Money makes the world go round, as the song says — and it also makes for one of the most useful vocabulary topics you can learn in English. Whether you’re shopping in London, opening a bank account abroad, or just chatting with friends about the cost of living, you’ll need the right words to sound natural and confident.
In this lesson we’ll work through the essential money vocabulary at A2–B1 level: nouns, verbs, adjectives, banking terms, and a handful of colourful idioms native speakers use every day. There’s a quick quiz at the end so you can check what you’ve learned. Ready? Let’s get into it.
Basic money words
Let’s start with the building blocks. These are the words you’ll hear at the till, in the bank, and on holiday.
- Cash — physical money (notes and coins). I prefer to pay in cash.
- Change — the smaller money you get back after paying, or coins in general. Here’s your change, sir.
- Coin — a round piece of metal money, like a 1 euro coin or a 50p piece.
- Note (British English) / Bill (American English) — paper money. A £20 note. A 20-dollar bill.
- Currency — the type of money used in a country. The currency of Malta is the euro.
- Exchange rate — how much one currency is worth in another. The exchange rate today is 1 GBP to 1.17 EUR.
- ATM / Cashpoint — the machine in the wall that gives you cash. Brits often say cashpoint or just “the cash machine”.
Quick tip: in the UK, asking “Where’s the nearest cashpoint?” sounds more natural than “Where’s the ATM?” — though everyone will understand both.
Verbs related to money
Verbs are where money vocabulary really comes alive. Get these right and you’ll be able to talk about your finances with ease.
- Earn — to receive money for work. She earns £30,000 a year.
- Spend — to use money to buy something. I spent £50 on a new jumper.
- Save — to keep money for later. I’m saving up for a holiday in Malta.
- Lend — to give money temporarily. Can you lend me a tenner?
- Borrow — to take money temporarily (the opposite of lend). I borrowed £10 from my brother.
- Owe — to need to pay money back. I owe her twenty quid.
- Afford — to have enough money for something. I can’t afford a new car.
- Waste — to spend money badly. Don’t waste your money on that rubbish.
- Pay back — to return money you borrowed. I’ll pay you back on Friday.
- Deposit — to put money into a bank account.
- Withdraw — to take money out of a bank account.
Watch out for afford — it’s almost always used with can or can’t. We don’t really say “I afford it” on its own.
Adjectives describing prices
How do you talk about whether something is good value or daylight robbery? With these adjectives.
- Cheap — low in price. Be careful — “cheap” can sometimes mean low quality too.
- Expensive — high in price. That restaurant is too expensive for me.
- Affordable — not too expensive; you can pay for it. A nicer way to say “cheap”.
- Reasonable — a fair price. Twelve pounds for lunch? That’s reasonable.
- Overpriced — costs more than it should. The coffee at the airport is wildly overpriced.
- Free — costs nothing. The Wi-Fi is free.
- On sale — being sold at a reduced price. These shoes are on sale this week.
- A bargain — something cheap and good value. What a bargain!
- A rip-off — much too expensive; unfair. £8 for a coffee? What a rip-off.
Native speakers love the contrast between bargain and rip-off. They turn up in everyday conversation all the time.
Banking and finance vocabulary
Now let’s open the door to the bank. These words come up whenever you talk about jobs, money management, or grown-up life admin.
- Bank account — where the bank keeps your money for you.
- Credit card — pay now, pay the bank back later (with interest if you’re slow).
- Debit card — takes money straight from your account.
- Loan — money you borrow from the bank, usually paid back in monthly chunks.
- Mortgage — a special long-term loan for buying a house. Pronounced “MOR-gij” — the t is silent!
- Interest rate — the percentage extra you pay (or earn) on borrowed or saved money.
- Salary — a fixed amount you earn per year, usually paid monthly. Common for office jobs.
- Wage — money paid by the hour, day or week. Common for shift work.
- Bonus — extra money on top of your normal pay. I got a Christmas bonus.
- Tax — money you have to pay the government. Nobody’s favourite word.
Salary vs wage trips a lot of learners up. A teacher earns a salary; a builder earns a wage. Roughly: salary = monthly and fixed, wage = hourly and variable.
Money idioms
This is where things get fun. English is packed with idioms about money — and using them will instantly make you sound more fluent.
- To cost an arm and a leg — to be very expensive. That handbag cost an arm and a leg!
- To be on a tight budget — to have very little money to spend. I’m on a tight budget this month.
- To pay through the nose — to pay much more than something is worth. We paid through the nose for those concert tickets.
- To be broke — to have no money at all. I’d love to come, but I’m completely broke.
- To be rolling in it — to be very rich. Have you seen her house? She’s absolutely rolling in it.
- To tighten your belt — to spend less because you have less money. After the holiday, we’ll have to tighten our belts.
Idioms are best learned in context. Try writing one example sentence about your own life for each idiom above — that’s how they stick.
Common mistakes
Even advanced learners slip up on these. Watch out!
1. Lend vs borrow. These are not the same. Lend means to give; borrow means to take. “Can you lend me a pen?” = you give it to me. “Can I borrow a pen?” = I take it from you. The thing is the same, but the direction is opposite.
2. Money is uncountable. We don’t say “a money” or “two moneys”. We say “some money”, “a lot of money”, “how much money”. If you need to count, count the units: “two euros”, “five pounds”, “three notes”.
3. “Monies” is rare. You may occasionally see monies in legal or accounting documents (“all monies owed”), but in everyday English it sounds very odd. Stick with money.
4. Pronunciation traps. Remember the silent letters: the t in mortgage, the b in debt, the l in salmon (not money, but worth knowing!).
Mini quiz
Time to test yourself. Don’t peek at the answers below until you’ve tried all ten!
- What’s the British English word for an ATM?
- Fill the gap: “Can I _______ £10? I’ll pay you back tomorrow.” (lend / borrow)
- What’s the opposite of deposit?
- If something is much too expensive and unfair, it’s a ____-___.
- True or false: money is countable, so we can say “three moneys”.
- Which is paid hourly: a salary or a wage?
- Complete the idiom: “That dinner cost an _____ and a ____.”
- What do you call extra money paid on top of your normal salary?
- What’s the silent letter in mortgage?
- If you’re “rolling in it”, are you rich or poor?
Answers: 1. cashpoint 2. borrow 3. withdraw 4. rip-off 5. False — money is uncountable 6. wage 7. arm, leg 8. a bonus 9. t 10. rich.
How did you do? If you got 8 or more, brilliant — you’ve got a solid grasp of money vocabulary. If you’d like to take your English much further with classes, conversation practice and real-life immersion in sunny Malta, request a quick quotation here and our team will get back to you with options. Bring your money words — you’ll be using them at the local cafés before you know it.