Starting from Zero: Learn English Basics
Welcome! If you have never studied English before, start here with the alphabet, numbers, and simple words. Each item includes pronunciation and an audio button.
📚 English Alphabet
| Letter | Pronunciation | Example Word |
|---|---|---|
| A | /eɪ/ (ay) | Apple |
| B | /biː/ (bee) | Book |
| C | /siː/ (see) | Cat |
| D | /diː/ (dee) | Dog |
| E | /iː/ (ee) | Egg |
| F | /ɛf/ (ef) | Fish |
| G | /dʒiː/ (jee) | Goat |
| H | /eɪtʃ/ (aych) | Hat |
| I | /aɪ/ (eye) | Ice |
| J | /dʒeɪ/ (jay) | Jam |
| K | /keɪ/ (kay) | Key |
| L | /ɛl/ (el) | Leg |
| M | /ɛm/ (em) | Map |
| N | /ɛn/ (en) | Net |
| O | /oʊ/ (oh) | Orange |
| P | /piː/ (pee) | Pen |
| Q | /kjuː/ (cue) | Queen |
| R | /ɑːr/ (ar) | Red |
| S | /ɛs/ (es) | Sun |
| T | /tiː/ (tee) | Top |
| U | /juː/ (you) | Umbrella |
| V | /viː/ (vee) | Van |
| W | /ˈdʌbəl.juː/ (double you) | Water |
| X | /ɛks/ (ex) | Box |
| Y | /waɪ/ (why) | Yellow |
| Z | /zed/ (UK) or /ziː/ (US) | Zoo |
🔢 Numbers 1 to 10
- 1 – One /wʌn/
- 2 – Two /tuː/
- 3 – Three /θriː/
- 4 – Four /fɔː/
- 5 – Five /faɪv/
- 6 – Six /sɪks/
- 7 – Seven /ˈsɛvən/
- 8 – Eight /eɪt/
- 9 – Nine /naɪn/
- 10 – Ten /tɛn/
- 11 – Eleven /ɪˈlɛvən/
- 12 – Twelve /twɛlv/
- 13 – Thirteen /ˌθɜːˈtiːn/
- 14 – Fourteen /ˌfɔːˈtiːn/
- 15 – Fifteen /ˌfɪfˈtiːn/
- 16 – Sixteen /ˌsɪksˈtiːn/
- 17 – Seventeen /ˌsɛvənˈtiːn/
- 18 – Eighteen /ˌeɪˈtiːn/
- 19 – Nineteen /ˌnaɪnˈtiːn/
- 20 – Twenty /ˈtwɛnti/
- 21 – Twenty-one /ˈtwɛnti wʌn/
- 22 – Twenty-two /ˈtwɛnti tuː/
- 23 – Twenty-three /ˈtwɛnti θriː/
- 30 – Thirty /ˈθɜːti/
- 35 – Thirty-five /ˈθɜːti faɪv/
- 40 – Forty /ˈfɔːti/
- 100 – One hundred /wʌn ˈhʌndrəd/
- 101 – One hundred and one /wʌn ˈhʌndrəd ənd wʌn/
- 110 – One hundred and ten /wʌn ˈhʌndrəd ənd tɛn/
- 120 – One hundred and twenty /wʌn ˈhʌndrəd ənd ˈtwɛnti/
- 150 – One hundred and fifty /wʌn ˈhʌndrəd ənd ˈfɪfti/
- 200 – Two hundred /tuː ˈhʌndrəd/
🗣️ Simple First Words
Start speaking with these everyday words:- Hello – /həˈləʊ/
- Yes – /jɛs/
- No – /nəʊ/
- Thank you – /ˈθæŋk juː/
- Please – /pliːz/
- Good morning – /ɡʊd ˈmɔːnɪŋ/
- Good evening – /ɡʊd ˈiːvnɪŋ/
- Goodbye – /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/
- Sorry – /ˈsɒri/
- Excuse me – /ɪkˈskjuːz miː/
- My name is… – /maɪ neɪm ɪz/
💬 Sample Conversation
Here is a short conversation to practise: A: Hello! B: Hello! How are you? A: I am fine, thank you. B: What is your name? A: My name is Anna. What is your name? B: My name is Ben. Nice to meet you! A: Nice to meet you too. Goodbye! B: Goodbye!
