English Money & Shopping Vocabulary
This set covers the money and shopping words you use the most: paying (pay, buy, price, cost), places (shop, store, market, bank) and the people and papers (customer, bill, receipt, change). Learn them in short sentences so the meaning and the grammar stick together.
Level: A2. Money and shopping come up every single day, from buying lunch to paying a bill. This page gives you the core English money and shopping vocabulary, grouped by meaning so related words stick together, each with a plain definition and a short example you can copy.
By the end of this page you can…
…talk about paying and buying, name the main places you shop, handle cash and cards, and use the tricky pairs (buy/sell, borrow/lend, cost/price) without mixing them up.
How this list was chosen
Every word here comes from the English frequency list (hermitdave/FrequencyWords), which ranks words by how often they appear in a large collection of everyday subtitles. From that list we kept the money and shopping words an A2 learner needs and grouped them by meaning rather than by rank, so you learn buy/sell together and shop/store/market together. The Rank column is the word’s real position in the frequency list — a lower number means more common.
Money itself
| Rank | Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 186 | money | what you use to buy things | I do not have much money this week. |
| 505 | free | costing nothing | Entry to the park is free. |
| 594 | poor | having little money | They were very poor as children. |
| 835 | bill | a note of what you owe | Can I have the bill, please? |
| 937 | rich | having a lot of money | He became rich very young. |
| 963 | card | a plastic card to pay with | Can I pay by card? |
| 1059 | cash | notes and coins | I only have cash on me. |
| 4167 | coin | a round piece of metal money | She dropped a coin on the floor. |
Paying and spending
| Rank | Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 388 | pay | give money for something | I will pay for the tickets. |
| 393 | change | coins back; swap money | Here is your change: two pounds. |
| 528 | save | keep money for later | I save a little every month. |
| 830 | spend | use money | We spend too much on coffee. |
| 1120 | owe | have to pay someone back | You owe me five pounds. |
| 1656 | afford | have enough money for | We cannot afford a new car. |
| 2329 | borrow | take and give back later | Can I borrow some money? |
| 3388 | lend | give and get back later | Can you lend me ten pounds? |
Prices and value
| Rank | Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1179 | price | the amount a thing is sold for | The price is too high. |
| 1298 | cost | be bought for an amount | How much does it cost? |
| 1873 | expensive | costing a lot | This restaurant is expensive. |
| 1978 | cheap | costing little | These shoes were very cheap. |
| 2419 | sale | selling at a lower price | The shoes are on sale. |
| 2595 | debt | money you still owe | She paid off all her debt. |
| 6438 | discount | money taken off the price | Students get a discount. |
Shops, banks and people
| Rank | Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 511 | buy | get something for money | I want to buy some bread. |
| 761 | sell | give something for money | They sell fruit at the market. |
| 917 | bank | a place that keeps your money | I went to the bank this morning. |
| 1034 | store | a shop | The store opens at nine. |
| 1042 | shop | a place to buy things | There is a shop on the corner. |
| 1467 | account | your money record at a bank | I put the money in my account. |
| 1502 | market | an open place to buy and sell | We buy vegetables at the market. |
| 1583 | credit | buying now and paying later | She paid by credit card. |
| 2911 | customer | a person who buys | The shop was full of customers. |
| 5728 | receipt | a paper proof of payment | Keep the receipt in case you return it. |
Example sentences
Play each line, then say it aloud. These use the money words in natural, everyday patterns.
- I do not have much money this week.'Money' is uncountable: much money, not many moneys.
- Can I pay by card or do you only take cash?'Pay by card', 'take cash'.
- How much does this jacket cost?The natural way to ask a price.
- The price is too high for me.'Price' as a noun.
- These shoes were really cheap.'Cheap' = low price.
- That restaurant is very expensive.'Expensive' = high price.
- I want to buy some bread and milk.'Buy' = get for money.
- They sell fresh fish at the market.'Sell' = give for money; 'market' as a place.
- Here is your change, two pounds.'Change' = the coins you get back.
- I need to change my dollars to euros.'Change' = swap currency.
- We cannot afford a holiday this year.'Afford' = have enough money for.
- I save a little money every month.'Save' = keep for later.
- We spend too much on coffee.'Spend' = use money.
- You still owe me five pounds.'Owe' = have to pay back.
- Can I borrow ten pounds until Friday?'Borrow' = take and give back.
- Can you lend me your card for a second?'Lend' = give and get back.
- The jackets are on sale this week.'On sale' = at a lower price.
- Students get a discount at the cinema.'Discount' = money off the price.
- Please keep the receipt in case you return it.'Receipt' = proof of payment.
- I put the money in my bank account.'Bank' and 'account' together.
Recap cheat-sheet
A few patterns to remember before the quiz.
Quick recap before the quiz.
| Point | Example |
|---|---|
| buy vs sell | you buy it / they sell it |
| borrow vs lend | I borrow / you lend me |
| cost vs price | it costs ten / the price is ten |
| change | coins back; swap currency |
Practice
Money words practice
Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.
1 Match each word to its meaning.
- expensive
- afford
- receipt
- discount
Show answer
- expensive → costing a lot
- afford → have enough money for
- receipt → a paper proof of payment
- discount → money taken off the price
Linking a word to its meaning helps you recall it faster.
Hint: give something for money
Show answer
sell — You buy to get something; you sell to give it for money.
Hint: take and give back
Show answer
borrow — You 'borrow' when you take and will return it; you 'lend' when you give it.
6 Put the words in order.
Show answer
we cannot afford a new car — 'Afford' follows cannot: we cannot afford a new car.
Quiz
Money words quiz
10 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.
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Show answer
free — 'Free' means it costs nothing.
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borrow it — You borrow when you take and return; you lend when you give.
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How much does it cost? — 'How much does it cost?' is correct and natural.
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change — Change is the money returned after you pay.
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Show answer
It costs ten pounds. — A thing 'costs' an amount: it costs ten pounds.
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Show answer
market — A market is an open place to buy and sell.
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Show answer
cheap — 'Cheap' means a low price; 'expensive' means a high price.
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Show answer
debt — A debt is money you still owe.
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Show answer
receipt — A receipt is the proof of payment you may need for a return.
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Show answer
notes and coins — Cash is physical notes and coins.
Next
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