Money Vocabulary in English: Words, Examples and Quiz
From coins and cash machines to salaries, bills and bargains: the words you need to talk about paying, saving and borrowing money, with pronunciation, simple definitions, Turkish translations and real examples.
54 words · By LearnLingo Team · Updated
Tap to hear a word. Pronunciation is American English. Levels follow the CEFR scale. Turkish translations are given as a quick check.
Cash and cards
The things you pay with and carry money in. Cash means coins and paper money together.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
money ⁄ˈmʌni⁄ · noun A1 | the coins, paper and numbers in a bank account that you use to buy things I don't have much money this month. | para |
cash ⁄kæʃ⁄ · noun A2 | money in coins and paper, not on a card Can I pay in cash? | nakit |
coin ⁄kɔɪn⁄ · noun A2 | a small, flat, round piece of metal used as money I need some coins for the parking machine. | madeni para |
banknote ⁄ˈbæŋknoʊt⁄ · noun B1 | a piece of paper money; in British English usually a note, in American English a bill The machine doesn't take large banknotes. | banknot, kâğıt para |
change ⁄tʃeɪndʒ⁄ · noun A2 | the money you get back when you pay more than the price; also, coins of low value Here's your change and your receipt. | para üstü; bozuk para |
wallet ⁄ˈwɑːlɪt⁄ · noun A2 | a small flat case for money and cards, often kept in a pocket I left my wallet at home. | cüzdan |
purse ⁄pɝːs⁄ · noun A2 | in British English, a small bag for coins; in American English, a woman's handbag She took a few coins out of her purse. | bozuk para cüzdanı; el çantası |
credit card ⁄ˈkredɪt kɑːrd⁄ · noun A2 | a plastic card that lets you buy now and pay the bank later Do you take credit cards? | kredi kartı |
debit card ⁄ˈdebɪt kɑːrd⁄ · noun B1 | a plastic card that takes money straight from your bank account I paid for the shopping with my debit card. | banka kartı |
currency ⁄ˈkɝːənsi⁄ · noun B1 | the type of money a country uses, like the euro or the dollar What currency do they use in Japan? | para birimi, döviz |
receipt ⁄rɪˈsiːt⁄ · noun A2 | a piece of paper that shows what you paid for Keep the receipt in case you want to return it. | fiş, makbuz |
Verbs for money
These are the verbs learners use most and mix up most. Borrow means take, lend means give, and both are only for a short time.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
pay ⁄peɪ⁄ · verb A1 | to give money for something you buy or for work someone does I paid twenty dollars for this book. | ödemek |
spend ⁄spend⁄ · verb A2 | to use money to buy things How much do you spend on food each week? | harcamak |
save ⁄seɪv⁄ · verb A2 | to keep money so you can use it later I'm saving for a new laptop. | biriktirmek, tasarruf etmek |
cost ⁄kɔːst⁄ · verb A1 | to have a price How much does this jacket cost? | mal olmak, tutmak |
buy ⁄baɪ⁄ · verb A1 | to get something by paying money for it We bought a new sofa last weekend. | satın almak |
sell ⁄sel⁄ · verb A1 | to give something to someone for money They sold their old car online. | satmak |
afford ⁄əˈfɔːrd⁄ · verb B1 | to have enough money to buy or do something We can't afford a holiday this year. | parası yetmek, karşılayabilmek |
waste ⁄weɪst⁄ · verb A2 | to use money badly, on things you don't need Don't waste your money on that game. | boşa harcamak |
earn ⁄ɝːn⁄ · verb A2 | to get money for the work you do She earns more than her husband. | kazanmak |
borrow ⁄ˈbɑːroʊ⁄ · verb A2 | to take money from someone and give it back later Can I borrow ten euros from you? | ödünç almak, borç almak |
lend ⁄lend⁄ · verb A2 | to give money to someone for a short time My brother lent me money for the train ticket. | ödünç vermek, borç vermek |
owe ⁄oʊ⁄ · verb B1 | to need to pay back money to someone I owe you five dollars for the coffee. | borçlu olmak |
pay back ⁄ˌpeɪ ˈbæk⁄ · phrasal verb B1 | to give back money that you borrowed I'll pay you back on Friday. | geri ödemek |
At the bank
Words for bank accounts and cash machines. For full conversations, see the phrases at the bank.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
bank account ⁄ˈbæŋk əˌkaʊnt⁄ · noun A2 | an arrangement with a bank to keep your money there I opened a bank account when I started work. | banka hesabı |
