Cambridge Starters word list: 170 words to learn by topic

Animals (24 words)

bear, bird, cat, chicken, cow, crocodile, dog, donkey, duck, elephant, fish, frog, giraffe, goat, hippo, horse, lizard, monkey, mouse, sheep, snake, spider, tiger, zebra.

Hear and practice: the animals page, with audio.

The body and face (12 words)

arm, body, ear, eye, face, foot, hair, hand, head, leg, mouth, nose.

Hear and practice: the the body and face page, with audio.

Clothes (14 words)

bag, boots, dress, glasses, hat, jacket, jeans, shirt, shoe, shorts, skirt, sock, trousers, T-shirt.

Hear and practice: the clothes page, with audio.

Colours (11 words)

black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, white, yellow.

Hear and practice: the colours page, with audio.

Family and friends (16 words)

baby, boy, brother, child, dad, family, father, friend, girl, grandfather, grandmother, man, mother, mum, sister, woman.

Food and drink (23 words)

apple, banana, bread, burger, cake, carrot, chips, chocolate, egg, ice cream, juice, lemon, mango, meat, milk, onion, pear, potato, rice, sausage, tomato, water, watermelon.

Hear and practice: the food and drink page, with audio.

The home (22 words)

apartment, armchair, bath, bathroom, bed, bedroom, clock, door, flower, garden, house, kitchen, living room, mat, mirror, phone, picture, sofa, table, television, wall, window.

Hear and practice: the the home page, with audio.

School (12 words)

board, book, classroom, computer, crayon, desk, eraser, pen, pencil, ruler, school, teacher.

Hear and practice: the school page, with audio.

Toys and play (10 words)

ball, balloon, bike, board game, camera, doll, game, kite, robot, toy.

Hear and practice: the toys and play page, with audio.

Transport (8 words)

boat, bus, car, helicopter, lorry, motorbike, plane, train.

Hear and practice: the transport page, with audio.

Places and nature (6 words)

beach, park, sea, street, sun, tree.

Action words (12 words)

draw, eat, jump, kick, listen, read, run, sing, sit, swim, walk, write.

Hear and practice: the action words page, with audio.

Numbers

At Starters level, children read and write numbers 1–20. Hear them on the numbers 1 to 20 page.

How to learn these words at home

• Take one topic a week and about ten words at a time. Short, regular practice works better than one long session.
• Use the words in real life: name the food at dinner, the clothes when getting dressed, the animals in a picture book.
• Say whole sentences, not only single words: "The cat is under the table", "I like bananas".
• Play the free Bonus Games for listening and spelling, and use the Learning Path for sentences and writing.
• For the full list of words and the test format, see the official Cambridge pages linked under Sources.

English for Fun is not part of, or endorsed by, Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers and A2 Flyers are Cambridge English Qualifications; we use the names only to say which words we mean.

Questions

Is this the official Cambridge Starters word list?

No. It is our selection of 170 useful Starters words, grouped by topic. We checked each word against the Cambridge word list (2018 edition), and every word here first appears at Starters level. The official list has more words, plus names and grammar words; it is linked under Sources.

How many Starters words should my child learn?

All the words on the official list can appear in the test. Start with the 170 words here, which cover the topics children meet most, then work through the full list.

British or American spelling?

Cambridge gives both forms, for example colour (US color) and grey (US gray). Either is fine when children write.

Where can my child practice?

Our topic pages have audio for many of these words, and the Bonus Games are free. See also our guide to Starters, Movers and Flyers.

Sources

1. Cambridge English: Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers and A2 Flyers word list (2018 edition)
2. Cambridge English: Pre A1 Starters