Topics / Home and Furniture Vocabulary
Home and Furniture Vocabulary in English
Rooms, furniture, and the kitchen and bathroom words you use every day. 138 words, A1 to B2.
138 words
Houses and Rooms
HomeA1The place where you live.“Let’s go home.”HouseA1A building that people live in.“Their house has a garden.”FlatA1A set of rooms for living in, usually on one floor (British). American English often says apartment.“They live in a small flat.”ApartmentA2A set of rooms for living in, usually on one floor of a building.“They rent a small apartment in the city.”CottageA2A small house, especially in the country.“They rented a cottage by the lake.”VillaB2A large house, often in the countryside or used as a holiday home.“Map the villa on the land-use map, then the period if given, not a holiday slogan.”SemiB1A semi-detached house, joined to one neighbour (UK informal).“They bought a three-bed semi on a quiet estate.”TerraceB1A row of houses joined together; also a paved outdoor sitting area.“They live in a terrace two streets back from the high street.”BuildingA2A structure with a roof and walls, such as a house or office.“That building is a school.”BlockA2A large building, or a section of a street between two crossings.“They live in a block of flats near the station.”UpstairsA1To or on a higher floor of a building.“The bedrooms are upstairs.”DownstairsA2To or on a lower floor of a building.“She ran downstairs to open the door.”AtticB1A room or space directly under the roof of a house.“The attic conversion still needs building control, not only a skip.”LoftB2The space under the roof of a house, used for storage or converted into a room.“The housing survey counted a converted loft as an extra bedroom.”BasementB1A floor of a building that is partly or wholly below ground level.“The basement archive is locked after 5pm; it is not a common room.”CellarB1An underground room used for storage, especially of wine, beer, or coal.“The pub cellar flooded; barrels were not stored in the car park as a fix.”GarageA1A building where you keep a car, or a place that repairs cars.“The car is in the garage.”GardenA1A piece of land by a house, with grass, flowers, or vegetables.“The children play in the garden.”YardA2An area of hard ground next to a building; also a unit of length.“The children played in the school yard.”FenceA1A wall of wood or metal around a garden or field.“The dog is behind the fence.”GateA2A door in a fence or wall, or the place where you board a plane.“Our flight leaves from gate twelve.”RoofA2The covering on the top of a building.“Rain was coming through a hole in the roof.”CeilingA2The inside top surface of a room.“There was a small crack in the ceiling.”WallA1The side of a room or building.“There is a picture on the wall.”FloorA1The surface you walk on in a room, or a level of a building.“Don’t sit on the floor.”DoorA1The thing you open to enter a room or building.“Please open the door.”WindowA1An opening in a wall, usually with glass, that lets in light.“Open the window, please.”Window SillB1The flat shelf at the bottom of a window, inside or outside.“The cat sits on the window sill and watches the street.”ChimneyA1A pipe or tall part of a building that takes smoke out from a fire.“Smoke is coming from the chimney.”StairsA2A set of steps that you walk up or down in a building.“She ran up the stairs to the second floor.”CorridorA2A long narrow passage in a building with doors along it.“The classrooms are along the main corridor.”RoomA1A part of a building with its own walls.“This is my room.”BedroomA1A room for sleeping.“The children are in the bedroom.”BathroomA1A room with a bath or shower, and usually a toilet.“The bathroom is upstairs.”KitchenA1The room where you cook.“Mum is in the kitchen.”Living RoomB1The main room in a house for sitting and relaxing (UK; also a sitting room).“Quiet hours in the shared living room start at 11pm; a party speaker is a tenancy breach.”Dining RoomB1A room in a house or boarding house where people eat meals.“The boarding dining room is not a homework space; bags stay on the pegs.”OfficeA1A room or building where people work at desks.“She works in an office in town.”BalconyA1A platform outside an upper window, where you can stand or sit.“They had tea on the balcony.”DrivewayB1A short private road from the street to a house, used by cars.“Do not park across a driveway on the walk in; use the marked drop-off.”
