Short answer: For most adults, the best vocabulary book is Cambridge's English Vocabulary in Use for your level: Pre-intermediate & Intermediate (A2–B1) or Upper-Intermediate (B2). Find your level first with a free level test, choose the edition with answers, and learn words in phrases, a few every day. Add idioms or phrasal verbs later.
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Step 1: start free
Take our free English level test (about 10 minutes, A1 to C2). Then try our free vocabulary lessons: word lists by topic, from A1 to B1, with audio, examples and quizzes. For PTE, IELTS or university, use the collocation flashcards (100 academic word partners, 10 minutes a day) and the linking words list.
If you'd like more words than we cover, or you prefer paper, choose one book below.
Pre-intermediate to intermediate (A2–B1): English Vocabulary in Use
Who it suits: adults who can get by in everyday English but keep reaching for the same simple words.
What's inside: Cambridge's self-study vocabulary book. Each unit is two pages on one topic (work, health, money, feelings and more): new words with examples on the left, exercises on the right, and answers at the back.
How to use it: one unit a day, about 20 minutes. Write five words from the unit in sentences about your own life.
Get English Vocabulary in Use: Pre-intermediate & Intermediate (paid link).
Upper-intermediate (B2): English Vocabulary in Use
Who it suits: learners who are comfortable in conversation and want a wider range of words, including many people working towards IELTS band 6.5–7 or PTE 65.
What's inside: the same two-page format, with more abstract topics (opinions, the media, the environment) and more work on collocations, word formation and formal and informal words.
How to use it: pick the topics that come up in your test or your job first, rather than starting on page one.
Get English Vocabulary in Use: Upper-Intermediate (paid link).
Phrasal verbs (B1 and up): English Phrasal Verbs in Use
Who it suits: intermediate learners who understand most of a conversation but get lost when people say sort out, put off or come up with.
What's inside: phrasal verbs grouped by meaning and topic, with exercises. Our free phrasal verbs for work list is a good place to start.
Get English Phrasal Verbs in Use (paid link).
Idioms (B1 and up): English Idioms in Use
Who it suits: learners who want to understand TV, films and casual conversation. Idioms are less useful for writing, and for tests you rarely need them.
What's inside: idioms grouped by topic, with exercises. Try our free English idioms lesson first.
Get English Idioms in Use (paid link).
For work: Business Vocabulary in Use
Who it suits: adults who use English at work, or are looking for a job in an English-speaking workplace.
What's inside: the words for meetings, emails, money, customers and the workplace, with exercises. Pair it with our free workplace phrases.
Get Business Vocabulary in Use (paid link).
For complete beginners: Oxford Picture Dictionary
Who it suits: adults at the very beginning, or learners who find a text-only book hard.
What's inside: everyday words shown in pictures, topic by topic (home, food, work, health, transport). The 3rd edition uses American English, so a few words differ in Australia: an apartment is often a unit or flat, and a zip code is a postcode.
Get Oxford Picture Dictionary (paid link).
A learner's dictionary (intermediate and up)
A learner's dictionary explains words in simple English, with example sentences and the words that usually go with them (heavy rain, not strong rain).
Our pick: the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Oxford also has a free learner's dictionary website, so try that first. Buy the book if you like reading on paper.
Get the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (paid link).
Read more: the easiest way to learn words
Reading is how most people build a large vocabulary. You meet words again and again, in context, without studying lists. Start with our free English stories, then read books you enjoy.
An e-reader makes this easier: on a Kindle you can tap any word to see its meaning, and it saves the words you looked up so you can review them later.
Get a Kindle e-reader (paid link).
One book is enough
Choose the one book for your level and use it regularly. Ten new words a day that you actually use help more than a shelf of books you never open.
Frequently asked questions
Which vocabulary book is best for adults?
The English Vocabulary in Use series from Cambridge is written for self-study, with short units by topic, exercises and answers. Pick the book for your level: Pre-intermediate & Intermediate (A2–B1) or Upper-Intermediate (B2).
How many new words should I learn a day?
Five to ten is plenty. Learn each word in a phrase (make a decision, not just decision), say it out loud, and use it in a sentence of your own the same day.
Should I learn idioms and phrasal verbs first?
No. Learn the common everyday words for your level first. Phrasal verbs and idioms make more sense once you are around B1, and phrasal verbs are the more useful of the two.
Do I need a vocabulary book at all?
No. Our free vocabulary lessons cover everyday topics from A1 to B1, with audio, examples and quizzes. A book helps if you like studying on paper or want more practice.
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