B2 English vocabulary list: 12 upper-intermediate words
B212 words
The step from B1 to B2 is mostly a vocabulary step: the grammar is broadly in place, and what is missing is the precise word for an opinion, a trend or a consequence. These twelve are typical of that band and appear constantly in exams and in the news.
Where you will use it: Upper-intermediate exams, discussion and reading news.
B2 Vocabulary — The word list
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| significant | Large or important enough to matter.“There was a significant drop in prices.” |
| consequence | A result of an action or situation.“He lost his job as a consequence.” |
| reluctant | Unwilling and hesitating.“She was reluctant to speak first.” |
| afford | To have enough money or time for something.“We can't afford another delay.” |
| acknowledge | To accept that something is true.“He acknowledged the mistake.” |
| tend to | To usually do something.“Prices tend to rise in December.” |
| issue | An important problem or topic.“Housing is the main issue here.” |
| approach | A way of dealing with something.“They tried a different approach.” |
| aware | Knowing that something exists.“I wasn't aware of the change.” |
| assume | To believe something without proof.“Don't assume they got the email.” |
| estimate | To judge an amount roughly.“We estimate two weeks of work.” |
| regardless | Without paying attention to something.“He went ahead regardless of the risk.” |
How to study this list
Add five or six of these words a day rather than all twelve at once, keep the example sentence on the card, and review them when they come due. WordNest schedules each word across seven growing intervals — same day, then 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days — so the list is still with you months later. Read how spaced repetition works if you want the reasoning behind those numbers.
Studying b2 vocabulary pairs well with our SAT vocabulary words, linking words for essays and English collocations list, or browse all free English word lists.
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