EASIER ENGLISH BASIC DICTIONARY 20 pot

weather 358 welcome
weather
weather /weðə/
noun
conditions out-
side, e.g. if it is raining, hot, cold or sun-
ny
ć What’s the weather going to be like
today?
ć If the weather gets any better,
then we can go out in the boat.
weave
weave /wiv/
verb
1. to make cloth by
twisting fibres over and under each oth-
er
ć The cloth is woven from the wool of
local sheep.
ć The new weaving ma-
chines were installed last week.
2. to
make something by a similar method,
but using things such as very thin pieces
of wood or the dried stems of plants
ć
She learnt how to weave baskets. (NOTE:
weaves – weaving – wove /
wəυv/ –
woven /
wəυvən/)

web
web /web/
noun
1. a net spun by spiders
ć The garden is full of spiders’ webs in
autumn.
2. ˽ the web the thousands of
websites and webpages within the Inter-
net, which users can visit
webpage
webpage /webped/
noun
a single file
of text and graphics, forming part of a
website
website
website /websat/
noun
a collection of
pages on the Web which have been pro-
duced by one person or organisation and
are linked together
wedding
wedding /wedŋ/
noun
a marriage cer-
emony, when two people are officially
made husband and wife
ć This Saturday
I’m going to John and Mary’s wedding.

wedge
wedge /wed/
noun
a solid piece of
something such as wood, metal or rub-
ber in the shape of a V
ć Put a wedge
under the door to hold it open.
Wednesday
Wednesday /wenzde/
noun
the day
between Tuesday and Thursday, the
third day of the week
ć She came for tea
last Wednesday.
ć Wednesdays are al-
ways busy days for us.
ć Can we meet
next Wednesday afternoon?
ć Wednes-
day the 24th would be a good date for a
meeting.
ć The 15th is a Tuesday, so the
16th must be a Wednesday.
weed
weed /wid/
noun
a wild plant that you
do not want in a garden or crop

week
week /wik/
noun
a period of seven days,
usually from Monday to Sunday
ć
There are 52 weeks in the year. ć The
firm gives us two weeks’ holiday at
Easter.
ć It’s my aunt’s 80th birthday
next week.
ć I go to the cinema at least
once a week.
(NOTE: Do not confuse
with weak.)
weekend
weekend /wik

end/
noun
Saturday and
Sunday, or the period from Friday
evening to Sunday evening
ć We’re go-
ing to the coast for the weekend.
ć Why
don’t you come to spend next weekend
with us in the country?
ć At weekends,
we try to spend time in the garden.

weekly
weekly /wikli/
adjective
,
adverb
which
happens or is published once a week
ć
We have a weekly paper which tells us
all the local news.
ć The weekly rate for
the job is £250.
ć Are you paid weekly
or monthly?
weigh
weigh /we/
verb
1. to measure how
heavy something or someone is
ć Can
you weigh this parcel for me?
ć They
weighed his suitcase at the check-in
desk.
ć I weighed myself this morning.
2. to have a particular weight ć This
piece of meat weighs 100 grams.
ć How
much do you weigh?
ć She only weighs

40 kilos.
weight
weight /wet/
noun
1. how heavy some-
thing is
ć What’s the maximum weight
of parcel the post office will accept?
2.
how heavy a person is ć His weight is
less than it was a year ago.
3. something
which is heavy
ć If you lift heavy
weights like paving stones, you may hurt
your back.
(NOTE: Do not confuse with
wait.)
weird
weird /wəd/
adjective
strange in a way
that makes you feel nervous or fright-
ened
welcome
welcome /welkəm/
verb
1. to greet
someone in a friendly way
ć The staff

welcomed the new assistant to the office.
ć When we arrived at the hotel we were
welcomed by a couple of barking guard
dogs.
2. to be pleased to hear news ć I
warmly welcome the result of the elec-
tion.
ć I would welcome any sugges-
tions as to how to stop the water seeping
into the basement.
(NOTE: welcomes –
welcoming – welcomed)
í
noun
the
action of greeting someone
ć There was
not much of a welcome from the staff
when we arrived at the hotel.
í
adjec-
tive
met or greeted with pleasure ć They
made me very welcome.
ȣ you’re wel-
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welfare 359 what
come! a reply to ‘thank you’ ć Thanks
for carrying the bags for me – you’re
welcome!

welfare
welfare /welfeə/
noun
the act or prac-
tice of providing the things which peo-
ple need and which help them to be
healthy
ć The club looks after the wel-
fare of the old people in the town.
ć The
government has taken measures to re-
form the welfare system.
well
well /wel/
adverb
1. in a way that is satis-
factory
ć He doesn’t speak Russian very
well.
ć Our business is small, but it’s
doing well.
ć Is the new computer work-
ing well?
2. very much ć He got back
from the office late – well after eight
o’clock.
ć You should go to the Tower of
London – it’s well worth a visit.
ć There
were well over sixty people at the meet-

ing.
ć She’s well over eighty. í
adjec-
tive
healthy ć She’s looking well after
her holiday!
ć The secretary’s not very
well today – she’s had to stay off work.
ć It took him some weeks to get well af-
ter his flu.
í
interjection
used for start-
ing a sentence
ć Well, I’ll show you
round the house first.
ć Well now, we’ve
done the washing up so we can sit and
watch TV.
í
noun
a very deep hole dug
in the ground with water or oil at the
bottom
ȣ as well also ć When my aunt
comes to stay she brings her two cats
and the dog as well.
ć You can’t eat fish
and chips and a meat pie as well!
ȣ as

well as
in addition to ć Some newsa-
gents sell groceries as well as newspa-
pers.
ć She ate a slice of cheesecake as
well as two scoops of ice cream.
ȣ well
done
used for praising someone for
their success
ć Well done, the England
team!
ć Well done to all of you who
passed the exam!
well-known
well-known /wel nəυn/
adjective
known by a lot of people
well-paid
well-paid /wel ped/
adjective
earning
a good salary
Welsh
Welsh /welʃ/
adjective
relating to Wales
ć We will be going climbing in the
Welsh mountains at Easter.
í

noun
1. ˽
the Welsh the people of Wales ć The
Welsh are proud of their heritage.
ć The
Welsh are magnificent singers.
2. the
language spoken in Wales
ć Welsh is
used in schools in many parts of Wales.
went
went /went/ past tense of go
were
were /wə, w/ 1st person plural past of
be. 2nd person plural past of be. 3rd
person plural past of
be
west
west /west/
noun
the direction in which
the sun sets
ć The sun sets in the west
and rises in the east.
ć We live in a vil-
lage to the west of the town.
ć Their
house has a garden that faces west or a
west-facing garden.
í

adjective
in or to
the west
ć She lives on the west coast of
the United States.
ć The west part of the
town is near the river.
í
adverb
towards
the west
ć Go west for about ten kilo-
metres, and then you’ll come to the na-
tional park.
ć The river flows west into
the ocean.
western
western /westən/
adjective
from or in
the west
ć Great Britain is part of West-
ern Europe.
ć The Western part of Can-
ada has wonderful scenery.
wet
wet /wet/
adjective
1. covered in water or
other liquid

