Spanish is the deepest lane on this site. 49 articles sit under it: the 500 phrases we wrote for a first month in a Spanish-speaking country, a page on 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
- The 500 Spanish phrases you actually needthe 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.
- How to order food in a Spanish restaurant: the scriptthe first situation most people have to get through in public.
- Spanish vocabulary, by the numberswhat the pair actually holds, level by level and theme by theme.
Start here
The pages we made for Spanish itself: the phrase list, the traps, and the numbers behind the pair.
The 500 Spanish phrases you actually need
500 Spanish phrases to survive, travel and work in Spain, grouped by the situations of a day, with tú, usted and Latin American variants noted.
The Vocabcord 200 for HospitalitySpanish for hotel and restaurant work: 200
200 Spanish phrases for a hospitality shift: the handover, the front desk, the floor, the bar, the pass, housekeeping, complaints, allergies and the rota.
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.
Spanish · CompareVocabcord vs Duolingo: two different tools for Spanish vocabulary
Vocabcord vs Duolingo: Duolingo teaches Spanish in gamified lessons; Vocabcord plays a spoken phrase whenever you plug in your charger. They stack well.
Corpus statisticsSpanish vocabulary, by the numbers
Every Spanish entry the app ships, counted by CEFR level and by theme, computed from the pack manifests themselves.
Words and frequency
Which words to spend your time on, ranked from our own corpus.
How many words in Spanish? The word count by CEFR level
How many words in Spanish do you actually need? See the count by CEFR level, A1 to C2, and how the numbers compare.
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 · 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.
Situations and themes
One situation or one theme per page, taken to the end of the list.
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
At the doctor in Spanish: say you're sick, name a symptom, and book an appointment, with audio for every A1 health word.
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 in Spanish run on estar: estoy feliz, estoy triste, estoy cansado. See the words for happy, sad, scared, and more, graded A1 to C2, with audio.
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, room by room
Rooms of the house in Spanish are habitación, dormitorio, cocina and baño. Plus la casa (home or house), and the furniture inside, with audio.
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 · A1Spanish travel vocabulary: places, directions, and getting around
Spanish travel vocabulary that carries you: tren, estación, aeropuerto, directions like izquierda and derecha, and the coger versus tomar trap for the bus.
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 · 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
The closed systems: the calendar, the clock, the numbers, the word classes. Pages you look something up in.
Animals that start with every letter in Spanish (A to Z)
Animals that start with every letter in Spanish, A to Z: araña for A, ballena for B, zorro for Z, each list with its own audio.
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.
The rest of the site
The six phrase lists share one page: The Vocabcord 500 says what they are, how they were written and how to cite them. The corpus statistics count all six pairs at once, and the methodology page explains how a phrase gets a level and a theme. Teachers can run a list as a scheme of work from the teachers page. Everything else we publish is on the blog.
If a translation, a level or a note on any of these pages is wrong, tell us on the support page. Corrections from people who live in the language are the only way this stays honest.