👥 Personal Pronouns
Click the 🔊 to hear the word (British English where available).
| Pronoun | Use | Example Sentence | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| I/aɪ/ | Talking about yourself | I am learning English every day. | |
| You/juː/ | Talking to one person or more people | You are my best friend. | |
| He/hiː/ | Talking about a man or boy | He plays football after school. | |
| She/ʃiː/ | Talking about a woman or girl | She loves to read books. | |
| It/ɪt/ | Talking about a thing, animal, or idea | It is a sunny day. | |
| We/wiː/ | Talking about yourself + others | We are going to the park. | |
| They/ðeɪ/ | Talking about other people or things | They are watching a movie. |
✋ Possessive Pronouns
| Pronoun | Meaning | Example Sentence | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mine/maɪn/ | Belongs to me | This phone is mine. | |
| Yours/jɔːz/ | Belongs to you | Is this book yours? | |
| His/hɪz/ | Belongs to him | That bag is his. | |
| Hers/hɜːz/ | Belongs to her | The red car is hers. | |
| Its/ɪts/ | Belongs to it | The cat cleaned its fur. | |
| Ours/aʊəz/ | Belongs to us | The house on the corner is ours. | |
| Theirs/ðeəz/ | Belongs to them | Those bikes are theirs. |
🔢 Numbers in English
Click 🔊 to hear the pronunciation of each number (British English if available).
| Number | Word | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Zero | |
| 1 | One | |
| 2 | Two | |
| 3 | Three | |
| 4 | Four | |
| 5 | Five | |
| 6 | Six | |
| 7 | Seven | |
| 8 | Eight | |
| 9 | Nine | |
| 10 | Ten | |
| 11 | Eleven | |
| 12 | Twelve | |
| 13 | Thirteen | |
| 14 | Fourteen | |
| 15 | Fifteen | |
| 16 | Sixteen | |
| 17 | Seventeen | |
| 18 | Eighteen | |
| 19 | Nineteen | |
| 20 | Twenty | |
| 30 | Thirty | |
| 50 | Fifty | |
| 100 | One hundred | |
| 101 | One hundred and one | |
| 1,000 | One thousand | |
| 1,001 | One thousand and one |
📅 Days of the Week
| Day | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|
| Monday | |
| Tuesday | |
| Wednesday | |
| Thursday | |
| Friday | |
| Saturday | |
| Sunday |
🗓️ Months of the Year
| Month | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|
| January | |
| February | |
| March | |
| April | |
| May | |
| June | |
| July | |
| August | |
| September | |
| October | |
| November | |
| December |
👨👩👧👦 Family Members
Click 🔊 to hear how to pronounce each word correctly in British English.
| Family Member | Example Sentence | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|
| Father | My father is a doctor. | |
| Mother | My mother loves cooking. | |
| Brother | I have one younger brother. | |
| Sister | My sister is very kind. | |
| Grandfather | My grandfather tells great stories. | |
| Grandmother | I visit my grandmother every weekend. | |
| Uncle | My uncle lives in London. | |
| Aunt | My aunt is a teacher. | |
| Cousin | My cousin and I are the same age. | |
| Baby | The baby is sleeping. |
🎨 Colours
Learn the names of common colours. Click 🔊 to hear them.
| Colour | Example Sentence | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|
| Red | The apple is red. | |
| Orange | The sunset is orange. | |
| Yellow | The sun is yellow. | |
| Green | The grass is green. | |
| Blue | The sky is blue. | |
| Purple | I have a purple pen. | |
| Pink | Her dress is pink. | |
| Brown | The table is brown. | |
| Black | The cat is black. | |
| White | The snow is white. |
🍎 Common Objects & Things
Here are some everyday words that beginners should know.
| Word | Example Sentence | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | I eat an apple every day. | |
| Book | This is my English book. | |
| Chair | The chair is next to the table. | |
| Car | My car is blue. | |
| Table | The cup is on the table. | |
| Pen | May I borrow your pen? | |
| Phone | My phone is new. | |
| Bag | The bag is on the floor. | |
| Dog | The dog is playing outside. | |
| Cat | The cat is sleeping. |
🕒 Talking About Time
These words help you talk about when things happen. Click 🔊 to hear how they sound.
| Word / Phrase | Example Sentence | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|
| Today | Today is a beautiful day. | |
| Tomorrow | We will meet tomorrow. | |
| Yesterday | I went shopping yesterday. | |
| Now | I am studying now. | |
| Later | I’ll call you later. | |
| Tonight | We are going out tonight. | |
| Morning | I wake up early in the morning. | |
| Afternoon | Let’s have tea this afternoon. | |
| Evening | I watch TV in the evening. | |
| Night | Good night! Sleep well. |
🧭 Directions
These words help you understand where to go or how to describe a place.
