What are the most essential English words for B1 learners to master

The most essential English words for B1 learners to master are those that build a solid core vocabulary enabling effective communication across everyday and academic contexts. While there is no single fixed word list, research and learner vocabulary profiles emphasize:

• Basic everyday vocabulary including common nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
• Functional words and phrases for daily life, social interaction, and simple workplace or educational settings.
• Transition words and phrases to connect ideas logically in writing and speaking.
• Words relevant to specific purposes or fields for learners aiming at technical or academic English.
• Vocabulary that aligns with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) B1 level, commonly involving around 1,500 to 2,000 words covering general communication needs.

Studies also show B1 learners face challenges particularly with vocabulary that is subtle, such as noun-verb pairs distinguished by stress patterns (suprafixes) or correct use of transition words. Interactive tools like online games have proven effective in reinforcing intermediate daily life vocabulary for B1 learners. ^{2, 4, 10}

In practice, the essential words for B1 learners are typically from comprehensive learner wordlists like the English Profile Wordlists that group vocabulary by CEFR levels, focusing on those words most frequently used and necessary for practical communication at the intermediate stage. ¹¹

Overall, mastering a core of approximately 1,500–2,000 words that cover daily conversations, functional language, common expressions, and basic academic vocabulary is crucial for B1 learners to progress confidently in English.

References

• Reading and Gender Effect on Writing Style: Case of Hungarian Learners of English

• Turkish EFL learners’ knowledge, perception, and production of suprafixes as part of lexical competence

• Exploring the Necessity and Impact of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Courses for B1+ Level English Learners

• Transition Words and Phrases: Logical Fallacy in Saudi Premedical English as a Foreign Language Learners’ Written English

• Estimating Unknown English Words From User Smartphone Reading Behaviors

• Challenges Vietnamese EFL Students Faced When Learning and Meeting the Requirements of B1 English Language Proficiency

• The Impact of Anxiety on B1 Level College Students’ Oral Competence in the English Language

• 1000 Basic English Words 4, All the Essential Words for Beginner Level Learners - w/Audio CD

• HIGH-PROFICIENCY AND LOW-PROFICIENCY LEARNERS’ COMPENSATION STRATEGIES USE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING

• The Development and Effectiveness of Game-Based Learning Prototypes for Daily Life Words at B1 Level: A Case Study of Engineering Students in Thailand

• A1–B2 vocabulary: insights and issues arising from the English Profile Wordlists project

• LEMMATIZING TEXTBOOK CORPUS FOR LEARNER DICTIONARY OF BASIC VOCABULARY

• WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE?: A STRATEGY OF ENGLISH EDUCATION STUDENTS TO IMPROVE ENGLISH VOCABULARY

• Completing the English Vocabulary Profile : C1 and C2 vocabulary

• Introducing English vocabulary to young learners with flashcards

• Determining ESL learners’ vocabulary needs from a textbook corpus: challenges and prospects

• Rousing Vocabulary: A Pioneering Approach to Stimulate Learners to Acquire EFL

• Vocabulary Thresholds Study for Business English Major Based on the Range Corpus