Start with the 500 phrases we wrote for a first month in a Spanish-speaking country, the mistakes English speakers keep making, the statistics for the Spanish half of our corpus, and a long tail of themed lists that each take one situation or one word class and finish it.
Which one you open depends on why you are here. If you are about to land somewhere and need to function, the 500 is arranged in the order a day happens, so read from the top and stop when you have enough. If you are studying and want to know where the next month goes, the frequency pages rank words by how often our own corpus uses them. Most of the themed lists sit at A1 and A2, so a B2 reader will get more out of the frequency ladders and the statistics page than out of the vocabulary lists. Nothing here drills conjugation, and we have no plans to add that.
Where to start
- Spanish vocabulary app with audiohear how Vocabcord works, see what is free, and check whether it fits your routine.
- 500 most useful Spanish phrasesthe list for a first month, in the order a day happens.
- Spanish mistakes English speakers makeread it before you use the list, so each trap catches you once.
- The most common Spanish words, ranked by how often you'll actually hear themthe ranking that decides what you learn first.
- Spanish word countercount words and characters in your Spanish writing.
- How to order food in a Spanish restaurant: the scriptthe first situation most people have to get through in public.
- Spanish vocabulary, by the numberscompare vocabulary coverage by level and topic.
Start here
Choose Spanish phrases to practise, check common mistakes, or explore vocabulary by level.
500 most useful Spanish phrases
500 most useful Spanish phrases for daily life, travel and work, with English translations and audio. Usage notes for Spain and Latin American variants.
The Vocabcord 200 for HospitalitySpanish for hospitality: 200 phrases with audio
200 Spanish phrases for hotel and restaurant work, with audio, English translations and a free PDF. Practise check-in, taking orders, housekeeping and complaints.
Spanish · A1Spanish phrases for travel + free PDF
Learn 60 useful Spanish phrases for travel, hear each one online, and download a free PDF with practice prompts and an answer key.
The Vocabcord 500 · SpanishSpanish mistakes English speakers make
Coger is ordinary in Spain and obscene in Mexico; constipado means a cold. The Spanish traps our own 500-phrase notes kept flagging.
Spanish · GuideLearn Spanish vocabulary: a frequency-first guide (A1 to C2)
Learn Spanish vocabulary fast: start with the most frequent words, roughly 600 A1 phrases, then climb the CEFR ladder to C2 without sitting down to study.
Corpus statisticsSpanish vocabulary, by the numbers
Every Spanish entry in the app's language packs, counted by CEFR level and theme.
Words and frequency
Which words to spend your time on, ranked from our own corpus.
How many words are in Spanish?
Spanish dictionary size explained: 93,111 entries in the 2014 DLE edition, practical vocabulary goals, and why CEFR levels have no fixed word totals.
Spanish · A1 to C2The most common Spanish adjectives, in frequency order
The most common Spanish adjectives are bueno, malo, grande, pequeño, nuevo, and viejo. Corpus data ranks all 272 describing entries, A1 to C2, with audio.
Spanish · B1The most common Spanish adverbs, and the -mente pattern
The most common Spanish adverbs mostly end in -mente: probablemente, finalmente, especialmente. See all 30 corpus-ranked B1 adverbs, with audio.
Spanish · A1 to A2The most common Spanish nouns, ranked by frequency
The most common Spanish nouns are libro, teléfono, llave, and taza. See all 73 corpus-ranked object nouns, A1 to A2, each with audio.
Spanish · A1The most common Spanish words, ranked by how often you'll actually hear them
The most common Spanish words are the workhorses: ser, estar, tener, hacer, ir, plus yo, tú, sí, and no. Hear 20 with audio.
Spanish · A1 to C2The Spanish verbs you'll actually use: the high-frequency core
The most common Spanish verbs are ser, estar, tener, hacer, ir, and poder. Corpus data ranks them all: 111 verbs at A1 down to 12 at C2, with native audio.
Spanish · A1Which Spanish words should you learn first at A1?
Start A1 Spanish with greetings, then useful verbs in short sentences. Explore all 625 corpus entries by category and hear 14 verbs with audio.
Spanish · A2Which Spanish words should you learn first at A2?
Which Spanish words to learn first at A2: abstract nouns already outrank verbs in Vocabcord's 625-phrase A2 corpus, each ranked with audio.
Spanish · B1Which Spanish words should you learn first at B1?
