1
Pen
“I wrote my name with a blue pen.”
School Supplies
What fits in a pencil case — the small tools of writing, drawing, and staying organized.
School Supplies in English: pens, notebooks, staplers, and more, covered in this free vocabulary list of 35 words. Each one includes American and British pronunciation with audio, a photo, and an example sentence, ideal for young learners, ESL students, and English teachers.
2
Pencil
“I used a pencil to draw a picture.”
3
Eraser
“I used an eraser to remove the wrong answer.”
Good to know: Called a 'rubber' in British English.
4
Ruler
“Use a ruler to draw a straight line.”
5
Scissors
“Be careful when using the scissors.”
6
Glue Stick
“I used a glue stick to attach the paper.”
7
Stapler
“I used the stapler to join the pages together.”
Good to know: The small metal pieces it uses to fasten paper are called 'staples'.
8
Paper Clip
“She used a paper clip to hold the documents together.”
9
Highlighter
“I used a highlighter to mark the important words.”
Good to know: Often confused with a 'marker': highlighters use translucent ink to emphasize text, while markers use opaque ink.
10
Marker
“He wrote the title with a black marker.”
11
Notebook
“I wrote my notes in my notebook.”
Good to know: Often confused with a 'notepad': a notebook usually has a bound cover, while a notepad is a simple stack of loose or glued sheets.
12
Sticky Notes
“I put some sticky notes on my desk.”
Good to know: Also widely called 'Post-it Notes', after the popular brand name.
13
Tape
“We used tape to fix the torn paper.”
Good to know: Often called 'Sellotape' in British English and 'Scotch Tape' in American English, both popular brand names.
14
Calculator
“I used a calculator to check the answer.”
15
Sharpener
“My pencil is dull, so I need a sharpener.”
16
Crayon
“The child colored the picture with a crayon.”
17
Colored Pencils
“She drew the flowers with colored pencils.”
Good to know: Spelled 'coloured pencils' in British English.
18
Folder
“Keep your homework in the blue folder.”
19
Envelope
“I put the letter inside an envelope.”
20
Stamp
“I put a stamp on the envelope.”
21
Thumbtack
“He used a thumbtack to put the poster on the wall.”
Good to know: Called a 'drawing pin' in British English.
22
Rubber Band
“I wrapped a rubber band around the papers.”
23
Correction Fluid
“She used correction fluid to cover the mistake.”
Good to know: Often called 'White-Out' in American English and 'Tipp-Ex' in British English, both popular brand names.
24
Clipboard
“The teacher carried a clipboard around the classroom.”
25
Hole Punch
“I used the hole punch to make two holes in the paper.”
Good to know: Also called a 'paper punch' in American English.
26
Notepad
“I wrote the phone number on my notepad.”
27
Backpack
“My backpack is full of books.”
Good to know: Called a 'rucksack' in British English, though 'backpack' is also widely understood.
28
Pencil Case
“My pencils are in my pencil case.”
Good to know: Sometimes called a 'pencil pouch' or 'pencil box' in American English.
29
Binder
“I keep all my worksheets in this binder.”
Good to know: Called a 'ring binder' in British English.
30
Index Card
“I wrote a new word on an index card.”
31
Glue
“Use glue to stick the pieces together.”
32
Paper
“I need a piece of paper for my drawing.”
33
Bookmark
“I used a bookmark to save my place in the book.”
34
Protractor
“We used a protractor to measure the angle.”
35
Compass
“He used a compass to draw a circle.”
Good to know: 'Compass' also means the navigation tool whose needle points north. In British English, the drawing tool is often called 'a pair of compasses'.
That wraps up this School Supplies in English list — everything you'd find in a typical pencil case.