ć She forgot her umbrella
and got wet walking back from the
shops.
ć The chair’s all wet where he
knocked over his beer.
ć The baby is wet
– can you change her nappy?
2. raining
ć The summer months are the wettest
part of the year.
ć There’s nothing I like
better than a wet Sunday in London.
3.
not yet dry ć Watch out! – the paint’s
still wet.
(NOTE: wetter – wettest)
whale
whale /wel/
noun
a very large creature
that lives in the sea
ć You can take a
boat into the mouth of the river to see
the whales.
what
what /wɒt/
adjective
asking a question ć
What kind of music do you like? ć What
type of food does he like best?

í
pro-
noun
1. the thing which ć Did you see
what was in the box?
ć What we like to
do most on holiday is just to visit old
churches.
2. asking a question ć What’s
the correct time?
ć What did he give
you for your birthday?
ć What hap-
pened to his car?
(NOTE: When what
used to ask a direct question, the verb
is put before the subject:
What’s the
time?
but not when it is used in a state-
ment:
They don’t know what the time
is
.) í
adverb
showing surprise ć What
Basic.fm Page 359 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM
whatever 360 whether
a huge meal! ć What beautiful weather!
í

interjection
showing surprise ć What!
did you hear what he said?
ć I won the
lottery! – What!
whatever
whatever /wɒt

evə/
pronoun
1. it does
not matter what
(
form of ‘what’ used for
emphasis; in questions
) ć You can
have whatever you like for Christmas.
ć
She always does whatever she feels like
doing.
ć I want that car whatever the
price.
2. used instead of ‘what’ for em-
phasis in questions
ć ‘I’ve sold the car.’
‘Whatever for?’
ć Whatever made him
do that?
ć Whatever does that red light
mean?

wheat
wheat /wit/
noun
a plant of which the
grain is used to make flour
(NOTE: no
plural)
wheel
wheel /wil/
noun
1. a round object on
which a vehicle such as a bicycle, a car
or a train runs
ć The front wheel and the
back wheel of the motorbike were both
damaged in the accident.
ć We got a flat
tyre so I had to get out to change the
wheel.
2. any similar round object
which turns
ć a steering wheel ć gear
wheels
í
verb
to push something along
which has wheels
ć He wheeled his mo-
torbike into the garage.
ć She was

wheeling her bike along the pavement.
ć The waiter wheeled in a sweet trolley.
wheelbarrow
wheelbarrow /wilbrəυ/
noun
a
large container with one wheel at the
front and two handles, used by people
such as builders and gardeners for push-
ing heavy loads around
wheelchair
wheelchair /wiltʃeə/
noun
a chair on
wheels which people who cannot walk
use to move around
ć a special entrance
for wheelchair users
when
when /wen/
adverb
at what time (
asking
a question
) ć When is the last train for
Paris?
ć When did you last go to the
dentist?
ć When are we going to get
paid?

ć Since when has he been wear-
ing glasses?
ć I asked her when her
friend was leaving.
(NOTE: After when
used to ask a direct question, the verb
is put before the subject:
When does
the film start?
;
When is he coming?
but
not when it is used in a statement:
He
doesn’t know when the film starts.
;
They can’t tell me when he is coming
.)
í
conjunction
1. at the time that ć
When he was young, the family was liv-
ing in London.
ć When you go on holi-
day, leave your key with the neighbours
so they can feed the cat.
ć Do you re-
member the day when we all went for a
picnic in the park?
ć Let me know when

you’re ready to go.
2. after ć When the
speaker had finished, he sat down.
ć
Wash up the plates when you’ve finished
your breakfast.
3. even if ć The sales-
man said the car was worth £5,000
when he really knew it was worth only
half that.
whenever
whenever /wen

evə/
adverb
at any time
that
ć Come for tea whenever you like.
ć We try to see my mother whenever we
can or whenever possible.
where
where /weə/
adverb
1. (
asking a ques-
tion
) in what place, to what place ć
Where did I put my glasses? ć Do you
know where the restaurant is?
ć Where

are the knives and forks?
ć Where are
you going for your holiday?
2. in a place
in which
ć Stay where you are and don’t
move.
ć They still live in the same house
where they were living twenty years ago.
ć Here’s where the wire has been cut.
(NOTE: After where used to ask a direct
question, the verb is put before the
subject:
Where is the bottle?
but not
when it is used in a statement:
He
doesn’t know where the bottle is
.)
whereas
whereas /weər

z/
conjunction
if you
compare this with the fact that
ć He
likes tea whereas she prefers coffee.
wherever
wherever /weər


evə/
adverb
1. to or in
any place
ć You can sit wherever you
want.
ć Wherever we go on holiday, we
never make hotel reservations.
ć The
police want to ask her questions, wher-
ever she may be.
2. used instead of
‘where’ for emphasis
ć Wherever did
you get that hat?
whether
whether /weðə/
conjunction
1. used to
mean ‘if’ for showing doubt, or for
showing that you have not decided
something
ć Do you know whether
they’re coming?
ć I can’t make up my
mind whether to go on holiday now or
later.
2. used for referring to either of
two things or people

ć All employees,
whether managers or ordinary staff,
Basic.fm Page 360 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM
which 361 who
must take a medical test. (NOTE: Do not
confuse with weather.)
which
which /wtʃ/
adjective
,
pronoun
1. (
ask-
ing a question
) what person or thing ć
Which dress are you wearing to the
wedding?
ć Which boy threw that
stone?
2. (
only used with things, not
people
) that ć The French restaurant
which is next door to the office.
ć
They’ve eaten all the bread which you
bought yesterday.
while
while /wal/
conjunction

