Practice
English vocabulary practice: useful words beginning with V
Sign in to saveA colleague asks you to verify a booking, a friend volunteers for an event, and a sign says that the entrance is not visible. A small group of V words can help you handle all three situations.
Understand and use eight useful B1 English words beginning with V in clear everyday and work-related sentences.
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 you verify your email address before submitting the form? /kʊd juː ˈverɪfaɪ jɔːr ˈiːmeɪl əˈdres bɪˈfɔːr səbˈmɪtɪŋ ðə fɔːm/
The short answer
Useful B1 words beginning with V include value, variety, vehicle, verify, visible, volunteer, vote, and vocabulary. Learn each word with a short context and its usual word partners.
Please verify the meeting time before you travel.
Why it works: Verify means check that information is correct.
8 more examples
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This laptop offers good value for money.
Value here means that the useful features are worth the price.
Not this:The museum has a
valuablecollection of maps. What changes: Valuable is the adjective for something that has high value. -
The café offers a variety of vegetarian dishes.
Variety means several different kinds in one selection.
Not this:The menu is
variedfrom week to week. What changes: Varied is an adjective that describes a selection with different kinds. -
The company uses electric vehicles for local deliveries.
A vehicle is a means of transport, such as a car, bus, or van.
Not this:We travelled
by busto the city centre. What changes: A bus is one example of a vehicle. -
Could you verify your email address before submitting the form?
Verify means check that the information is correct or true.
Not this:Please
confirmthat you received the message. What changes: Confirm often means say that something is true or agreed; verify focuses on checking it. -
The house number is clearly visible from the road.
Visible describes something that people can see.
Not this:The number is
hard to seeat night. What changes: Hard to see describes the same idea with a phrase instead of visible. -
Mina volunteered to help at the community library.
As a verb, volunteer means offer to help without being forced.
Not this:The
volunteersarrived early to set up the room. What changes: As a noun, a volunteer is the person who gives their time. -
Members will vote on the proposal on Friday.
Vote on is used for the matter being decided.
Not this:Many residents
voted forthe new chair. What changes: Vote for names the person or choice you support. -
Reading short articles can expand your vocabulary.
Vocabulary is the set of words you know and can use.
Not this:She learned five
new wordsthis week. What changes: New words become part of a learner’s vocabulary when they can recognise and use them.
Read the full guide
Read the complete sentence before choosing a new word. Ask what kind of thing the sentence needs: an idea, an action, a person, or an object. Then check the word form. For example, volunteer can be a noun or a verb, while visible is an adjective.
Learn words in useful groups
A letter list can help you notice new vocabulary, but the first letter does not tell you how to use a word. Group words by their job in a sentence as well. Value and variety are nouns. Verify and volunteer can be verbs. Visible is an adjective. This simple check prevents many form mistakes.
The project has value because it saves time.
Value names the usefulness. Valuable describes something that has value.
Which word class is visible in The safety notice is visible from the entrance?
Visible is an adjective because it describes the safety notice.
Use value and variety for choices
Use value when you mean worth or usefulness. Value for money is a frequent phrase when you compare price with quality or usefulness. Use variety when there are different kinds of something. It is often followed by of and a plural noun.
The course gives learners good value for money.
The course is valuable to new learners. Good value for money compares benefits with cost.
The market sells a variety of fresh fruit.
A variety of fresh fruit means several kinds of fresh fruit are available.
Describe transport and what people can see
Vehicle is a general noun for transport. It can refer to a car, bicycle, bus, van, or another machine that carries people or goods. Visible describes something that can be seen. Add clearly or easily when you want to explain that seeing it is not difficult.
Keep your vehicle away from the emergency exit.
Vehicle is more general than car because it includes several forms of transport.
The platform sign is visible from the bridge.
Visible tells us that people are able to see the sign.
Verify details before you act
Verify means check that a detail is accurate. You can verify a name, address, date, payment, booking, or result. It is useful when guessing could cause a problem. The noun is verification, but use the verb verify first when you are building confidence.
Please verify the room number with reception.
Verify asks you to check the fact. Remember asks you to keep it in your mind.
What should you do with an unfamiliar web address before entering personal details?
Verify the web address by checking that it is the correct official address.
Take part: volunteer and vote
Volunteer can describe an action or a person. As a verb, volunteer to do something or volunteer for a role. As a noun, a volunteer is a person who helps by choice. Vote can be a noun or verb. Vote on a proposal and vote for a person or option.
Three parents volunteered for the school trip.
They offered their time freely, so volunteered is the right verb.
The committee voted on the new timetable.
The timetable is the subject of the decision, so the phrase is voted on.
Grow vocabulary through use
Vocabulary grows when you meet words more than once and use them in your own sentences. Keep a short note with the word, a useful partner, and an example you understand. Then revisit it after a few days. A list of isolated translations is harder to remember.
I wrote verify details next to a calendar reminder.
The note records a common word partner, which makes the new verb easier to reuse.
How can you make the word variety easier to remember?
Write one sentence about a variety of options you have seen, such as a shop, menu, or course.
Before you go
Remember this
Choose value for usefulness or worth, variety for different kinds, vehicle for transport, verify for checking facts, and visible for something that can be seen. Use volunteer and vote for people taking part, then build your vocabulary by meeting each word in several contexts.
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 V"
What does value for money mean?
Value for money means that something gives useful quality, features, or benefits for its price. It does not always mean that the item is the cheapest. A cheaper option may offer less value if it does not do the job well.
This laptop offers good value for money.
How do I use variety in a sentence?
Use variety for several different kinds of something. A common pattern is a variety of followed by a plural noun, as in a variety of activities or a variety of colours. Varied is the related adjective.
The museum has a valuable collection of maps.
What is the difference between verify and confirm?
Verify means check that information is accurate, often by looking at evidence or a reliable source. Confirm often means state or agree that something is true. In daily use, the two can overlap, but verify puts more attention on checking.
The café offers a variety of vegetarian dishes.
Can volunteer be a noun and a verb?
Yes. As a noun, a volunteer is someone who gives time or help freely. As a verb, volunteer means offer to do something or offer for a role. For example, people can volunteer to help or volunteer for an event.
The menu is varied from week to week.
How can I remember new vocabulary?
Meet a word in several short contexts and record one phrase that commonly goes with it. Make a sentence that connects the word to your own life, then review it later. Knowing the word class also helps you place it correctly in a sentence.
The company uses electric vehicles for local deliveries.