Which Spanish words to learn first at B1: the reasoning verbs, abstract nouns and precision adjectives ranked from a 495-phrase B1 corpus, with audio.
Spanish · C1Which Spanish words should you learn first at C1?
C1 Spanish vocabulary from our 100-entry set: linking expressions, abstract nouns, adjectives and verbs, with 14 audio examples.
Situations and themes
Explore a full vocabulary list for a particular situation or topic.
Animals in Spanish: from gato to depredador
Animals in Spanish start with gato, perro, and vaca at A1, then wild animals at A2 and precise words like nocturno and depredador at C2. With audio.
Spanish · A1At the doctor in Spanish: how to say you're sick
Say “I’m sick” in Spanish, describe a symptom and ask for a doctor’s appointment. Hear useful phrases and health vocabulary with English translations.
Spanish · A1 to A2Clothes in Spanish: la ropa, plus every clothing word by level
Clothes in Spanish is la ropa. See all 32 words by level, how to say I'm wearing a sweater and a coat, and audio on every word.
Spanish · A1 to A2Common Spanish phrases you'll actually use, from first hello to real conversation
Common Spanish phrases grouped by situation: hola, por favor, gracias, no entiendo, ¿dónde está el baño? The survival core with audio, plus frequency data.
Spanish · A1 to B1Daily routine in Spanish: rutina, chores, and waking up
Daily routine in Spanish runs on rutina, hacer for chores, and reflexive verbs like despertarse. Hear all 17 corpus words with audio.
Spanish · A1Family in Spanish: the words for every relative
Family in Spanish reaches from madre and padre out to primos, with audio. Key rule: the masculine plural covers mixed groups, so los padres means parents.
Spanish · A1 to C2Feelings in Spanish: the words for how you feel
Feelings and emotions in Spanish: estoy feliz, estoy triste and tengo miedo. Explore examples from A1 to C2, with 14 everyday words to hear.
Spanish · A1Hobbies and free time in Spanish, with me gusta
Hobbies in Spanish start with afición and the verb gustar: me gusta el fútbol. See sports, games, and vacation words, with audio for every one.
Spanish · A1How to greet people in Spanish: the 12 phrases to learn first (A1)
The 12 essential Spanish greetings, when to use each, and the buenos dias vs buenas tardes vs buenas noches rule, plus the lazy way to make them stick.
Spanish · PhrasesHow to order food in a Spanish restaurant: the script
How to order food in a Spanish restaurant: a six-line script from pedir and para mí to la cuenta, por favor for the bill.
Spanish · A1 to A2Jobs in Spanish: the words, and why the ending changes
Jobs in Spanish: ingeniero, abogado, camarero, and 11 more, with audio. Learn why most job titles change for gender and a few, like artista, never do.
Spanish · B1Money in Spanish: budgeting, saving, borrowing and debt
Money in Spanish means gasto (expense), ahorros (savings), préstamo (loan) and deuda (debt). Learn 17 core words for budgets and banking, with audio.
Spanish · A1Rooms of the house in Spanish: names, audio and examples
Learn room names in Spanish, from la cocina to el dormitorio, with articles, example sentences, 12 audio clips and a short describe-your-home exercise.
Spanish · A1 to C2School in Spanish: classroom, homework, and exam words
School in Spanish: aula, deberes, examen, nota and 20 more classroom, homework, and grade words, with audio, from A1 basics to C2 academic terms.
Spanish · A1 to B1Shopping in Spanish: prices, cash, and cards
Shopping in Spanish runs on precio (price), efectivo (cash), and tarjeta (card). Ask the price, pay, and get a discount, with 10 corpus words and audio.
The Vocabcord 500 · SpanishSpanish at work: your first week
The Spanish for a first week in a Spanish-speaking job: arriving, the first meeting, email sign-offs, deadlines, the payslip, and when to drop usted.
Spanish · A1Spanish body parts, and how to say what hurts
Spanish body parts with audio, plus the two traps: say what hurts with me duele la cabeza, and la mano is feminine despite the -o.
Spanish · A1Spanish food and drink vocabulary for cafés
Spanish food and drink words from agua and pan to carne and helado, with audio, plus what un café gets you in Spain and when Spaniards actually eat.
The Vocabcord 500 · SpanishSpanish for your first 48 hours in Spain
The Spanish for landing, the ride into town, a SIM, the first till, the broken heater, the late pharmacy, 112, and the day-two town hall visit.
