Catechism
Catechumen
Caterwauling
Cauliflower
Cauterize
Cayenne
Cedilla
Cenozoic
Certiorari
Cervantes
Cetacean
Ceviche
Chablis
Chaconne
Chalcedony
Chalazion
Champignon
Chansonnier
Chaparajos
Chardonnay
Chartreuse
Chassepot
Chatoyant
Chechnya
Chelicera
Cheongsam
Chernobyl
Cherubim
Chianti
Chifforobe
Chiliasm
Chimerical
Chinoiserie
Chipotle
Chlorofluorocarbon
Chocolatier
Cholesterol
Choreographer
Chorizo
Choucroute
Chrestomathy
Chrismation
Christology
Chromosome
Chronicity
Chrysanthemum
Chrysoprase
Chthonic
Churrigueresque
Ciabatta
Cicatrix
Cinematography
Cinquefoil
Ciprofoxacin
Circumambulation
Circumscissile
Cirrhosis
Clafoutis
Clairvoyance
Claustrophobia
Clematis
Clepsydra
Clerestory
Climatologist
Clinquant
Clitoridectomy
Cloisonne
Clotrimazole
Cnidarian
Coalescence
Coccyx
Cochineal
Cockalorum
Cockamamie
Cognac
Coiffure
Colander
Colonel
Colonoscopy
Coloratura
Colosseum
Comeuppance
Commiserate
Complaisant
Complementarity
Compline
Concatenate
Concessionaire
Conchoidal
Concupiscence
Condign
Confucianism
Congeal
Coniferous
Conjunctivitis
Connoisseur
Conquistador
Consanguinity
Consigliere
Contemptuous
Contrariety
Contretemps
Conundrum
Copacetic
Coquettish
Corbel
Cordillera
Coronavirus
Correlate
Corsage
Corydalis
Cotoneaster
Countervailing
Couscous
Craquelure
Creatinine
Crepuscular
Crescendo
Croissant
Crucifer
Crustacean
Cryonics
Cumulonimbus
Cuneiform
Curmudgeon
Cutaneous
Cyanide
Cynosure
Cytokine
Dachsund
Dactylic
Daedalus
Daguerreotype
Daiquiri
Damascene
Damoclean
Darjeeling
Darmstadtium
Dashiki
Deaccession
Debacle
Debridement
Decaffeinate
Déclassé
Decolletage
Defibrillator
Deglutition
Deleterious
Demagoguery
Demure
Dengue
Denkmal
Depilatory
Derailleur
Desaparecido
Desiccation
Desquamation
Destrier
Desuetude
Desultory
Detritus
Deuterocanonical
Deutzia
Devanagari
Dhyana
Diaconate
Diapason
Diaphanous
Diaphoresis
Diarrhea
Diazepam
Dickcissel
Didgeridoo
Dieffenbachia
Dilettante
Dimwit
Diocesan
Dionysian
Diphtheria
Diptych
Discrete
Disembogue
Dishabille
Disingenuous
Distaff
Distelfink
Diverticulitis
Doronicum
Doublet
Doubloon
Douceur
Douchebag
Douroucouli
Dracaena
Draught
Dreidel
Dubiety
Dudgeon
Duende
Dulcimer
Dummkopf
Dungeness
Duodenum
Durchkomponiert
Duxelles
Dybbuk
Dyscrasia
Dyspepsia
Earwig
Ebullient
Ecchymosis
Echeveria
Echinacea
Echolalia
Eclaircissement
Eclat
Eclecticism
Ecossaise
Ectomorphic
Eczema
Edelweiss
Edentulous
Eeyore
Effendi
Effervescent
Efflorescence
Egad
Eglantine
Eidetic
Electroencephalogram
Electrophoresis
Eleemosynary
Elegiac
Elision
Emaciate
Embonpoint
Embouchure
Embrasure
Eminent
Emoji
Emollient
Emolument
Empanada
Emphysema
Empyrean
Enceinte
Encephalopathy
Enchiridion
Encoignure
Encryption
Encyclopedic
Endometriosis
Enfeoffment
Enfleurage
Engrossing
Enjambment
Enneagram
Ensign
Entablature
Entomophagous
Entrapment
Entrepreneurial
Eocene
Ephedrine
Ephemeral
Epidemiology
Epiphyte
Epithalamium
Epizootic
Eponymous
Equanimity
Equestrienne
Ericaceous
Erogenous
Erotomania
Ersatz
Erysipelas
Escabeche
Eschatology
Escritoire
Escrow
Esophageal
Espadrille
Esthetician
Estoppel
Estuary
Eugenics
Euphemism
Eurhythmy
Eustachian
Euthanize
Evanescent
Eviscerate
Ewer
Exaggeration
Excalibur
Excelsior
Exfoliate
Exigent
Exiguous
Exocrine
Exoneree
Expiatory
Extenuate
Extraordinaire
Exuviate
Fabled
Facetious
Factotum
Faena
Fahrenheit
Faience
Faineant
Fajita
Falchion
Fallopian
Fanaticism
Fanfaronade
Fasciculation
Fascism
Fatshedera
Fatwa
Fauces
Fauteuil
Fauvism
Feasibility
Febrifuge
Fecundity
Feint
Felicitation
Felon
Feng-shui
Fennec
Fentanyl
Feral
Ferrule
Fescennine
Festoon
Fetid
Fettuccine
Feudalism
Feuilleton
Fibonacci
Fillip
Finagle
Finicky
Fioritura
Fissiparous
Flageolet
Flamboyant
Flatulent
Fleishig
Flirtatious
Flocculent
Flotilla
Flue
Flummox
Fluorescent
Focaccia
Foehn
Foofaraw
Foreboding
Foreordain
Foreword
Forfeiture
Formaldehyde
Forsythia
Fortissimo
Fourragère
Fragility
Francophone
Frangipane
Frappuccino
Frequentative
Fricassee
Frisson
Frittata
Frivolity
Frontispiece
Fugue
Fuliginous
Funambulist
Funereal
Fuselage
Fusillade
Fylfot
Gabardine
Gadarene
Gaelic
Gaffe
Gaijin
Galactic
Galapagos
Gallimaufry
Galoot
Gambol
Gambrel
Gamelan
Ganache
Gancho
Ganciclovir
Gaping
Gargantuan
Gargoyle
Garrulous
Gastrocnemius
Gateau
Gaucherie
Gavotte
Gawp
Gazetteer
Gazpacho
Gedankenexperiment
Gegenschein
Gehenna
Geisha
Gelatinous
Gematria
Gendarme
Genealogy
Genuflect
Gerbil
Geriatric
Germaphobic
Gesso
Gestapo
Gesundheit
Gethsemane
Gherkin
Ghoulish
Gibberish
Gibbous
Gigabyte
Gigue
Gila
Ginseng
Girandole
Glabrous
Gladiolus
Glaive
Glissando
Glockenspiel
Glyph
Gnathion
Gnocchi
Gnosticism
Gnu
Gobsmacked
Goji
Golem
Golgi
Gomorrah
Gondolier
Gonfalon
Gorgonzola
Gossamer
Gossypol
Gouache
Gourami
Gracility
Graffiti
Grallator
Grandiosity
Graupel
Gravure
Greaves
Gregarious
Grimalkin
Grimoire
Grippe
Grisaille
Grommet
Grotesquerie
Gruel
Gruyere
Guacamole
Guerrilla
Guignol
Guignolet
Guillemet
Guillemot
Guillotine
Guimpe
Guipure
Gumption
Gunwale
Gyascutus
Gynecologist
Gyrfalcon