cash machine ⁄ˈkæʃ məˌʃiːn⁄ · noun A2 | a machine in the street where you take money out of your account; also ATM, and cashpoint in British English Is there a cash machine near here? | bankamatik, ATM |
withdraw ⁄wɪðˈdrɔː⁄ · verb B1 | to take money out of a bank account I withdrew some cash before the trip. | para çekmek |
deposit ⁄dɪˈpɑːzɪt⁄ · verb B1 | to put money into a bank account; as a noun, money you pay first to keep something for you She deposits part of her salary every month. | para yatırmak; depozito |
balance ⁄ˈbæləns⁄ · noun B1 | the amount of money in your bank account now I checked my balance on the app. | bakiye |
PIN ⁄pɪn⁄ · noun B1 | a secret number you type to use your bank card Never tell anyone your PIN. | şifre, PIN kodu |
transfer ⁄ˈtrænsfɝː⁄ · noun B1 | moving money from one bank account to another I made a transfer to my landlord this morning. | havale |
loan ⁄loʊn⁄ · noun B1 | money that a bank or person lends you, which you must pay back They got a loan from the bank to buy a car. | kredi, borç |
interest ⁄ˈɪntrəst⁄ · noun B1 | the extra money you pay on a loan, or get on your savings The interest on this loan is very high. | faiz |
exchange rate ⁄ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ reɪt⁄ · noun B1 | how much of one currency you get for another What's the exchange rate for dollars today? | döviz kuru |
Prices and shopping
Words for how much things cost. More shop language is in shopping phrases.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
price ⁄praɪs⁄ · noun A1 | the amount of money you must pay for something The price is on the back of the box. | fiyat |
cheap ⁄tʃiːp⁄ · adjective A1 | costing little money The bus is cheap, but the taxi is faster. | ucuz |
expensive ⁄ɪkˈspensɪv⁄ · adjective A1 | costing a lot of money Restaurants near the beach are expensive. | pahalı |
sale ⁄seɪl⁄ · noun A2 | a time when a shop sells things at lower prices I got these boots in the sale. | indirim dönemi |
discount ⁄ˈdɪskaʊnt⁄ · noun B1 | money taken off the usual price Students get a ten percent discount. | indirim |
bargain ⁄ˈbɑːrɡən⁄ · noun B1 | something you buy for less than its real value This coat was a real bargain. | kelepir |
refund ⁄ˈriːfʌnd⁄ · noun B1 | money that a shop gives back when you return something The shoes broke, so I asked for a refund. | para iadesi |
tip ⁄tɪp⁄ · noun B1 | extra money you give to a waiter or driver to say thank you We left a tip for the waiter. | bahşiş |
tax ⁄tæks⁄ · noun B1 | money that people and companies must pay to the government Is tax included in the price? | vergi |
worth ⁄wɝːθ⁄ · adjective B1 | having a certain value; good enough to pay for The ticket was expensive, but the show was worth it. | değer, değmek |
Income, bills and budgets
Words for money coming in and going out each month.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
salary ⁄ˈsælɚi⁄ · noun B1 | the money you get for your job, usually every month Her salary went up after the promotion. | maaş |
wages ⁄ˈweɪdʒɪz⁄ · noun B1 | money paid for work, usually every week or by the hour The cafe pays its staff weekly wages. | ücret, haftalık |
income ⁄ˈɪnkʌm⁄ · noun B1 | all the money you get, from work or other places They live on a small income. | gelir |
bill ⁄bɪl⁄ · noun A2 | a paper or message that says how much you must pay; in American English also a banknote The electricity bill is very high this winter. | fatura; hesap |
rent ⁄rent⁄ · noun A2 | money you pay every month to live in someone else's home Rent is very high in the city center. | kira |
budget ⁄ˈbʌdʒɪt⁄ · noun B1 | a plan for how much money you can spend We're on a tight budget this month. | bütçe |
savings ⁄ˈseɪvɪŋz⁄ · noun B1 | money you have kept, usually in a bank They used their savings to start a business. | birikim |
debt ⁄det⁄ · noun B1 | money that you owe to someone He's in debt after buying a new car. | borç |
pocket money ⁄ˈpɑːkɪt ˌmʌni⁄ · noun A2 | money parents give children every week; in American English an allowance I spent all my pocket money on sweets. | harçlık |
broke ⁄broʊk⁄ · adjective B1 | an informal word for having no money I can't come out tonight. I'm broke. | meteliksiz, beş parasız |
Useful phrases and collocations
pay in cash
Can I pay in cash, or only by card?