Spanish · AppSpanish vocabulary app with audio
Try Vocabcord’s Spanish audio sample. Explore vocabulary by level, 500 everyday phrases, offline downloads and a free starter selection on iPhone and Android.
Spanish · A1Talking about the weather in Spanish: hace calor and the rest
Weather in Spanish runs on the verb hacer: hace calor, hace frío. The sky takes está nublado, rain takes llueve. Hear the core words with native audio.
Spanish · PhrasesTe quiero or te amo? How to say 'I love you' in Spanish
Te quiero is the everyday I love you in Spanish; te amo is heavier and more romantic. When to use each in Spain versus Latin America.
Spanish · A1 to C2Technology in Spanish: phone, password, and download
Technology in Spanish: teléfono, contraseña, and descargar. Hear 14 device and internet words, with A1 basics and C2 vocabulary in context.
Spanish · A2Transport or Transportation in Spanish: 19 words
Transport (and transportation) in Spanish is el transporte. Learn en coche, en tren, en avión and andando on foot, plus 19 more words with audio.
Reference
Look up dates, times and numbers, or review a particular type of word.
Animals That Start With A in Spanish (Plus B to Z)
Find Spanish animal names from A to Z, including Ñ, with English meanings, articles, useful plurals, and clear answers for tricky letters W and X.
Spanish · A1Are months capitalized in Spanish? Capitalization rules for days, languages, and names
Capitalized in Spanish: the rule for months, days, languages, nationalities and titles, each with an audio example.
Spanish · A1Colors in Spanish: the words, and how they agree with the noun
Colors in Spanish agree with their noun: rojo becomes roja, rojos, rojas; azul, verde, and gris change only for number. Every color comes with audio.
Spanish · A1Days of the week in Spanish: lunes to domingo
Days of the week in Spanish: lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves, viernes, sábado, domingo. Hear each with audio; the week starts on lunes, not Sunday.
Spanish · A1Essential Spanish verbs: ser vs estar, and the ones you use most
Essential Spanish verbs with audio: ser covers what things are, estar covers states, tener handles hunger and age, and -ar, -er, -ir sort the rest.
Spanish · A1How to count in Spanish: numbers 0 to 100
Spanish numbers 0 to 100 with native audio: the teens and twenties are single words, plus the rules for uno, un, una and cien versus ciento.
Spanish · A1Months in Spanish: enero to diciembre
Months in Spanish are enero, febrero, marzo, abril, mayo, junio, julio, agosto, septiembre, octubre, noviembre, diciembre. Hear each with audio.
Spanish · A1 to C1Spanish conjunctions: y, o, pero, and porque
Spanish conjunctions start with y, o, pero, and porque. See the full list by level, from these basics to formal aunque and por lo tanto, with audio.
Spanish · A1 to A2Spanish numbers to 1,000: the three rules that generate them all
Spanish numbers to 1,000 run on three rules: cien turns to ciento before a remainder, hundreds add -cientos with three irregulars, and mil never takes un.
Spanish · A1 to A2Spanish prepositions: the 17 words you need
Spanish prepositions are con, sin, para, sobre, entre, and more. See all 17 words by level, with audio and real example sentences.
Spanish · A1Spanish pronouns: yo, tú, él, and the rest
Spanish pronouns are yo, tú, él, ella, nosotros, and ellos, plus mi, tu, and su. Spanish often skips the subject pronoun entirely. Hear each with audio.
Spanish · A1Spanish question words: qué, cuál, cómo, dónde and the rest, with audio
Spanish question words: qué (what), cuál (which), quién (who), cómo (how), dónde (where), cuándo (when), cuánto (how much), por qué (why). Hear each with audio.
Spanish · A1Telling time in Spanish: qué hora es and the parts of the day
Tell the time in Spanish: ask ¿Qué hora es?, answer es la una for one o'clock or son las plus the number. Covers the parts of the day and the mañana trap.
Keep learning
Explore 500 everyday phrases in other languages, with collection details and citation guidance if you want to use them in your own work. For more practice ideas, browse the blog. Teaching a class? Use the lesson plan and downloadable phrase lists to organise your lessons.
You can compare vocabulary coverage by level and topic across languages, and check how the level and topic labels are assignedwhen choosing what to practise next.
If you spot an incorrect translation, level or note, send us a correction. Feedback from people who use the language helps us improve these resources.