# Simplified Public Sector English (SPSE) — Preferred Words # A general-purpose approved vocabulary (based on a Basic English word list). # Words not on this list are still fine when they are necessary technical nouns # (proper names, numbers, subject-specific terms with no plain equivalent). # One word per line. a able about absence absorption acceleration acceptance accessory accident account acid across act acting active actor addition address adjacent adjustment adventure advertisement advice afftertaste after aftereffect afterthought again against age agency agent ago agreement air aircushion airman airmen airplane airtight alcohol algebra all allowance almost along also alternative aluminum always am ambition ammonia among amount amplitude amusement an anchor and anesthetic angle angry animal ankle another answer ant any anybody anyhow anyone anything anywhere apparatus appendage apple application approval approximation april arbitrary arbitration arc arch area argument arithmetic arm army arrangement art as asbestos ash asset assistant association at attack attempt attention attitude attraction august authority autobus automatic automobile average awake away awkward axis baby back backbone backwoods bad bag balance balcony bale ball ballet band bang bank bankrupt bar bark barrel base based basin basing basket bath be beak beaker beard beat beautiful became because become bed bedroom bee beef been beer beeswax before behaviour behind belief bell belt bent berry best bet better between bill biology bird birth birthday birthright bit bite bitter black blackberry blackbird blackboard blade blame blanket blood bloodvessel blow blue bluebell board boat body boiling bomb bone book bookkeeper boot both bottle bottom box boy brain brake branch brass brave bread break breakfast breast breath brick bridge bright broken broker brother brown brush brushwood bubble bucket bud budget builder building bulb bunch buoyancy burial burn burned burner burning burst business busy but butter buttercup button by cafe cake calculation calendar call came camera canvas capacity capital card cardboard care carefree caretaker carpet carriage cart carter cartilage case cast cat catarrh cause cave cavity cell cent centi- ceremony certain certificate chain chair chalk champagne chance change character charge chauffeur cheap check cheese chemical chemist chemistry chest chief child chimney chin china chocolate choice chorus church cigarette circle circuit circulation circumference circus citron civilization claim class claw clay clean clear cleavage clever client climber clip clock clockwork cloth clothier clothing cloud club coal coat cocktail code coffee cognac coil cold collar collection college collision colony colour column comb combination combine come comfort committee common commonsense communications community company comparison competition complaint complete complex component compound computer concept concrete condition conductor congruent connection conscious conservation consignment constant consumer continuous contour control convenient conversion cook cooked cooker cooking cool copper copy copyright cord cork corner correlation corrosion cost cotton cough country court cover cow crack credit creeper crime crop cross cruel crush cry crying culture cunning cup cupboard current curtain curve cushion cusp custom customs cut daily damage damping dance dancer dancing (to) danger dark date daughter day daylight dead dear death debit debt december deci- decision deck decrease deep defect deficiency deflation degenerate degree delicate delivery demand denominator density department dependent deposit desert design designer desire destruction detail determining development dew diameter did difference different difficulty digestion dike dilution dinner dip direct direction dirty disappearance discharge discount discovery discussion disease disgrace disgust dislike dissipation distance distribution disturbance ditch dive division divisor divorce do does dog doll dollar domesticating dominion done door doubt down downfall drain drawer dreadful dream dress dressing (up) drift drink driver driving drop dropped dropper dry duct dull dust duster duty dynamite each ear ear-ring early earth earthwork east easy economy edge education effect efficiency effort egg eight either elastic electric electricity eleven elimination embassy empire employer employment empty encyclopedia end enemy engine engineer enough envelope environment envy equal equation erosion error eruption euro evaporation even evening event ever evergreen every everybody everyday everyone everything everywhere exact example exchange excitement exercise existence expansion experience experiment expert explanation explosion export expression extinction eye eyeball eyebrow eyelash face fact factor failure fair fall false family famous fan far farm farmer farther fastening fat father fatherland fault fear feather february feeble feeling female ferment fertile fertilizing fever fiber fiction field fifteen fifth fifty fight figure fin financial finger fingerprint fire fire-engine firearm fired firefly fireman fireplace firework firing first first-rate fish fisher(man) five fixed flag flame flash flask flat flesh flight flint flood floor flour flow flower fly focus fold folder foliation food foolish foot football footlights footman footnote footprint footstep for force forecast forehead foreign forgiveness fork form forty forward four fourteen fourth fowl fraction fracture frame free frequent fresh friction friday friend from front frost frozen fruit full fume funnel funny fur furnace furniture further fusion future garden gardener gas gasworks gat gate gave general generation geography geology geometry germ germinating get gill girl give glacier gland glass glove glycerin go goat god goes gold goldfish gone good good morning good-looking goodnight got government grain gram grand grass grateful grating gravel grease great green grey/gray grief grip grocery groove gross ground group growth guarantee guard guess guide gum gun gun-carriage gunboat gunmetal gunpowder habit had hair half hammer hand handbook handkerchief handle handwriting hanger hanging happy harbour hard harmony has hat hate hath have he head headdress headland headstone headway healthy hearing heart heat heated heater heating heavy hedge helicopter help her here hereafter heredity herewith high highlands highway hill him himself hinge hire hiss history hold hole holiday hollow home honest honey hoof hook hope horn horse