Furniture and Furnishings
FurnitureA1Things in a house such as tables, chairs, and beds.“They bought new furniture.”TableA1A piece of furniture with a flat top and legs.“The keys are on the table.”ChairA1A seat for one person.“Please sit on this chair.”ArmchairA1A big comfortable chair with sides for your arms.“Grandad sat in the armchair.”SofaA2A long, comfortable seat for two or more people.“They sat on the sofa and watched a film.”Sofa BedB1A sofa that unfolds into a bed for guests.“We pulled the sofa bed out when her brother stayed the night.”BedA1A piece of furniture you sleep on.“He went to bed early.”PillowA1A soft bag that you rest your head on in bed.“This pillow is too hard.”PillowcaseB1A removable cloth cover for a pillow.“A named pillowcase is boarding kit; a PE hoodie is not a pillow cover.”BlanketA2A thick cover that you put on a bed to keep warm.“She pulled the blanket over her shoulders.”DuvetA1A thick, soft cover filled with feathers or man-made material, used on a bed (British).“It is cold — put another duvet on the bed.”Duvet CoverB1A washable cloth case that goes over a duvet (UK).“Change the duvet cover on Sunday before the week starts.”SheetA2A large piece of cloth for a bed; also a piece of paper.“She put clean sheets on the guest bed.”WardrobeA1A tall cupboard for hanging clothes (British).“Your coat is in the wardrobe.”CupboardA1A piece of furniture with doors, used for storing things, often in a kitchen.“The cups are in the cupboard.”DrawerA2A box that slides in and out of a piece of furniture.“The keys are in the top drawer.”Sock DrawerB1The drawer in a chest where you keep socks.“Your spare socks are in the top sock drawer.”ShelfA1A flat board on a wall or in a cupboard, for putting things on. Plural: shelves.“The books are on the shelf.”BookcaseA1A piece of furniture with shelves for books.“The dictionary is on the bookcase.”DeskA1A table that you sit at to write or work.“The teacher’s desk is at the front.”StoolA1A seat with no back and no arms, often with three or four legs.“Sit on this stool at the counter.”BenchA1A long seat for two or more people, often in a park.“They sat on a bench by the lake.”CarpetA1A thick covering for a floor.“The carpet in the living room is red.”RugA1A small thick carpet that covers part of a floor.“There is a rug by the bed.”CurtainA2Cloth that hangs over a window or a stage.“She closed the curtains when it got dark.”BlindsB1A covering for a window made of strips or fabric that you pull down or across (usually plural).“Close the blinds for the projector; they are not blackout for a fire-drill.”RollerblindB1A window blind that rolls up around a bar at the top (also roller blind).“Pull the rollerblind down; the sun is on the telly.”LampA1A light, often on a table or a stand, that you can switch on.“Turn on the lamp — it is dark.”LightA1The energy from the sun or a lamp that lets you see.“Turn on the light, please.”BulbA2The glass part of an electric light.“Can you change the light bulb in the lamp?”ClockA1A device that shows the time, usually on a wall or desk.“The clock on the wall says three.”PictureA1A drawing, painting, or photo.“There is a picture on the wall.”Photo FrameB1A border that holds and displays a photograph.“A photo frame in halls still needs the inventory check; nails in the plaster are a deposit fail.”VaseA2A container used to hold cut flowers.“She put the roses in a vase on the table.”PlantA2A living thing such as a tree or flower that grows in the ground.“Water the plants twice a week.”CushionA2A bag filled with soft material that you sit or rest on.“Put a cushion behind your back if the chair is hard.”
Kitchen, Bathroom, and Bills
PlugA1The plastic part on the end of a wire that you put into a wall to use electricity.“Put the plug in the wall.”Power SocketB1A point in a wall that you plug an electrical lead into (UK; US outlet).“Do not overload the halls power socket; a daisy-chain extension is a fire-safety fail.”SocketA1The hole in the wall that you put a plug into for electricity (British).“The socket is behind the sofa.”TapA1The object you turn to let water out (British). American English often says faucet.“Turn off the tap.”SinkA1A bowl in a kitchen or bathroom with taps, used for washing.“Wash the plates in the sink.”Sink PlugB1The stopper that fills the hole so a sink can hold water.“Put the sink plug in before you run the hot water.”BathA1A long container you fill with water to wash your body, or the wash itself.“The children had a bath.”ShowerA1A device that sprays water so you can wash, or a short period of rain.“I have a shower every morning.”ToiletA1A bowl you sit on to get rid of waste from the body, or the room with it.“Where is the toilet, please?”LooB1A toilet, or the room with a toilet (UK informal).“Excuse me, where is the loo in this café?”TowelA1A piece of thick cloth used to dry your body, hands, or dishes.“Dry your hands on a towel.”Towel RailB1A rail on a wall for hanging towels, sometimes heated.“Hang the towel on the towel rail; a wet heap on the halls radiator is a fire risk.”SoapA1A substance used with water for washing your body or clothes.“Wash your hands with soap.”Soap DishB1A small dish that holds a bar of soap.“A soap dish in halls still needs draining; a wet bar on the carpet is a mould report.”MirrorA1A piece of glass that shows your face or what is behind you.