1. at the time
that
ć He tried to cut my hair while he
was watching TV.
ć While we were on
holiday someone broke into our house.
ć Shall I clean the kitchen while you’re
having a bath?
2. showing difference ć
He likes meat, while his sister is a vege-
tarian.
ć Everyone is watching TV,
while I’m in the kitchen making the din-
ner.
3. although (
formal
) ć While there
may still be delays, the service is much
better than it used to be.
í
noun
a short
time
ć It’s a while since I’ve seen him.
ȣ in a while in a short time, soon ć I’ll
be ready in a while.
whine
whine /wan/
verb
1. to make a loud high

noise
ć You can hear the engines of the
racing cars whining in the background.
ć The dogs whined when we locked
them up in the kitchen.
2. to complain in
a loud high voice that annoys other peo-
ple
ć She’s always whining about how
little money she has.
(NOTE: Do not con-
fuse with wine. Note also: whines –
whining – whined.)
whip
whip /wp/
noun
a long, thin piece of
leather with a handle, used to hit ani-
mals to make them do what you want
ć
The rider used her whip to make the
horse run faster.
í
verb
to hit someone
or an animal with a whip
ć He whipped
the horse to make it go faster.
(NOTE:
whips – whipping – whipped)

whirl
whirl /wl/
verb
to turn round quickly ć
She put on her new skirt and whirled
around for every one to see.
ć The chil-
dren’s paper windmills whirled in the
wind.
whiskey
whiskey /wski/
noun
Irish or Ameri-
can whisky
whisky
whisky /wski/
noun
an alcoholic drink,
made in Scotland from barley
ć The
company produces thousands of bottles
of whisky every year.
(NOTE: The plural
is whiskies.)
whisper
whisper /wspə/
verb
to speak very qui-
etly, so that only the person you are talk-
ing to can hear

ć He whispered instruc-
tions to the other members of the gang.
ć She whispered to the nurse that she
wanted something to drink.
í
noun
a
quiet voice, or words spoken very quiet-
ly
ć She spoke in a whisper.
whistle
whistle /ws(ə)l/
noun
1. a high sound
made by blowing through your lips
when they are almost closed
ć She gave
a whistle of surprise.
ć We heard a
whistle and saw a dog running across
the field.
2. a simple instrument which
makes a high sound, played by blowing
ć He blew on his whistle to stop the
match.
í
verb
1. to blow through your
lips to make a high sound
ć They

marched along, whistling an Irish song.
ć He whistled for a taxi. 2. to make a
high sound using a small metal instru-
ment
ć The referee whistled to stop the
match.
white
white /wat/
adjective
of a colour like
snow or milk
ć A white shirt is part of
the uniform.
ć A white car will always
look dirty.
ć Her hair is now completely
white.
ć Do you take your coffee black
or white?
í
noun
1. a person whose
skin is pale
ć Whites are in the minority
in African countries.
2. a white part of
something
ć the white of an egg ć The
whites of his eyes were slightly red.
3. a

white wine
ć A glass of house white,
please.
white lie
white lie /wat la/
noun
a lie about
something unimportant, especially a lie
told in order not to upset someone
(
informal
)
who
who /hu/
pronoun
1. (
asking a ques-
tion
) which person or persons ć Who
phoned?
ć Who are you talking to? ć
Who spoke at the meeting? 2. the person
or the people that
ć The men who came
yesterday morning work for the electric-
ity company.
ć Anyone who didn’t get
tickets early won’t be able to get in.
ć
There’s the taxi driver who took us

home last night.
(NOTE: After an object,
who can be left out:
There’s the man I
Basic.fm Page 361 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM
whoever 362 will
saw at the pub
. When who is used to
ask a direct question, the verb is put
after ‘who’ and before the subject:
Who is that man over there?
, but not
when it is used in a statement:
I don’t
know who that man is over there
.
When who is used as an object, it is
sometimes written whom /
hum/ but
this is formal and not common:
the
man whom I met in the office
;
Whom
do you want to see?
)
whoever
whoever /hu

evə/

pronoun
(
emphatic
form of ‘who’
) no matter who, anyone
who
ć Whoever finds the umbrella can
keep it.
ć Go home with whoever you
like.
whole
whole /həυl/
adjective
all of something
ć She must have been hungry – she ate
a whole apple pie.
ć We spent the whole
winter in the south.
ć A whole lot of
people went down with flu.
í
noun
all of
something
ć She stayed in bed the
whole of Sunday morning and read the
newspapers.
ć The whole of the north of
the country was covered with snow.
ć

Did you watch the whole of the pro-
gramme?
(NOTE: Do not confuse with
hole.)
í
adverb
in one piece ć The
birds catch small fish and swallow them
whole.
whom
whom /hum/  who
whose
whose /huz/
pronoun
1. (
asking a
question
) which belongs to which per-
son
ć Whose is that car? ć Whose book
is this?
ć Whose money was stolen? 2.
of whom ć the family whose house was
burgled
ć the man whose hat you bor-
rowed
ć the girl whose foot you trod on
(NOTE: Do not confuse with who’s.)
why
why /wa/

adverb
1. for what reason ć
Why did he have to phone me in the mid-
dle of the TV film?
ć I asked the ticket
collector why the train was late.
2. giv-
ing a reason
ć She told me why she
couldn’t go to the party.
3. agreeing
with a suggestion
ć ‘Would you like
some lunch?’ ‘Why not?’
wicked
wicked /wkd/
adjective
very bad ć
What a wicked thing to say! ć It was
wicked of them to steal the birds’ eggs.
wide
wide /wad/
adjective
1. which measures
from side to side
ć The table is three
foot or three feet wide.
ć The river is not
very wide at this point.
2. including

many things
ć The shop carries a wide
range of imported goods.
ć She has a
wide knowledge of French painting.
ı
width í
adverb
as far as possible, as
much as possible
ć She opened her eyes
wide.
ć The door was wide open so we
just walked in.
widely
widely /wadli/
adverb
1. by a wide
range of people
ć It is widely expected
that he will resign.
2. over a wide area ć
Contamination spread widely over the
area round the factory.
ć She has trav-
elled widely in Greece.
widow
widow /wdəυ/
noun
a woman whose

husband has died and who has not mar-
ried again
width
width /wdθ/
noun
1. a measurement of
something from one side to another
ć I
need to know the width of the sofa.
ć
The width of the garden is at least forty
feet or the garden is at least forty feet in
width.
2. the distance from one side to
another of a swimming pool
ć She
swam three widths easily.
wife
wife /waf/
noun
a woman who is mar-
ried to a man
ć I know Mr Jones quite
well but I’ve never met his wife.
ć They
both came with their wives.
(NOTE: The
plural is wives /
wavz/.)
wig

wig /w/
noun
false hair worn on the
head
wild
wild /wald/
adjective
1. living naturally,
not with people as a pet
2. very angry or
very excited
ć He will be wild when he
sees what I have done to the car.
ć The
fans went wild at the end of the match.
3. not thinking carefully ć She made a
few wild guesses, but didn’t find the
right answer.
ć They had the wild idea
of walking across the Sahara.
í
adverb
without any control ć The crowds were
running wild through the centre of the
town.
wildlife
wildlife /waldlaf/
noun
birds, plants
and animals in their natural conditions