pay by card
Most people pay by card these days.
pay for something
Who paid for dinner?
spend money on something
She spends a lot of money on books.
save up for something
I'm saving up for a trip to Japan.
take out money
I need to take out some money before we go.
a waste of money
That phone case was a waste of money.
make money
He makes money by selling photos online.
pay the bills
It's hard to pay the bills on one salary.
split the bill
Let's split the bill. It's easier.
on a tight budget
We're traveling on a tight budget.
get into debt
Try not to get into debt with credit cards.
can't afford to
We can't afford to eat out every night.
keep the change
Here's twenty. Keep the change.
How to learn these words
Learn money words by following the money. Start with what you earn (salary, wages), then what you spend (rent, bills, shopping), then what you keep (savings) and what you owe (loan, debt). Say each word out loud with a real number from your own life, and review the list again in a few days. For saying prices aloud, see numbers in English.
Money is uncountable. Say how much money, a lot of money and some money, never moneys or how many money. To count it, count the units: twenty dollars, a few coins, three banknotes. Read more in countable and uncountable nouns.
Borrow and lend go in opposite directions. You borrow from someone (Can I borrow your pen?) and someone lends to you (Can you lend me your pen?). Also notice spend money on something but pay for something: I spent fifty dollars on shoes, I paid for the shoes.
British and American English use some different words: a note and a bill for paper money, a cash machine or cashpoint and an ATM, pocket money and allowance. In a restaurant, British people ask for the bill, while Americans usually ask for the check. Read more in British vs American English.
Use the words: speaking and writing tasks
- Describe how you spend your money in a normal month in five sentences, using spend on, pay for and save: I spend a lot on rent.
- Tell the story of the best bargain you ever found and the worst waste of money, using bargain, sale, discount and worth it.
- Role-play at a cash machine and in a bank: you want to withdraw cash, check your balance and make a transfer. Use the phrases at the bank.
- Write three questions with borrow and three with lend, then answer them: Can I borrow your charger? Sure, I can lend you mine.
- Make a simple budget for a weekend trip and say it aloud: The hotel costs ninety euros, food is about fifty, and I can't afford a taxi.
Common mistakes
Can you borrow me ten dollars?
Can you lend me ten dollars?
Lend means give for a short time and borrow means take. You borrow from someone, and someone lends to you.
I don't have many moneys.
I don't have much money.
Money is uncountable in English, so it has no plural and uses much, not many.
I spent a lot of money for my holiday.
I spent a lot of money on my holiday.
Spend takes on: spend money on something. Pay takes for: pay for something.
How much costs this bag?
How much does this bag cost?
Cost is a normal verb, so questions need does: How much does it cost? You can also say How much is this bag?
He wins a good salary at the bank.
He earns a good salary at the bank.
You earn money by working. Win is for money from a game, a prize or the lottery.
Practice quiz
10 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
1. I forgot my wallet. Can you ___ me some money for lunch?
2. Choose the correct sentence.
3. The money you get back when you pay with a big banknote is your ___.
4. I'd love a new car, but I can't ___ it right now.
5. What is the American English word for a British note, like a twenty-pound note?
6. She ___ all her money on clothes last month.
7. Extra money you leave for a waiter to say thank you is a ___.
8. The shoes broke after two days, so the shop gave me a ___.
9. What does I'm broke mean?
10. I need some cash. Is there a ___ near here?
0 of 10 answered
Show all answers
- lend
- How much money do you need?
- change
- afford
- bill
- spent
- tip
- refund
- I have no money.
- cash machine
See what the A2 English course covers, or test your level first.
People also ask
Is money countable or uncountable?+
Money is uncountable, so it has no plural and takes much, not many: How much money do you have? To count it, count the units instead: ten dollars, five coins, two banknotes.
What is the difference between borrow and lend?+
Borrow means you take something and give it back later: I borrowed money from my sister. Lend means you give it: My sister lent me money. A simple test is that borrow goes with from and lend goes with to.
What is the difference between a bill and a check?+
In a restaurant, British people ask for the bill and Americans usually ask for the check. In American English, a bill is also a piece of paper money, which British people call a note.
What is the difference between salary and wages?+
A salary is a fixed amount for a year, usually paid every month, often for office jobs. Wages are usually paid by the hour or by the week, often for shop, factory or restaurant work.
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