work

The word “work” means a job or occupation; the activity someone does to earn a living. In plain terms, either a job/effort, or (as a verb) to labor at something or to function correctly.

“Work” is pronounced wurk (/wɝk/ in IPA).

Here is “work” used in a sentence: “She left for work at seven every morning.”

Words with a similar meaning to “work” include effort, exertion, pains and wark.

The opposite of “work” — its antonyms — is hobby.

Depending on how it is used, “work” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “work” comes from Old English. From Old English "weorc," from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to make" — the same root that gives us "energy" and "organ.".

“Work” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

A job is a specific paid position — you can have one job or several, and you can count them. Work is the broader, uncountable activity of doing that job or any effort to earn a living. So you 'go to work' (the activity) at your 'job' (the post), and you cannot say 'a work' to mean a job.

Work is what you do day to day to earn money; a career is the longer arc of your working life — the profession you build and progress in over years. A part-time weekend job is work, but a career suggests direction, growth, and a chosen field pursued over time.

In the sense of a job or employment, work is uncountable — you say 'I have a lot of work' or 'I am looking for work,' never 'a work' or 'three works.' To count, switch to job: 'two jobs.' (Work does become countable when it means a creation, as in 'a work of art.')

Work in this sense appears in phrases like 'She is at work,' 'He is looking for work,' or 'What kind of work do you do?' Each refers to paid activity or employment in general — the effort someone puts in, or the job they hold, to earn a living.