will
will /wl/
modal verb
1. used to form the
future tense
ć The party will start soon.
ć Will they be staying a long time? ć We
won’t be able to come to tea.
ć If you
ask her to play the piano, she’ll say
‘no’.
2. used as a polite way of asking
Basic.fm Page 362 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM
willing 363 winter
someone to do something ć Will every-
one please sit down?
ć Will someone
close the curtains?
ć (formal) Won’t
you sit down?
3. used for showing that
you are keen to do something
ć Don’t
call a taxi – I’ll take you home.
ć The
car will never start when we want it to.
ć Don’t worry – I will do it. (NOTE: the
negative: will not is usually written
won’t /
wəυnt/. The past is: would,

negative: would not, usually written
wouldn’t. Note also that will is often
shortened to ’ll: he’ll = he will)
í
noun
1. someone’s desire that something will
happen
˽ against your will without
your agreement
ć He was forced to pay
the money against his will.
2. a legal
document by which a person gives in-
structions about what should happen to
his or her property after he or she dies
ć
He wrote his will in 1984. ć According
to her will, all her property is left to her
children.
ć Has she made a will yet? ȣ
at will whenever someone wants to ć
Visitors can wander around the gardens
at will.
willing
willing /wlŋ/
adjective
keen to help ć
Is there anyone who is willing to drive
the jeep?
ć I need two willing helpers to

wash the car.
win
win /wn/
verb
1. to beat someone in a
game, or be first in a race or competition
ć I expect our team will win tomorrow.
ć The local team won their match yes-
terday.
ć She won the race easily. 2. to
get something as a prize
ć She won first
prize in the art competition.
ć He won
two million pounds on the lottery.
ć
She’s hoping to win a new car in a com-
petition in the paper.
(NOTE: wins –
winning – won /
wn/) í
noun
the act
of winning a game, race or competition
ć The local team has only had two wins
so far this year.
ć We’re disappointed,
we expected a win.
wind
wind

1
/wnd/
noun
air moving outdoors
ć The wind blew two trees down in the
park.
ć There’s no point trying to use an
umbrella in this wind.
ć There’s not a
breath of wind – the sailing boats aren’t
moving at all.
wind
wind
2
/wand/
verb
to twist round and
round
ć He wound the towel round his
waist.
ć She wound the string into a
ball.
(NOTE: winds – winding –
wound /
waυnd/)
wind up
phrasal verb
1. to turn a key to
make a machine work
ć When did you

wind up the clock or wind the clock up?
2. to turn a key to make something go up
ć Wind up your window if it starts to
rain.
3. to be in a situation at the end of
a period
(
informal
) ć They wound up
owing the bank thousands of pounds.
window
window /wndəυ/
noun
1. an opening
in a surface such as a wall or door,
which is filled with glass
ć a seat by the
window
ć I looked out of the kitchen
window and saw a fox.
ć It’s dangerous
to lean out of car windows.
ć The bur-
glar must have got in through the bath-
room window.
2. any of several sections
of a computer screen on which informa-
tion is shown
ć Open the command win-
dow to see the range of possible com-

mands.
windy
windy /wndi/
adjective
when a strong
wind is blowing
(
informal
) (NOTE:
windier – windiest)
wine
wine /wan/
noun
an alcoholic drink
made from grapes
ć We had a glass of
French red wine.
ć Two glasses of white
wine, please.
ć Should we have some
white wine with the fish?
wing
wing /wŋ/
noun
1. one of the two parts
of the body, which a bird or butterfly
etc. uses to fly
ć The little birds were
flapping their wings, trying to fly.
ć

Which part of the chicken do you prefer:
a leg or a wing?
2. one of the two flat
parts sticking from the side of an air-
craft, which hold the aircraft in the air
ć
He had a seat by the wing, so could not
see much out of the window.
wink
wink /wŋk/
verb
to shut and open one
eye quickly, as a signal
ć She winked at
him to try to tell him that everything was
going well.
winner
winner /wnə/
noun
1. a person who
wins something
ć The winner of the
race gets a silver cup.
2. something
which is successful
ć His latest book is
a winner.
winter
winter /wntə/
noun

the coldest season
of the year, the season between autumn
Basic.fm Page 363 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM
wipe 364 woman
and spring ć It’s too cold to do any gar-
dening in the winter.
ć We’re taking a
winter holiday in Mexico.
wipe
wipe /wap/
verb
to clean or dry some-
thing with a cloth
ć Wipe your shoes
with a cloth before you polish them.
ć
Use the blue towel to wipe your hands.
wire
wire /waə/
noun
1. a thin piece of metal
or metal thread
ć He used bits of wire to
attach the apple tree to the wall.
ć The
chip basket is made of woven wire.
2. ˽
(electric) wire thin metal thread along
which electricity flows, usually covered
with coloured plastic

ć The wires seem
to be all right, so there must be a prob-
lem with the computer itself.
wisdom
wisdom /wzdəm/
noun
general com-
mon sense and the ability to make good
decisions
wise
wise /waz/
adjective
having intelligence
and being sensible
ć It was a wise deci-
sion to cancel the trip.
ć I don’t think
it’s wise to keep all that money in the
house.
wish
wish /wʃ/
noun
1. what you want to hap-
pen
2. a greeting ć Best wishes for the
New Year!
ć Please give my good wish-
es to your family.
(NOTE: The plural is
wishes.)

í
verb
1. to want something
to happen
ć She sometimes wished she
could live in the country.
ć I wish you
wouldn’t be so unkind!
2. to hope some-
thing good will happen
ć She wished
him good luck in his interview.
ć He
wished me a Happy New Year.
ć Wish
me luck – it’s my exam tomorrow.
witch
witch /wtʃ/
noun
a woman believed to
have magic powers
(NOTE: The plural is
witches.)
with
with /wð, wθ/
preposition
1. showing
that things or people are together
ć She
came here with her mother.

ć My sister
is staying with us for a few days.
(NOTE:
with is used with many adjectives and
verbs:
to agree with
,
to be pleased
with
.) 2. something which you have ć
The girl with fair hair. ć They live in the
house with the pink door.
3. showing
something which is used
ć He was
chopping up wood with an axe.
ć Since
his accident he walks with a stick.
ć The
crowd attacked the police with stones
and bottles.
4. because of ć Her little
hands were blue with cold.
ć Half the
people in the office are ill with flu.
within
within /w

ðn/
preposition

inside an
area or period of time
ć The house is
within easy reach of the station.
ć We
are within walking distance of the shop.
ć I must go back for a another check
within three months.
ć They promised to
deliver the sofa within a week.
without
without /w

ðaυt/
preposition
1. not
with
ć They came on a walking holiday
without any boots.
ć She managed to
live for a few days without any food.
ć
He was stuck in Germany without any
money.
ć They were fined for travelling
without tickets.
2. not doing something
ć She sang for an hour without stop-
ping.
ć They lived in the hut in the forest

without seeing anybody for weeks.
witness
witness /wtnəs/
noun
1. a person who
sees something happen or who is
present when something happens
ć The
witness happened to be outside the
house when it was burgled.
2. a person
who is present when someone signs a
document
ć The contract has to be
signed in front of two witnesses.
ć His
sister signed as a witness.
í
verb
to be
present when something happens, and
see it happening
ć Did anyone witness
the accident?
witty
witty /wti/
adjective
clever and funny ć
She gave a witty and entertaining
speech.

