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English

English

492 1.0
Relating to the English language or how people use it
  • adjective
  • /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/
translation icon : inglés
  • Findings showed a significant difference between groups in math and English scale and performance level scores.
  • English language
  • English proficiency
  • an English learner

And it also includes a quick, plain English description of each fund.

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Examples

  • Now, I would like to introduce you to the new English teacher, Miss Campbell.

  • You know what the two best words in the English language are?

  • Er, can I get a full English breakfast too, please?

  • Apparently, the participants held positive attitudes toward the English language program they follow.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The challenge of meeting the new standards is especially severe for English language learners.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Sarah Schuetze is a Ph.D. candidate in the English Department at the University of Kentucky.

    Academic text (2011)
  • April's parents had somehow succeeded in creating access to English literacy despite their own limited English skills.

    Academic text (2011)
  • English speakers only.

  • The first group was composed of students with various levels of English proficiency enrolled in ESOL classes.

    Academic text (2011)
  • He is studying for his English exam next week.

Synonyms

English-speaking
vsEnglish
21 1.9

A person, country, or community that can speak English

is broader, relating to the language or its uses beyond just speaking
anglophone
vsEnglish
1 5.8

About people or places where English is the main language

is broader, covering the language and its use beyond places where it is dominant

Idioms

9.9

A joking question that asks if someone can speak English

Compounds

A person who teaches English to students of any age

A language spoken in the UK, the US, and many countries and used worldwide for communication

A person, country, or community that can speak English

A small, round, flat bread sliced in half and toasted

A college or university teacher who teaches English language and literature

A narrow part of the sea that lies between southern England and northern France

A part of a college or university that teaches English language and literature

6 2.0

English spoken and written in the United States with its own words, spelling, and accents

People who live in or come from England and share its culture

Old English
  • Literature
4 9.9

An early form of the language spoken and written in England and southern Scotland before about AD 1100

A very large dictionary that shows the history and meanings of English words published by Oxford University Press

A form of English spoken and written from about 1100 to 1450

1 2.0

English used in the United Kingdom with different spelling and words

1 7.9

Standard British English that educated people use and most people see as correct

The form of English spoken and written since about 1450 that people use today

1 8.6

A way of speaking English heard at Oxford University that sounds formal and showy

A sturdy, medium-sized dog with a wide face and short coat often kept as a pet

A war in England from 1642 to 1651 between supporters of Parliament and the king that temporarily ended the monarchy

1 7.4

A woman seen as a classic English beauty with fair skin and delicate features

1 7.7

Standard British English spoken by educated people, especially in southern England and by the royal family

Basic English
  • Archaic
1 3.4

A simplified form of English that uses a small set of common words for international communication

Black English
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A form of American English with its own grammar and words, often spoken by African Americans

A strong black tea blend often served with milk at breakfast

A dog from England with long silky white hair and spots that people use to hunt birds

body English
  • Jargon
1 9.0

A movement of your body after throwing or hitting a ball to change its direction

1 3.4

An audio track where the actors speak in English instead of the original language

A large hunting dog from England used to hunt foxes in groups

1 6.1

A woodwind instrument like an oboe that has a lower, warm sound

A leather seat put on a horse for English style riding without a horn

A medium-sized dog with a black-and-white or brown-and-white coat used for hunting and bringing back birds

1 3.9

A climbing evergreen vine with lobed green leaves and small black berries often grown in gardens

A person from England

A 1688 change in England's rulers that made William and Mary king and queen

A large strong dog with a long shaggy grey and white coat used for herding sheep

8.4

A way of speaking English with its own grammar, sounds, and words used by many African Americans

8.6

A variety of American English many Black people speak, with different pronunciation, grammar, and words

borough English
  • Archaic
9.9

A custom in England long ago where the youngest son inherits family land

The usual spelling and rules used in the UK and many Commonwealth countries, different from American spelling

The way words are spelled in the United Kingdom, for example colour and theatre

9.9

English spoken in the Philippines with a strong local accent and different grammar

Canadian English
  • Canadian
3.4

A form of English spoken and written in Canada with different pronunciation and spelling

A set of spellings used in Canada that mixes British and American forms

English spelling used in Canada that combines British and American forms

The spelling used in the UK and many Commonwealth countries, for example colour and centre

Way of writing English words used in the UK, Ireland and many Commonwealth countries, different from American English

A part of a school or university that teaches and studies English language and literature

3.0

A large flat bean that people cook and eat, also called fava

9.1

A saddle with a metal back and front used by soldiers on horseback without a horn

A small, lively dog with long silky ears and wavy hair often kept as a pet

A six-sided instrument with rows of buttons that you play like a small accordion

A small low-growing plant with a yellow centre and white or pink petals often in lawns

A tall, broad tree with many leaves often planted in parks in Europe

A thorny shrub with white or red flowers and bright red berries used for hedges

A bean plant with long pods that people cook and eat

A grass from Europe that lives for many years and is grown for pasture, hay and lawns

6.6

A flat fish from the Pacific coast of North America often eaten for its mild, tender flesh

English sonnet
  • Literature
7.9

A 14-line poem with three four-line parts and a final two-line rhyme

A small brown and grey bird that lives near people in towns

A type of dog with a black and white coat that helps hunters by finding and bringing game

English system
  • Specialized
4.2

A system of measurement using units like the foot, pound, and pint that is used mainly in the United States

Small British dog with long soft fur, a round head, and a short turned up nose

A plant that grows from a bulb with large delicate flowers in many colors except yellow

A small crab with spots on its shell that lives on the coasts of England

A small fragrant shrub with purple flowers grown for dried flowers and oil

A large tree with strong light-coloured wood and leaves with rounded edges

A common wild plant with long narrow ribbed leaves that grows in lawns and roadsides

A small European plant with pale yellow flowers that blooms in spring and grows in gardens

A small garden flower with purple or white petals and a sweet smell

A nut with a wrinkled two-part seed inside a hard thin shell used in cooking and baking

A large tree from Europe and Asia grown for its edible nuts and dark strong wood

A tree that produces large edible nuts and hard brown wood

An evergreen tree from Europe that grows slowly and can live for a very long time

English-Gothic
  • Specialized
8.5

A style of church and cathedral building from 14th–15th century England with tall lines, Tudor arches, and fan-shaped stone ceilings

Surface Forms

English positive

Morphology

English = England (transparent) = England + ish

Formed by the productive suffix '-ish' attaching to the country name 'England'; learners who know 'England' and '-ish' can infer the adjective meaning.

Etymology

English comes from the name of a people, the Angles, and originally meant 'of the Angles'. So when we call the language or its use English, we mean it belongs to the speech that came from those people.