B116 words · Intermediate

Speaking & Thinking vocabulary — B1

Speaking and thinking vocabulary for trickier conversations — admit, apologise, complain and persuade — separating what someone says openly from what they only assume or suspect.

16 questions

Words in this set

interrupt
/ˌɪntərˈʌpt/
The opposite of listen — to start talking before someone else finishes.
Example: Sorry to interrupt, but your phone is ringing.
gossip
/ˈɡɑsəp/
Another word for talk — sharing rumours about other people's private lives.
Example: The neighbors love to gossip about the new family next door.
apologise
/əˈpɑləˌdʒaɪz/
The formal word for saying sorry, used when you've done something wrong.
Example: He called to apologise for missing the meeting.
admit
/ədˈmɪt/
The opposite of deny — to say that something is true, especially something bad about yourself.
Example: She finally admitted she'd made a mistake.
announce
/əˈnaʊns/
Another word for tell — for official or important news, not just casual chat.
Example: The company will announce its new product next week.
blame
/bleɪm/
The opposite of praise — to say that someone is responsible when something goes wrong.
Example: Don't blame me for something I didn't do.
complain
/kəmˈpleɪn/
The everyday word for saying you're unhappy about something, used about poor service or bad treatment.
Example: Guests often complain about the slow Wi-Fi here.
persuade
/pərˈsweɪd/
Another word for convince — done by giving good reasons, not by ordering someone.
Example: He tried to persuade her to stay a bit longer.
mumble
/ˈmʌmbəl/
The opposite of speaking clearly — running words together so people can't catch what you say.
Example: She mumbled her name and the receptionist had to ask twice.
convince
/kənˈvɪns/
Another word for persuade — successfully getting someone to believe or agree with you.
Example: It took a while, but I managed to convince her to come.
assume
/əˈsum/
Another word for guess — believing something is true without checking first.
Example: Don't assume everyone agrees with you.
recall
/ˈriˌkɔl/
The formal word for remember, used in writing or careful speech.
Example: I can't recall exactly where I left my keys.
realise
/ˈriəˌlaɪz/
Another word for understand — used when it happens suddenly, all at once.
Example: I didn't realise how late it was until now.
doubt
/daʊt/
The opposite of believe — to think something might not be true, without solid proof.
Example: I doubt she'll finish the report by Friday.
suspect
/səˈspɛkt/
Another word for think — believing something bad is probably true, without proof yet.
Example: The teacher began to suspect he was cheating.
certain
/ˈsɜrtən/
The opposite of unsure — completely confident that something is true.
Example: Are you certain this is the right address?