(NOTE: wittier – wittiest)
wives
wives /wavz/ plural of wife
wobble
wobble /wɒb(ə)l/
verb
to move from
side to side in a way that is not smooth
or steady
ć The children made the jelly
wobble in their bowls.
ć Don’t wobble
the table when I’m pouring coffee.
woke
woke /wəυk/ past tense of wake
woken
woken /wəυk(ə)n/ past participle of
wake
wolf
wolf /wυlf/
noun
a wild animal like a
large dog, which usually lives in groups
in the forest
ć At night the wolves came
and howled outside the hut.
(NOTE: The
plural is wolves.)
woman
woman /wυmən/

noun
an adult female
person
ć The manager is an extremely
experienced woman.
ć There are very
few women in government.
ć There are
Basic.fm Page 364 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM
won 365 work
more and more women bus drivers.
(NOTE: The plural is women /wmn/.)
won
won /wn/ past tense and past participle
of
win
wonder
wonder /wndə/
verb
1. to want to
know something
ć I wonder why the
room has gone quiet.
ć If you don’t ring
home, your parents will start wondering
what has happened.
2. to think about
something
ć I wonder how I can earn
more money.

ć He’s wondering what to
do next.
3. asking a question politely ć
We were wondering if you would like to
come for dinner on Saturday.
wonderful
wonderful /wndəf(ə)l/
adjective
ex-
tremely good or enjoyable
ć They had a
wonderful holiday by a lake in Sweden.
ć The weather was wonderful for the
whole holiday.
ć You passed your driv-
ing test first time? – Wonderful!
wood
wood /wυd/
noun
1. a hard material
which comes from a tree
ć The kitchen
table is made of wood.
ć She picked up
a piece of wood and put it on the fire.
ć
A wood floor would be just right for this
room.
(NOTE: no plural:
some wood

,
a
piece of wood
) 2. an area in which
many trees are growing together
ć The
path goes straight through the wood.
ć
Their house is on the edge of a wood.
(NOTE: The plural is woods. Do not
confuse with would.)
wooden
wooden /wυd(ə)n/
adjective
made out
of wood
ć In the market we bought little
wooden dolls for the children.
wool
wool /wυl/
noun
1. long threads of twist-
ed animal hair, used to make clothes or
carpets etc.
ć The carpet is made of
wool.
ć I need an extra ball of wool to
finish this pullover.
2. the hair growing
on a sheep

ć The sheep are sheared and
the wool sent to market in early summer.
woolly
woolly /wυli/
adjective
made out of
wool
ć She wore a woolly hat.
word
word /wd/
noun
1. a separate piece of
language, either written or spoken
ć
This sentence has five words. ć He al-
ways spells some words wrongly, such
as ‘though’.
2. something spoken ć She
passed me in the street but didn’t say a
word.
ć I’d like to say a few words about
Mr Smith who is retiring today.
3. a
promise which you have made
˽ to give
your word to promise
ć He gave his
word that the matter would remain con-
fidential.
˽ to keep your word to do

what you promised to do
ć He kept his
word, and the cheque arrived the next
day.
˽ to take someone’s word for it to
accept what someone says as being true
ć OK, I’ll take your word for it. ȣ to
have a word with someone
to speak
to someone
ć I must have a word with
the manager about the service.
ć The
salesgirl had made so many mistakes, I
had to have a word with her.
ȣ without
a word
without saying anything ć She
went out of the room without a word.
ȣ
word for word exactly as it is said or
written
ć Tell me what he said word for
word.
ć A word-for-word translation of-
ten doesn’t make any sense.
word processing
word processing /wd prəυsesŋ/
noun
using a computer to produce,

check and change texts, reports and let-
ters etc.
word processor
word processor /wd prəυsesə/
noun
1. a small computer which is used
to produce texts, reports and letters etc.
ć She offered to write the letter for me
on her word processor.
ć You can use
my word processor to type your letter if
you like.
2. a word-processing program
which allows you to create texts, edit
them and print them
wore
wore /wɔ/ past tense of wear
work
work /wk/
noun
1. things that you do
using your strength or your brain
ć
There’s a great deal of work still to be
done on the project.
ć There’s too much
work for one person.
ć If you’ve fin-
ished that piece of work, there’s plenty
more to be done.

ć Cooking for two
hundred people every day is hard work.
2. a job done regularly to earn money ć
He goes to work every day on his bicy-
cle.
ć Work starts at 9 a.m. and finishes
at 5 p.m.
ć Her work involves a lot of
travelling.
ć He is still looking for work.
3. something which has been made,
painted or written by someone
ć the
complete works of Shakespeare
ć An
exhibition of the work of local artists.
í
verb
1. to use your strength or brain to
do something
ć I can’t work in the gar-
Basic.fm Page 365 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM
worker 366 worse
den if it’s raining. ć He’s working well
at school, we’re very pleased with his
progress.
ć Work hard and you’ll soon
get a better job.
2. to have a job ć She
works in an office in London.

ć He used
to work in his father’s shop.
ć She had
to stop working when her mother was
ill.
3. (
of a machine
) to run ć The com-
puters aren’t working.
ć The machine
works by electricity.
4. to make a ma-
chine run
ć She works the biggest print-
ing machine in the factory.
ć Do you
know how to work the microwave?
5. to
be successful
ć His plan worked well. ć
Will the plan work? ć If the cough med-
icine doesn’t work, you’ll have to see a
doctor.
work out
phrasal verb
1. to solve a
problem by looking at information or
calculating figures
ć I’m trying to work
out if we’ve sold more this year than

last.
˽ to work out at something to
amount to an amount
ć The total works
out at £10.50 per person.
2. to succeed
ć Everything worked out quite well in
the end.
˽ to work something out to
find a successful way of solving a prob-
lem
3. to do exercises ć He works out
every morning in the gym.
worker
worker /wkə/
noun
1. a person who
works
ć She’s a good worker. ć He’s a
fast worker.
2. a person who works in a
particular job
ć The factory closed
when the workers went on strike.
ć Of-
fice workers usually work from 9.30 to
5.30.
working
working /wkŋ/
adjective

relating to a
job or to work
ć the working population
of a country
ć The unions have com-
plained about working conditions in the
factory.
ć He came to the party in his
working clothes.
í
noun
a way or ways
in which something works
ć The work-
ings of a car engine are a complete mys-
tery to him.
ć I wish I could understand
the workings of local government!
working class
working class /wkŋ klɑs/
noun
a
group in society consisting of people
who work with their hands, usually
earning wages not salaries
workman
workman /wkmən/
noun
a man who
works with his hands