horseplay horsepower hospital host hotel hour hourglass house houseboat housekeeper how however human humour hundred hunt hurry hurt husband hyena hygiene hysteria i ice idea if igneous ill image imagination imperial import important impulse impurity in inasmuch incentive inch inclusion income increase index individual indoors industry inferno infinity inflation influenza inheritance ink inland inlet inner innocent input insect inside instep institution instrument insulator insurance integer integration intelligent intercept interest international internet interpretation intersection into intrusion invention inverse investigation investment invitation iron is island it its itself jam january jaw jazz jealous jelly jerk jewel jeweler join joiner joint journey judge jug juice july jump june jury justice keep keeper kennel kept kettle key kick kidney kilo- kind king kiss kitchen knee knife knock knot knowledge lace lag lake lame lamp land landmark landslip language large last late latitude laugh laughing (at) lava law lawyer layer lazy lead leaf learner learning least leather lecture left leg legal length lens less lesson let letter level lever liability library license lid life lift light lighthouse like likely lime limestone limit line linen link lip liqueur liquid list liter little liver living load loan local lock locker locking (up) locus long longitude look looking-glass loose loss loud love low luck lump lunch lung macaroni machine madam made magic magnetic magnitude make malaria male man manager manhole mania manner many map marble march margin mark marked market marriage married mass mast match material mathematics mattress mature may maybe me meal mean meaning measure meat medical medicine medium meeting melt member memory meow mess message metabolism metal meter micro- microscope middle might mile military milk mill milli- million mind mine miner mineral minute mist mixed mixture model modern modest momentum monday money monkey monopoly month mood moon moral more morning most mother motion mountain moustache mouth move much mud multiple multiplication murder muscle museum music my myself nail name narrow nasty nation natural nature navy near nearer neat necessary neck need needle neglect neighbour nerve nest net network neutron never new news newspaper next nice nickel nicotine night nine no nobody node noise normal north nose nostril not note noted nothing november now nowhere nuclear nucleus number numerator nurse nut obedient observation october of off offer office officer offspring oil old olive omelet on once oncoming one one-and-only oneself onlooker onto open opera operation opinion opium opposite or orange orchestra order ore organ organism organization origin ornament other our out outburst outcome outcrop outcry outdoor outer outgoing outhouse outlaw outlet outlier outline outlook output outside outskirts outstretched oval oven over overacting overall overbalancing overbearing overcoat overcome overdo overdressed overfull overhanging overhead overland overlap overleaf overloud overseas overseer overshoe overstatement overtake overtaxed overtime overturned overuse overvalued overweight overworking own owner oxidation packing pad page pain paint painter painting pair pajamas pan paper paradise paraffin paragraph parallel parcel parent park part particle parting partner party passage passport past paste patent path patience payment peace pedal pen pence pencil pendulum penguin penny pension people perfect person petal petroleum phonograph physical physics physiology piano picture pig pin pincushion pipe piston place plain plan plane plant plaster plate platinum play played playing plaything please pleased (with) pleasure plough plug pocket poetry point pointer pointing (at) poison police policeman polish political pollen pool poor population porcelain porter position possible post postman postmark postmaster post office pot potash potato potter pound powder power practice praise prayer present president pressure price prick priest prime prince princess print printer prison prisoner private probability probable process produce producer product profit program progress projectile projection promise proof propaganda property prose protest proud psychology public pull pulley pump punishment pupil purchase pure purpose purr push put pyramid quack quality quantity quarter queen question quick quiet quinine quite quotient race radiation radio radium rail rain raining range rat rate ratio ray reaction reader reading ready reagent real reason reasonable receipt receiver reciprocal record rectangle recurring red reference referendum reflux regret regular reinforcement relation relative religion remark remedy rent repair representative reproduction repulsion request residue resistance resolution respect responsible rest restaurant result retail revenge reversible reward rheumatism rhythm rice rich right rigidity ring rise rival river road rock rod roll roller roof room root rot rotation rough round royal rub rubber rude rule ruler rum run runaway rust sac sad safe said sail sailor salad sale salt same sample sand sardine satisfaction saturated saturday saucer saving saw say scale scarp schist school science scissors scratch screen screw sea seal seaman search seat second secondhand secret secretary secretion section security sedimentary see seed seem seen selection self selfish send sense sensitivity sent sentence sepal 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straight strain strange straw stream street strength stress stretcher strike string strong structure study subject substance substitution subtraction success successive such suchlike sucker sudden sugar suggestion sum summer sun sunburn sunday sunlight sunshade supply support surface surgeon surprise suspension suspicious sweet sweetheart swelling swim swing switch sympathetic system table tail tailor take talk talking (of) tall tame tap tapioca taste tax taxi tea teacher teaching tear technology telegram telephone television ten tendency tent term terrace test texture than that the theater their them then theory there thermometer these they thick thickness thief thimble thin thing third thirteen thirty this thorax those though thought thousand thread threat three throat through thrust thumb thunder thursday ticket tide tie tight till time tin tired tissue to toast tobacco today toe together tomorrow tongs tongue tonight too took tooth top torpedo total touch touching (up) towel tower 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