Work & Jobs — A2 Essential Words
Ten essential A2 words (Work) 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.
job /dʒɑːb/ noun A2 Work
Meaning: The work that someone does regularly to earn money; a position with a company or organization.
Example: Michael found a new job at a hotel in San Diego.
Another example: Teaching is a hard job, but she loves it.
Collocations: a full-time job · find a job · job interview
Synonyms: position, work
Word family: job (n) · jobless (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: ’Job’ is countable: ’a job’, ’two jobs’. ’Work’ is uncountable: say ’I have a lot of work’, not ’many works’ or ’a work’.
🗣 In spoken American English: People ask ’What do you do?’ to ask about your job. Answer with ’I’m a teacher’ or ’I work at a bank’, not ’My job is teacher’.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
office /ˈɔː.fɪs/ noun A2 Work
Meaning: A room or building where people work at desks, usually for a company or the government.
Example: Lisa’s office is on the fifth floor of that building.
Another example: I left my keys at the office yesterday.
Collocations: office building · office hours · work in an office
Synonyms: workplace
Word family: office (n) · officer (n)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’work in an office’ or ’at the office’ for the place. Don’t say ’I am in office’ — the article ’the’ or ’an’ is needed.
🗣 In spoken American English: ’Office hours’ are the times an office is open. At college, teachers also have office hours to meet students.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
boss /bɔːs/ noun A2 Work
Meaning: The person who is in charge of you at work and tells you what to do.
Example: My boss asked me to finish the report by Friday.
Another example: Clara is the boss of a small team of five people.
Collocations: my boss · the big boss · boss around
Synonyms: manager, chief
Antonyms: worker, employee (from the boss’s side)
Word family: boss (n) · bossy (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: ’Boss’ is the everyday word. In formal writing, use ’manager’ or ’supervisor’. Don’t call a teacher your ’boss’ — teachers are not bosses.
🗣 In spoken American English: People joke ’You’re not the boss of me!’ — and a ’bossy’ person tells everyone what to do, even friends.
Register: neutral in speech — use ’manager’ in formal writing
meeting /ˈmiː.tɪŋ/ noun A2 Work
Meaning: A time when people come together in a room or online to talk about work and make decisions.
Example: We have a team meeting every Monday at 10.
Another example: The meeting lasted two hours, so lunch was late.
Collocations: a team meeting · in a meeting · meeting room
Synonyms: discussion, call (online)
Word family: meeting (n) · meet (v) · meeting point (n)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’have a meeting’ or ’be in a meeting’. Don’t say ’make a meeting’ or ’do a meeting’.
🗣 In spoken American English: If someone is busy, people say ’She’s in a meeting.’ Online meetings are often just called ’calls’: ’I have a call at 3.’
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
company /ˈkʌm.pə.ni/ noun A2 Work
Meaning: A business that makes or sells things, or gives services to people, to earn money.
Example: Julia works for a phone company in Seattle.
Another example: The company opened a new office in Austin this year.
Collocations: a phone company · work for a company · start a company
Synonyms: business, firm
Word family: company (n) · companion (n — a friend you spend time with)
⚠ Common mistake: Use ’work for a company’ or ’work at a company’. Don’t say ’work in a company of phones’ — say ’a phone company’.
🗣 In spoken American English: People often give the company name instead: ’I work for Google’ or ’I work at a hospital.’
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
customer /ˈkʌs.tə.mɚ/ noun A2 Work
Meaning: A person who buys things or services from a shop or company.
Example: The store is busy — there are customers everywhere.
Another example: Good workers are always polite to customers.
Collocations: a happy customer · customer service · regular customer
Synonyms: client (for professional services), shopper (in a store)
Antonyms: seller, worker
Word family: customer (n) · custom (n — a tradition) · customs (n — airport checks)
⚠ Common mistake: A ’customer’ buys from a business. A ’client’ usually pays a professional person, like a lawyer. Don’t use ’customer’ for your guests at home.
🗣 In spoken American English: ’Customer service’ is the department that helps customers. The old saying is ’The customer is always right.’
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
salary /ˈsæl.ɚ.i/ noun A2 Work
Meaning: Money that a worker is paid every month or year for their job, usually the same amount each time.
Example: Teachers in this city get a good salary.
Another example: He spends half his salary on rent every month.
Collocations: a good salary · monthly salary · salary increase
Synonyms: pay, income
Word family: salary (n) · salaried (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: A ’salary’ is paid by the month or year. Money paid by the hour or week is a ’wage’. Don’t say ’my salary is 20 dollars an hour’ — that is a wage.
🗣 In spoken American English: In job ads you may see ’Salary: $50,000 a year.’ Talking about your own salary is private for many Americans.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
earn /ɝːn/ verb A2 Work
Meaning: To get money for work that you do.
Example: Chris earns $600 a week driving a bus.
Another example: She wants a job where she can earn more money.
Collocations: earn money · earn a living · earn $500 a week
Synonyms: make (money), get paid
Antonyms: spend, lose
Word family: earn (v) · earnings (n) · earner (n)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’earn money’ — don’t say ’earn a salary’ is wrong, but never ’win money’ for a job. ’Win’ is for games and competitions.
🗣 In spoken American English: ’Earn a living’ means to make enough money to live. People ask ’What does he do for a living?’ to ask about a job.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
busy /ˈbɪz.i/ adjective A2 Work
Meaning: Having a lot of things to do; not free. A busy place is full of people and activity.
Example: I can’t talk now — I’m busy with a customer.
Another example: The office is always busy on Mondays.
Collocations: busy day · busy at work · busy with something
Synonyms: occupied, active
Antonyms: free, quiet
Word family: busy (adj) · busily (adv) · business (n)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’busy with something’ or ’busy doing something’: ’I’m busy with work’, ’She’s busy cooking’. Don’t say ’busy in work’ or ’busy to cook’.
🗣 In spoken American English: ’How are you?’ — ’Busy!’ is a very common American answer. A phone line that is ’busy’ is in use.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
break /breɪk/ noun A2 Work
Meaning: A short time away from work to rest, eat, or drink. As a verb, it means to make something go into pieces or stop working.
Example: We get a 15-minute break at 10:30.
Another example: Let’s take a break and get some coffee.
Collocations: take a break · a coffee break · lunch break
Synonyms: rest, pause
Word family: break (n) · break (v) · broke (past form) · broken (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’take a break’, not ’make a break’ or ’do a break’. For things, ’The cup broke’ — not ’The cup was break’.
🗣 In spoken American English: At work people say ’I’m on break’ during their rest time. ’Give me a break!’ can also mean ’Stop it, that’s not fair!’ in angry speech.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing