200+ English words organized by CEFR level, with plain-language descriptions of what each level actually means in practice.
The problem with CEFR level descriptions is that they describe ability but don't show you the vocabulary. Official documentation will tell you a B1 learner can "understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters" — which is accurate but doesn't help you plan a lesson or figure out which words to study next.
This page shows the vocabulary. Not exhaustive word lists (those run to thousands of entries and aren't useful for browsing), but representative samples — enough to understand what vocabulary knowledge actually looks like at each level, and to gauge roughly where a learner sits.
A1 learners can introduce themselves, ask and answer simple questions about personal details, and communicate in basic ways when the other person speaks slowly and is prepared to help. Vocabulary is limited to very high-frequency words — the kind that appear in every conversation.
A2 learners can communicate in simple, routine tasks — shopping, directions, short social exchanges — and describe aspects of their immediate environment. They know words for common feelings, frequent actions, and familiar topics like travel, food, and work.
B1 is the threshold of independent use. Learners can handle most situations likely to arise while traveling, express opinions, and produce connected text on familiar topics. The vocabulary shifts from concrete nouns and basic verbs to words for abstract ideas, cause and effect, and logical relations.
B2 learners can interact with a degree of fluency that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible. They can explain viewpoints on topical issues, give advantages and disadvantages, and write detailed text on a variety of subjects. Vocabulary at this level covers abstract, academic, and professional registers.
C1 learners produce fluent, well-structured speech and writing with little sign of having to search for expressions. They handle complex subjects, use language flexibly for social and professional purposes, and understand implicit meaning. This is the level most graduate programs and professional environments require of non-native speakers.
C2 is the highest CEFR level — the ability to understand with ease virtually everything heard or read, and to express themselves spontaneously, very fluently, and precisely. It doesn't mean perfect English (native speakers aren't perfect either), but it means having the range and control to communicate any idea, including subtle distinctions of meaning.
Word selections are informed by Cambridge English vocabulary profiles, Longman Communication 3000, and the Oxford 3000/5000 lists. CEFR level assignments for individual words vary between frameworks — treat these groupings as practical guides, not definitive standards. For a full production word list, the Cambridge English Vocabulary Profile (at englishprofile.org) is the most thoroughly researched source available.