(NOTE: The plural
is workmen.)
works
works
plural noun
1. the moving parts of
a machine
ć I looked inside the clock
and there seems to be dust in the works.
2. a factory ć The steel works will be
closed next week for the Christmas hol-
idays.
í the works everything
(
informal
) ć They built a conservatory
with a fountain, automatic lighting, a
barbecue – the works!
workshop
workshop /wkʃɒp/
noun
a very
small factory where things are made or
repaired
world
world /wld/
noun
the earth on which
we live
ć Here is a map of the world. ć

She flew round the world twice last year.
ć He has to travel all over the world on
business.
ć A round-the-world ticket al-
lows several stopovers.
worm
worm /wm/
noun
a small thin animal
which has no arms or legs and lives in
the soil
ć Birds were pecking at the soil
for worms.
worn
worn /wɔn/ past participle of wear
worn out
worn out /wɔn aυt/
adjective
very
tired
ć He was worn out after the game
of rugby.
ć She comes home every
evening, worn out after a busy day at the
office.
worried
worried /wrid/
adjective
unhappy be-
cause you think something bad will hap-

pen or because something bad has hap-
pened
ć He had a worried look on his
face.
ć She’s looking worried. ć I’m
worried that we may run out of petrol.
worry
worry /wri/
verb
to make someone feel
anxious
ć She’s always looks so tired,
and that worries me.
(NOTE: worries –
worrying – worried)
í
noun
1. some-
thing that makes you anxious
ć Go on
holiday and try to forget your worries.
(NOTE: The plural is worries.) 2. the
state of being anxious
ć She is a great
source of worry for her family.
(NOTE:
no plural)
worse
worse /ws/
adjective

1. less good than
something else
ć It rained for the first
week of our holidays, and the second
week was even worse.
ć I think this film
is worse than the one I saw last week.
ć
Both children are naughty – but the little
girl is worse than her brother.
2. more ill
ć He’s much worse since he started tak-
Basic.fm Page 366 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM
worship 367 wrestle
ing his medicine. í
adverb
not as well ć
He drives badly enough but his sister
drives even worse.
worship
worship /wʃp/
verb
1. to praise and
respect God
ć The ancient peoples wor-
shipped stone statues of their gods.
2. to
take part in a church service
ć They
worship regularly in the local church.

(NOTE: worships – worshipping –
worshipped)
worst
worst /wst/
adjective
worse than any-
thing else
ć I think this is the worst film
he’s ever made.
í
adverb
less well than
anything or anyone else or than at any
other time
ć It’s difficult to say which
team played worst.
ć She works worst
when she’s tired.
í
noun
a very bad
thing
ć This summer is the worst for fif-
ty years.
worth
worth /wθ/
adjective
1. ˽ to be worth
to have a certain value or price
ć This

ring’s worth a lot of money.
ć Gold is
worth more than silver.
ć The house is
worth more than £250,000.
2. ˽ to be
worth doing something to find some-
thing good or helpful to do
ć It’s worth
taking a map with you, as you may get
lost in the little streets.
ć His latest film
is well worth seeing.
ć The old castle is
well worth visiting or is well worth a
visit.
í
noun
a value ć Its worth will in-
crease each year.
ć She lost jewellery of
great worth in the fire.
ć Can you give
me twenty pounds’ worth of petrol?
would
would /wυd/
modal verb
1. used as a po-
lite way of asking someone to do some-
thing

ć Would you please stop talking?
ć Would someone please tell me where
the library is?
ć Would you like some
more tea?
2. used as the past of ‘will’ ć
He said he would be here for lunch. ć
She hoped she would be well enough to
come.
ć He wouldn’t go even if I paid
him.
3. used as the past of ‘will’, show-
ing something which often happens
ć
He would bring his dog with him, even
though we asked him not to.
ć My hus-
band forgot my birthday again this year
– he would!
4. used for showing some-
thing which often happened in the past
ć Every morning she would go and feed
the chickens.
ć He would always be
there waiting outside the station.
ć They
would often bring us flowers.
5. used
following a condition
ć I’m sure that if

they could come, they would.
ć I
would’ve done it if you had asked me to.
ć If she were alive, she would or she’d
be a hundred years old today.
ć If it
snowed we would or we’d go skiing.
(NOTE: The negative would not is usu-
ally written wouldn’t. Note also that
would is often shortened to ’d
she’d be
a hundred, he’d stay at home.
Note
also that would is only used with other
verbs and is not followed by to)
would rather
phrasal verb
to prefer
wound
wound
1
/wund/
noun
a cut made on
someone’s body, usually in fighting
í
verb
1. to hurt someone badly by cutting
into their flesh
ć Two of the gang were

wounded in the bank robbery.
2. to hurt
someone’s feelings
ć She was deeply
wounded by what he said.
wound
wound
2
/waυnd/ past tense and past par-
ticiple of
wind
wove
wove /wəυv/ past tense of weave
woven
woven /wəυv(ə)n/ past participle of
weave
wrap
wrap /rp/
verb
to cover something by
putting something over it
ć She
wrapped the parcel in paper.
(NOTE:
wraps -wrapping – wrapped)
í
noun
1. a type of shawl that is put round the
shoulders or the top part of the body
ć

She pulled her wrap closer around her.
2. a piece of material used to cover
something
ć Remove the wrap before
putting the dish in the microwave.
wrapping
wrapping /rpŋ/
noun
the paper or
plastic used to wrap something up
wreck
wreck /rek/
noun
1. a ship which has
been sunk or badly damaged
ć Divers
have discovered the wreck on the sea-
bed.
ć The wreck of the ‘Mary Rose’
was found in the sea near Southampton.
2. anything which has been damaged
and cannot be used
ć The police towed
away the wreck of the car.
ć Their house
is now a total wreck.
í
verb
to damage
something very badly