| Direction | Example Sentence | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|
| Left | Turn left at the corner. | |
| Right | Go right at the traffic lights. | |
| Straight ahead | Go straight ahead and you’ll see the park. | |
| Behind | The shop is behind the bank. | |
| In front of | The car is in front of the house. | |
| Next to | The school is next to the supermarket. | |
| Between | The café is between the bank and the post office. | |
| Near | The hotel is near the station. |
👋 Greetings
These are friendly words you use to say hello or start a conversation.
| Greeting | Example Sentence | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Hello! How are you? | |
| Hi | Hi! Nice to see you! | |
| Good morning | Good morning! Did you sleep well? | |
| Good afternoon | Good afternoon! How’s your day? | |
| Good evening | Good evening! How are you today? | |
| How are you? | How are you today? | |
| I’m fine, thank you. | I’m fine, thank you. And you? |
👋 Goodbye & Farewell Phrases
Use these to say goodbye politely and naturally.
| Phrase | Example Sentence | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|
| Goodbye | Goodbye! See you tomorrow. | |
| Bye | Bye! Take care! | |
| See you later | See you later, my friend! | |
| See you soon | See you soon at the café. | |
| Take care | Take care on your way home. | |
| Good night | Good night! Sweet dreams. |
🗣️ Introducing Yourself & Asking Someone’s Name
Learn how to introduce yourself and ask about others politely.
| Phrase | Example Conversation | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|
| What’s your name? | A: What’s your name? B: My name is Anna. | |
| My name is… | My name is John. | |
| I’m… | I’m Emma. Nice to meet you. | |
| Nice to meet you | Nice to meet you, Tom! | |
| Where are you from? | A: Where are you from? B: I’m from Brazil. | |
| I’m from… | I’m from Spain. |
📞 Common Classroom Phrases
These are useful phrases you can use in class every day.
| Phrase | Example Use | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|
| Can you repeat that, please? | When you didn’t hear something clearly. | |
| I don’t understand. | When you need help to understand. | |
| How do you say this in English? | When you want to learn a word. | |
| Please speak slowly. | When you want your teacher to speak slower. | |
| What does this word mean? | When you want to know the meaning of a word. |
🧳 Countries & Nationalities
Learn how to talk about where you are from.
| Country | Nationality | Example Sentence | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | British | I am British. | |
| Spain | Spanish | She is Spanish. | |
| France | French | He is French. | |
| Italy | Italian | We are Italian. | |
| Japan | Japanese | They are Japanese. |
🌦️ Weather
Talk about what the weather is like today.
| Word | Example Sentence | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|
| Sunny | It is sunny today. | |
| Rainy | It is rainy this morning. | |
| Cloudy | The sky is cloudy. | |
| Windy | It is very windy outside. | |
| Cold | It is cold in winter. | |
| Hot | It is hot in summer. |
🍽️ Food and Drinks
Common food and drink words to start using in English.
| Word | Example Sentence | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|
| Bread | I eat bread for breakfast. | |
| Rice | We have rice for lunch. | |
| Water | Can I have some water, please? | |
| Tea | She likes tea with milk. | |
| Coffee | He drinks coffee every morning. |
🛍️ Shopping and Money
Useful phrases and words for shopping situations.
| Phrase | Example Sentence | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|
| How much is it? | How much is this T-shirt? | |
| It costs £5. | The book costs £5. | |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card, please? | |
| That’s too expensive. | This bag is too expensive. | |
| Can I have a discount? | Can I have a discount on this jacket? |
🧍♀️ Describing People and Things
Use these adjectives to describe people and objects.
| Word | Example Sentence | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|
| Tall | He is tall. | |
| Short | She is short. | |
| Beautiful | This is a beautiful flower. | |
| Big | The dog is big. | |
| Small | The cat is small. |
🏠 Common Daily Activities
Learn how to talk about what you do every day.
| Activity | Example Sentence | 🔊 Hear |
|---|---|---|
| Wake up | I wake up at 7 a.m. | |
| Go to work | I go to work by bus. | |
| Eat breakfast | I eat breakfast with my family. | |
| Cook dinner | I cook dinner every evening. | |
| Go to bed | I go to bed at 10 p.m. |
