Education & Learning — A2 Essential Words
Ten essential A2 words (Education) with the complete apparatus: pronunciation, simple definitions, natural American examples, collocations, family, the common mistake and spoken usage — plus a 15-question practice quiz. Mark your status on every word.
lesson /ˈles.ən/ noun A2 Education
Meaning: A period of time when a teacher teaches one subject or skill, or one part of a course book.
Example: Our English lesson starts at 9 every morning.
Another example: Today’s lesson is about the past tense.
Collocations: an English lesson · lesson plan · a driving lesson
Synonyms: class, session
Word family: lesson (n) · lessen (v — to make smaller; different word)
⚠ Common mistake: A ’lesson’ is one teaching period; a ’class’ can be the group of students or the whole course. Don’t say ’I have a lesson of English with 30 students’ — the 30 students are your ’class’.
🗣 In spoken American English: Life also teaches ’lessons’: ’That mistake taught me a lesson’ means you learned from something bad.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
homework /ˈhoʊm.wɝːk/ noun A2 Education
Meaning: School work that a teacher gives students to do at home, not in the classroom.
Example: I have a lot of homework tonight.
Another example: Did you finish your English homework, Sophia?
Collocations: do homework · homework assignment · a lot of homework
Synonyms: assignment
Word family: homework (n) · home (n) · work (n)
⚠ Common mistake: ’Homework’ is uncountable: say ’a lot of homework’, not ’many homeworks’ or ’a homework’. Use ’do’ with it: ’do your homework’, not ’make your homework’.
🗣 In spoken American English: Kids ask, ’Can I play after my homework?’ Parents ask the famous question: ’Did you do your homework?’
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
exam /ɪɡˈzæm/ noun A2 Education
Meaning: An important test of your knowledge in a subject, usually written, at the end of a course or for a school or job.
Example: The final exam is on Friday — I’m studying all week.
Another example: She passed her driving exam on the first try.
Collocations: take an exam · pass an exam · final exam
Synonyms: test, final (for the last exam of a course)
Word family: exam (n) · examine (v) · examination (n — formal full form)
⚠ Common mistake: Students ’take’ an exam (American) and teachers ’give’ one. Say ’pass’ when you succeed and ’fail’ when you don’t. Don’t say ’make an exam’ for sitting one.
🗣 In spoken American English: The week of final exams is called ’finals week’. Students say ’I have finals all week.’
Register: neutral — ’examination’ is formal; ’exam’ is the everyday word
question /ˈkwes.tʃən/ noun A2 Education
Meaning: Words you say or write to ask for information or an answer.
Example: Can I ask a question about the homework?
Another example: The last question on the test was really hard.
Collocations: ask a question · answer a question · a good question
Synonyms: inquiry (formal)
Word family: question (n) · question (v) · question mark (n)
⚠ Common mistake: You ’ask’ a question — don’t say ’make a question’ or ’do a question’. The verb for giving the reply is ’answer’: ’Answer the question, please.’
🗣 In spoken American English: Teachers say ’Any questions?’ at the end of a lesson. ’Good question!’ means the question is smart or hard to answer.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
answer /ˈæn.sɚ/ noun and verb A2 Education
Meaning: Noun: what you say or write when someone asks you a question. Verb: to give that reply, or to pick up the phone.
Example: I don’t know the answer to question three.
Another example: Please answer the phone — it’s ringing!
Collocations: the right answer · answer the question · answer the phone
Synonyms: reply, response
Word family: answer (n) · answer (v) · answering machine (n)
⚠ Common mistake: Note the spelling: ’answer’ has a silent ’w’. Say ’answer the question’ — no ’to’: not ’answer to the question’. For a person: ’Answer me, please.’
🗣 In spoken American English: ’The answer is no’ is a firm no. On tests, a ’multiple-choice’ question gives you answers to choose from.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
language /ˈlæŋ.ɡwɪdʒ/ noun A2 Education
Meaning: The words and grammar that people of a country or group use to speak and write; also the study of how language works.
Example: English is the main language in the United States.
Another example: How many languages do you speak, Michael?
Collocations: foreign language · language school · first language
Synonyms: tongue (in ’mother tongue’)
Word family: language (n) · linguistic (adj) · bilingual (adj — speaking two languages)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’speak a language’: ’She speaks English’. Don’t say ’She speaks the English’ for the language in general — ’the’ is not used before language names.
🗣 In spoken American English: Your first language is your ’mother tongue’ or ’native language’. A ’native speaker’ learned it as a child.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
study /ˈstʌd.i/ verb A2 Education
Meaning: To spend time learning about a subject by reading, practicing, and thinking.
Example: Tom studies English every evening after dinner.
Another example: We studied the map before our trip to Chicago.
Collocations: study hard · study for an exam · study English
Synonyms: learn, prepare
Word family: study (v) · study (n — a room or a research study) · student (n) · studies (n)
⚠ Common mistake: ’Study’ is what you do with books; ’learn’ is the result in your head. Say ’I’m studying for the exam’ — with ’for’ — not ’studying the exam’ when you mean preparing.
🗣 In spoken American English: A ’study group’ is friends who learn together. At college libraries there are quiet ’study rooms’.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
practice /ˈpræk.tɪs/ verb and noun A2 Education
Meaning: Verb: to do something again and again to get better at it. Noun: the time you spend doing that, or training for a sport.
Example: Practice your English every day — even ten minutes helps.
Another example: The soccer team has practice on Tuesdays.
Collocations: practice every day · soccer practice · practice makes perfect
Synonyms: train, drill
Word family: practice (n) · practice (v) · practical (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: In American English, ’practice’ is spelled with a ’c’ for both the noun and the verb. (British English uses ’practise’ for the verb.) Don’t say ’practice to speak’ — say ’practice speaking’.
🗣 In spoken American English: ’Practice makes perfect’ is the famous saying: repeating something makes you good at it.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
mistake /mɪˈsteɪk/ noun A2 Education
Meaning: Something that is wrong because you were careless or did not know the right way.
Example: I made a mistake in the last exercise.
Another example: Don’t worry — everyone makes mistakes when they learn.
Collocations: make a mistake · a spelling mistake · by mistake
Synonyms: error, slip
Word family: mistake (n) · mistake (v) · mistaken (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’make a mistake’, never ’do a mistake’. One wrong thing is ’a mistake’ (countable): ’two mistakes’.
🗣 In spoken American English: ’My mistake!’ means ’Sorry, that was my fault.’ ’By mistake’ means it happened accidentally: ’I took your book by mistake.’
Register: neutral — ’error’ is a little more formal
dictionary /ˈdɪk.ʃə.ner.i/ noun A2 Education
Meaning: A book or app that lists words in order and tells you what they mean, how to say them, and how to use them.
Example: Look up new words in a dictionary.
Another example: I use an online dictionary on my phone every day.
Collocations: look up a word · online dictionary · use a dictionary
Synonyms: lexicon (formal)
Word family: dictionary (n) · diction (n — word choice)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’look up a word in the dictionary’ — the verb is ’look up’, not ’look for up’. Write ’dictionary’ with one ’n’ in the middle part: dic-tion-ary.
🗣 In spoken American English: ’Look it up’ is the short way to say ’search for it in a dictionary or online’. Good students keep a small dictionary next to their books.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing