Practice
English vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with B
Sign in to saveA balance can be an amount of money, a benefit is an advantage, and blame means saying that someone caused a problem. The first letter links these words, but their jobs and meanings are different.
Use six useful B1 words beginning with B accurately in short everyday and workplace contexts.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
Could I borrow your charger until tomorrow? /kʊd aɪ ˈbɒrəʊ jɔː ˈtʃɑːdʒə ənˈtɪl təˈmɒrəʊ/
The short answer
Learn each B word with a short context. Ask whether it names a thing, describes an advantage, or states an action. Then check which words usually appear with it.
I borrowed my neighbour's ladder for the afternoon.
Why it works: Borrow is a verb. The speaker receives the ladder for temporary use and will return it.
6 more examples
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The balance in my travel account is lower than I expected.
Balance is a noun here. It names the amount of money currently in the account.
Not this:Try to
balancework and rest during a busy week. What changes: Balance is a verb here. It means to keep two parts in a suitable relationship. -
Flexible hours are a benefit for many employees.
Benefit is a noun. It names an advantage that employees receive.
Not this:Regular exercise can
benefityour sleep. What changes: Benefit is a verb here. It means to help or improve something. -
Do not blame Maya for the delayed delivery.
Blame is a verb followed by a person and for before the problem.
Not this:The report placed the
blameon poor planning. What changes: Blame is a noun here. It names responsibility for the problem. -
Could I borrow your charger until tomorrow?
Borrow means to receive something temporarily from another person.
Not this:I can
lendyou my charger until tomorrow. What changes: Lend describes the action from the owner's point of view. -
We made a budget before looking for a new apartment.
Budget is a noun. It names a spending plan.
Not this:They
budgetcarefully for food and transport. What changes: Budget is a verb here. It means to plan how money will be spent. -
The manager gave us a brief update before lunch.
Brief is an adjective before update. It means short.
Not this:Please
briefthe new volunteer before the event. What changes: Brief is a verb here. It means to give someone the information they need.
Read the full guide
Words that share a first letter do not form one grammar group. Balance is usually a noun, although it can also be a verb. Benefit can be a noun or verb. Blame, borrow, budget, and brief also appear in different sentence patterns. A full sentence gives you the clues you need.
Start with the meaning in the sentence
A first letter is useful for organizing vocabulary, but it does not tell you how to use a word. Read the surrounding sentence first. Ask whether the word names an amount, an advantage, an action, or a description.
The balance on her card was ten pounds.
Balance names the amount still available, so it is a noun in this sentence.
She balanced the box on the chair.
Balanced describes her action, so it is a verb.
Use balance for an amount or an even position
A bank balance is the money in an account after payments and deposits. Balance can also describe an even relationship between parts of life, such as work and rest. As a verb, balance means to keep something steady or to give suitable attention to two needs.
Check your account balance before you book the hotel.
Account tells you that balance refers to money left in the account.
Which word fits the action in Try to ___ your studies and your job?
Choose balance: Try to balance your studies and your job.
Recognize a benefit and a helpful effect
A benefit is an advantage. It may be something a job offers, such as paid leave, or a helpful result of an action. As a verb, benefit means to help someone or improve a situation. The context shows whether you need the thing or the action.
One benefit of the course is the chance to practise speaking.
One before benefit shows that the sentence needs a singular noun.
Clear instructions benefit everyone in the group.
Benefit follows the subject clear instructions and describes their helpful effect.
Use blame carefully
Use blame when you say that a person or thing caused a problem. The usual pattern is blame someone for something. In a calm conversation, explain the problem and the facts clearly. That makes the sentence more useful than a general accusation.
The customer blamed the rain for the late arrival.
The person or thing after blamed is held responsible, and for introduces the problem.
Which preposition fits blame the delay ___ heavy traffic?
Use for: blame the delay for heavy traffic.
Keep borrow and lend separate
Borrow and lend are easy to confuse because both involve temporary use. Borrow focuses on the person who receives an item. Lend focuses on the owner who gives the item. Use from after borrow when you name the person who owns the item.
I borrowed a notebook from Sam.
I received the notebook, so borrowed is correct. Sam is introduced with from.
Sam lent me a notebook.
Sam gave the notebook for temporary use, so lent is correct.
Plan a budget and keep messages brief
A budget is a plan that helps you decide how to spend money. You can make a budget, stay within a budget, or budget for a cost. Brief usually means short. A brief email gives the main information without unnecessary detail.
Our budget includes rent, food, and travel.
Budget is a noun after our and names the spending plan.
She sent a brief message to confirm the time.
Brief describes message and means short.
Which word fits a short meeting: brief or borrow?
Use brief: We had a brief meeting before the presentation.
Before you go
Remember this
Use the sentence pattern to choose the B word. A balance or budget often names something. Borrow describes receiving an item temporarily. Blame someone for a problem. Use brief for something short, and check whether benefit is naming an advantage or describing a helpful effect.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "English vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with B"
What does balance mean in English?
Balance can mean the amount of money in an account, as in check your account balance. It can also mean an even relationship between two things, such as balance work and rest. In both uses, the rest of the sentence tells you which meaning fits.
The balance in my travel account is lower than I expected.
What is the difference between benefit as a noun and a verb?
A benefit is an advantage or helpful result, as in one benefit of the course. To benefit means to help or improve something, as in clear instructions benefit everyone. Check whether the sentence needs a thing or an action.
Try to balance work and rest during a busy week.
How do I use blame in a sentence?
Use blame when you say that someone or something caused a problem. A common pattern is blame someone for something: Do not blame Maya for the delay. Use the evidence in the situation before deciding who is responsible.
Flexible hours are a benefit for many employees.
What is the difference between borrow and lend?
Borrow describes receiving something temporarily from another person: I borrowed a notebook from Sam. Lend describes giving your item temporarily: Sam lent me a notebook. The direction of the item decides the word.
Regular exercise can benefit your sleep.
What do budget and brief mean?
A budget is a plan for spending money. Brief usually means short, so a brief message gives only the main information. Both words can also be verbs in other contexts: you can budget for a cost and brief a colleague before an event.
Do not blame Maya for the delayed delivery.