ć The ship was
wrecked on the rocks in the storm.
ć The
bank was wrecked by the explosion.
wrestle
wrestle /res(ə)l/
verb
to fight with
someone to try to throw him to the
Basic.fm Page 367 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM
wriggle 368 wrung
ground ć The President’s guards wres-
tled with the demonstrators.
wriggle
wriggle /r(ə)l/
verb
to twist from side
to side
ć The baby wriggled in her fa-
ther’s arms.
ć The worm wriggled back
into the soil.
wring
wring /rŋ/
verb
to twist something, espe-
cially to get water out of it
ć Wring the
face cloth (dry) after you have used it.
ć

He wrung out his shirt before putting it
to dry.
(NOTE: wrings – wringing –
wrung /
rŋ/)
wrinkle
wrinkle /rŋkəl/
noun
a fold in the skin
ć She had an operation to remove wrin-
kles round her eyes.
wrinkled
wrinkled /rŋkəld/
adjective
full of
lines or creases
wrist
wrist /rst/
noun
the joint between the
arm and the hand
write
write /rat/
verb
1. to put words or num-
bers on paper etc. using a pen, pencil,
computer etc.
ć She wrote the address
on the back of an envelope.
ć Write the

reference number at the top of the letter.
2. to write a letter and send it to some-
one
ć She writes to me twice a week. ć
Don’t forget to write as soon as you get
to your hotel.
3. to be the author of a
book or music etc.
ć He wrote a book on
keeping tropical fish.
ć Didn’t you know
she used to write for the ‘Sunday
Times’?
(NOTE: writes – writing –
wrote /
rəυt/ – written /rt(ə)n/)
write down
phrasal verb
to write
something
writer
writer /ratə/
noun
a person who writes
books or articles
writing
writing /ratŋ/
noun
something which
is written

ć Please don’t phone, reply in
writing.
ć Put everything in writing,
then you have a record of what has been
done.
written
written
1
/rt(ə)n/
adjective
which has
been put in writing
written
written
2
/rt(ə)n/ past participle of
write
wrong
wrong /rɒŋ/
adjective
1. not correct ć
He gave three wrong answers and failed
the test.
ć That’s not the right time, is it?
– No, the clock is wrong.
ć You’ve com e
to the wrong house – there’s no one
called Jones living here.
ć I must have
pressed the wrong button.

2. not suitable
ć You came just at the wrong time, when
we were bathing the children.
ć She was
wearing the wrong sort of dress for a
wedding.
3. not working properly ć
There is something wrong with the tele-
vision.
4. morally bad ć It’s wrong to
talk like that about her.
ć Cheating in
exams is wrong.
5. making someone
worried
í
adverb
badly ć Everything
went wrong yesterday.
ć She spelt my
name wrong.
wrongly
wrongly /rɒŋli/
adverb
not correctly
wrote
wrote /rəυt/ past tense of write
wrung
wrung /rŋ/ past tense and past participle
of

wring
Basic.fm Page 368 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM
XYZ
x
x /eks/, X
noun
the twenty-fourth letter of
the alphabet, between W and Y
í
sym-
bol
1. a multiplication sign ć 3 x 3 = 9.
(NOTE: say ‘three times three equals
nine’) 2.
showing size ć The table top is
24 x 36cm.
(NOTE: say ‘twenty-four by
thirty-six centimetres’)
X
X /eks/
noun
the Roman numeral for ten
or tenth
X-ray
X-ray /eks re/
noun
1. a type of radia-
tion that doctors use for taking photo-
graphs of the inside of your body
ć The

X-ray examination showed the key was
inside the baby’s stomach.
ć The X-ray
department is closed for lunch.
2. a pho-
tograph taken with X-rays
ć The X-ray
showed that the bone was broken in two
places.
ć They will take an X-ray of his
leg.
ć She was sent to hospital for an X-
ray.
í
verb
to take an X-ray photograph
of someone
ć There are six patients
waiting to be X-rayed.
ć They X-rayed
my leg to see if it was broken.
y
y /wa/, Y
noun
the twenty-fifth letter of
the alphabet, between X and Z
yacht
yacht /jɒt/
noun
1. a sailing boat used for

pleasure and sport
2. a large comforta-
ble boat with a motor
ć She spent her
holiday on a yacht in the Mediterrane-
an.
yard
yard /jɑd/
noun
1. a measurement of
length, equal to 0.914 metres
ć The po-
lice station is only yards away from
where the fight took place.
ć Can you
move your car a couple of yards as it is
blocking the entrance to our garage?
2.
an area of concrete at the back or side of
a house
ć We keep our bikes in the yard.
yarn
yarn /jɑn/
noun
a long piece of wool
used in knitting or weaving
ć She sells
yarn from the wool of her sheep.
yawn
yawn /jɔn/

verb
to open your mouth
wide and breathe in and out deeply
when you are tired or bored
ć He went
on speaking for so long that half the
people at the meeting started yawning
or started to yawn.
yeah
yeah /jeə/
interjection
yes
year
year /jə/
noun
1. a period of time lasting
twelve months, from January 1st to De-
cember 31st
ć Columbus discovered
America in the year 1492.
ć Great cele-
brations which took place in the year
2000.
ć Last year we did not have any
holiday.
ć Next year she’s going on hol-
iday in Australia.
ć The weather was
very bad for most of the year.
˽ all year

round working or open for the whole
year
ć The museum is open all year
round.
2. a period of twelve months
from a particular time
ć We spent five
years in Hong Kong.
ć He died two hun-
dred years ago today.
ć She’ll be eleven
years old tomorrow.
ć How many years
have you been working for the compa-
ny?
yell
yell /jel/
verb
to shout very loudly ć The
policeman yelled to her to get out of the
way.
yellow
yellow /jeləυ/
adjective
of a colour like
that of the sun or of gold
ć His new car
is bright yellow.
ć She’s wearing yellow
sandals.

ć At this time of year the fields
are full of yellow flowers.
í
noun
the
colour of the sun or gold
ć Do you have
any hats of a lighter yellow than this
one?
yes
yes /jes/
adverb
a word showing that you
agree with someone, accept something,
or give permission for something
ć
They asked her if she wanted to come
and she said ‘yes’.
ć Anyone want more
coffee? – Yes, please.
ć You don’t like
living in London? – Yes I do!
ć Didn’t
you work in Scotland at one time? – Yes,
Basic.fm Page 369 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM
yesterday 370 zoom
I did. ć I need a clear answer – is it
‘yes’ or ‘no’?
yesterday
yesterday /jestəde/

adverb
,
noun
the
day before today
ć Yes terd ay w as
March 1st so today must be the 2nd.
ć
She came to see us yesterday evening.
yet
yet /jet/
adverb
now, before now, or until
now
ć Has the manager arrived yet? ć
I haven’t seen her yet this morning. ć
Don’t throw the newspaper away – I ha-
ven’t read it yet.
í
conjunction
however
ć He’s very small and yet he can kick a
ball a long way.
ć It was starting to
snow, and yet he went out without a
coat.
yield
yield /jild/
noun
the quantity of a crop or

a product produced from a plant or from
an area of land
ć What is the normal
yield per hectare?
í
verb
1. to produce
a result
ć Their researches finally yield-
ed the information they were looking for.
2. to produce a crop or a product ć This
variety of rice can yield up to 2 tonnes
per hectare.
ć The North Sea oil depos-
its yield 100,000 barrels a month.
3. to
do or agree to do something that you
have been trying not to do
yolk
yolk /jəυk/
noun
the yellow part inside an
egg
you
you /jυ, ju/
pronoun
1. referring to
someone being spoken to
ć Are you
ready?