“Look in the mirror.”FridgeA1A cold cupboard for keeping food fresh.“Put the milk in the fridge.”FreezerA2A machine that keeps food frozen hard.“Put the ice cream in the freezer.”Fridge FreezerB1A combined fridge and freezer in one unit.“The ward fridge freezer is for medicines marked refrigerate; staff lunches have their own.”CookerA1A kitchen machine with rings or an oven for cooking food (British).“Put the pan on the cooker.”HobB1The flat top of a cooker with rings or zones for pans (UK; US stovetop).“Take the pan off the hob if the sauce starts to stick.”OvenA1The box inside a cooker that heats food from all sides.“The cake is in the oven.”MicrowaveA1A kitchen machine that heats food very quickly.“Heat the soup in the microwave.”KettleA1A container for boiling water, used to make tea or coffee.“Put the kettle on.”ToasterA1A machine that heats bread to make toast.“Put the bread in the toaster.”DishwasherA2A machine that washes plates, glasses, and cutlery.“Load the dishwasher after dinner.”Washing MachineB1A machine that washes clothes, sheets, and similar items.“The halls washing machine is token-only; a balcony spin-dry is not allowed.”Tumble DrierB1A machine that dries washing by tumbling it in hot air (UK; also tumble dryer).“Put the towels in the tumble drier; it is raining outside.”HooverB1A vacuum cleaner (UK; also a verb; originally a brand name).“The hoover is in the cupboard under the stairs.”VacuumA2A machine that sucks dirt from floors and carpets.“He ran the vacuum over the sitting-room rug.”WorktopB1The flat surface in a kitchen where you prepare food (UK; US countertop).“Chop the onions on the kitchen worktop, not on the sofa.”CutleryB1Knives, forks, and spoons used for eating (UK, often uncountable; US silverware / flatware).“Put the cutlery in the correct tub; a plastic fork is not the default for a hot meal.”PlateA1A flat dish that you eat food from.“Put the rice on the plate.”Side PlateB1A small plate for bread or salad beside the main plate.“Put the butter knife on the side plate, not on the tablecloth.”BowlA2A round, deep dish used for food.“He ate a bowl of soup.”CupA1A small round container with a handle, for tea or coffee.“Would you like a cup of tea?”MugA1A large cup with a handle, used for hot drinks.“She drank a mug of tea.”GlassA1A container you drink from, or the hard clear material in windows.“She drank a glass of water.”SaucepanA1A deep pan with a handle and often a lid, used for cooking on the hob.“Heat the soup in a saucepan.”Frying PanA1A wide shallow pan with a long handle, used for frying food.“Heat the oil in the frying pan.”BinA2A container for rubbish.“Please put the paper in the bin.”Wheelie BinB1A large outdoor rubbish bin on wheels (UK).“Leave the wheelie bin on the pavement on Tuesday nights.”RecyclingA2The process of turning old materials into new products.“Put bottles and paper in the recycling, not the bin.”RadiatorA1A metal heater on the wall that warms a room (British).“Turn the radiator on — it is cold.”HeatingA2The system that keeps a building warm.“The heating was off, so the classroom was freezing.”Air ConditioningB1A system that cools (and sometimes heats) the air in a building (often uncountable).“Air conditioning in the exam hall failed; windows stay shut for noise, not comfort.”FireplaceA1A place in a wall where you can have a fire in a room.“We sat by the fireplace.”KeyA1A small metal object that opens a lock.“I cannot find my keys.”LockA2To fasten something with a key so that it cannot be opened.“Please lock the door before you leave.”DoorbellB1A button by a door that rings to tell people you are there.“Ring the GP doorbell and wait; walking straight onto the ward is not allowed.”NeighbourA2A person who lives near you.“Our neighbour is very kind.”NeighbourhoodB1A district of a town where people live, and the people who live there (UK spelling).“The neighbourhood forum opposed the late-night licence.”RentA2To pay money to use something that belongs to someone else.“They rent a small flat.”LandlordB1A person who owns a house or flat and rents it to other people.“Our landlord put the rent up with only a month’s notice.”TenantB1A person who pays rent to live in a house or flat.“Tenants must give notice before they leave the flat.”MortgageB1A loan from a bank to buy a house, paid back over many years.“They took out a twenty-five-year mortgage on the flat.”ElectricityB1A form of energy used for lighting, heating, and powering machines.“The storm cut off the electricity for two hours.”GasA2A fuel used for cooking or heating, or a substance like air.“Light the gas before you put the pan on.”WaterA1The clear liquid that falls as rain and that we drink.“Please drink more water.”LeakB1A hole or crack that lets liquid or gas escape; also secret information given to the press.“There was a leak of the report to a Sunday newspaper.”DecorateB1To add things to make a place look more attractive; also to paint a room.“You may decorate the common room for Diwali; do not tape posters to fire doors.”PaintA1A coloured liquid that you put on a wall, picture, or object.“The door needs more paint.”WallpaperB1Paper, usually patterned, stuck on indoor walls (often uncountable).“Do not put up wallpaper in halls; blu-tack still needs the inventory check.”