ć You look tired, you should rest
a bit.
ć If I give you my address will you
give me yours?
ć Hello, how are you? ć
Are you both keeping well? 2. referring
to anyone
ć You never know when you
might need a penknife.
ć You have to be
very tall to be a policeman.
(NOTE: You
is both singular and plural.)
young
young /jŋ/
adjective
not old ć She’s
very young, she’s only six.
ć He became
Prime Minister when he was still a
young man.
ć My little brother’s much
younger than me or than I am.
ć In the
afternoon there are TV programmes for
very young children.
ć This is where
your Daddy lived when he was young.
í
noun

young animals or birds ć Animals
fight to protect their young.
youngster
youngster /jŋstə/
noun
a young per-
son
ć My grandparents don’t under-
stand today’s youngsters.
your
your /jɔ/
adjective
belonging to you ć I
hope you didn’t forget to bring your
toothbrush.
ć This letter is for your
brother.
yours
yours /jɔz/
pronoun
belonging to you ć
This is my car – where’s yours? ć My
car’s in the garage, can I borrow yours?
yourself
yourself /jə

self/
pronoun
relating to
‘you’ as a subject

ć Why do you wash
the car yourself, when you could easily
take it to the car wash?
ć Watch out for
the broken glass – you might hurt your-
self.
ć I hope you are all going to enjoy
yourselves.
(NOTE: The plural is your-
selves.)
youth
youth /juθ/
noun
1. a young man ć
Gangs of youths were causing trouble in
the village.
ć A youth, aged 16, was ar-
rested for possessing drugs.
2. a period
when you are young, especially the time
between being a child and being an
adult
ć In his youth he was a great trav-
eller.
ć I haven’t done that since the
days of my youth!
z
z /zed/, Z
noun US
the last and twenty-

sixth letter of the alphabet
zap
zap /zp/
verb
(
informal
) 1. to hit or kill
someone
2. to shut down the television
using the remote control
(NOTE: zaps –
zapping – zapped)
zero
zero /zərəυ/
noun
1. the number 0 ć To
make an international call you dial zero
zero (00), followed by the number of the
country.
2. the temperature at which wa-
ter freezes
ć The temperature stayed be-
low zero for days.
3. nothing at all ć
They lost ten – zero. (NOTE: The plural is
zeros.)
zigzag
zigzag /zz/
adjective
used to de-

scribe a line which turns one way, then
the opposite way
ć There are zigzag
lines painted at pedestrian crossings to
show that cars must not stop there.
zone
zone /zəυn/
noun
an area ć Police cars
are patrolling the inner city zones.
zoo
zoo /zu/
noun
a place where wild ani-
mals are kept, and where people can go
to see them
zoom
zoom /zum/
verb
to go very fast ć Cars
were zooming past me on the motorway.
Basic.fm Page 370 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM
SUPPLEMENT
Irregular Verbs
Verb Past tense Past participle
arise arose arisen
awake awoke awoken
be was, were been
bear bore borne
beat beat beaten

become became become
begin began begun
bend bent bent
bet bet bet
bid bid bid
bind bound bound
bite bit bitten
bleed bled bled
blow blew blown
break broke broken
breed bred bred
bring brought brought
broadcast broadcast broadcast
build built built
burn burnt, burned burnt, burned
burst burst burst
buy bought bought
cast cast cast
catch caught caught
choose chose chosen
come came come
cost cost cost
creep crept crept
cut cut cut
deal dealt dealt
dig dug dug
do did done
draw drew drawn
dream dreamed, dreamt dreamed, dreamt
drink drank drunk

drive drove driven
eat ate eaten
fall fell fallen
feed fed fed
feel felt felt
fight fought fought
find found found
flee fled fled
fling flung flung
fly flew flown
forbid forbade forbidden
forecast forecast forecast
forget forgot forgotten
forgive forgave forgiven
freeze froze frozen
get got got, (US) gotten
give gave given
go went gone
grind ground ground
grow grew grown
hang hung hung
have had had
hear heard heard
Irregular Verbs
Verb Past tense Past participle
hide hid hidden
hit hit hit
hold held held
hurt hurt hurt
keep kept kept

kneel knelt, kneeled knelt, kneeled
knit knit, knitted knit, knitted
know knew known
lay laid laid
lead led led
lean leant, leaned leant, leaned
leap leapt, leaped leapt, leaped
learn learnt, learned learnt, learned
leave left left
lend lent lent
let let let
lie lay lain
light lit lit
lose lost lost
make made made
mean meant meant
meet met met
mistake mistook mistaken
overcome overcame overcome
overhear overheard overheard
overtake overtook overtaken
pay paid paid
put put put
quit quit quit
read read read
ride rode ridden
ring rang rung
rise rose risen
run ran run
saw sawed sawn

say said said
see saw seen
seek sought sought
sell sold sold
send sent sent
set set set
sew sewed sewed, sewn
shake shook shaken
shed shed shed
shine shone shone
shoot shot shot
show showed shown
shrink shrank shrunk
shut shut shut
sing sang sung
sink sank sunk
sit sat sat
sleep slept slept
slide slid slid
smell smelt, smelled smelt, smelled
sow sowed sown
speak spoke spoken
speed sped sped
Irregular Verbs
Verb Past tense Past participle
spell spelt, spelled spelt, spelled
spend spent spent
spill spilt, spilled spilt, spilled
spin span spun
split split split

spoil spoilt, spoiled spoilt, spoiled
spread spread spread
spring sprang sprung
stand stood stood
steal stole stolen
stick stuck stuck
sting stung stung
stink stank stunk
stride strode strode
strike struck struck
strive strove striven
swear swore sworn
sweep swept swept
swell swelled swelled, swollen
swim swam swum
swing swung swung
take took taken
teach taught taught
tear tore torn
tell told told
think thought thought
throw threw thrown
thrust thrust thrust
tread trod trodden
understand understood understood
undo undid undone
upset upset upset
wake woke woken
wear wore worn
weave wove woven

win won won
wind wound wound
wring wrung wrung
write wrote written
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