Everyday situations

What to say in an emergency in English

Calling emergency services, describing an accident, reporting a theft, asking for help: the phrases you need when things go wrong.

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Quick answer

Know three numbers: 999 or 112 in the UK and 911 in the US. And three opening phrases: I need help! to call out for help, Call an ambulance! for a serious injury and Call the police! for a theft or an attack. Always give your location first: it is the first thing the operator asks for.

An emergency is the situation where the right words really matter: a wrong word can slow down help. The good news: emergency operators are trained to understand callers who hesitate or have an accent. The rule in the UK and the US is simple. Give your location first, then what has happened, then how many people are hurt and how they are. The operator will ask calm questions to check the facts, so don't hang up. Two pairs of words often cause problems. Pain is a noun and painful is an adjective. I am injured states a plain fact, while I am hurt sounds more emotional, but people often use it for an injury too.

Step by step

Each step follows a typical conversation. Lines marked “or” are other possible answers, depending on the situation.

1. Calling the emergency number

Give your location, say what has happened and how many people are hurt. Then follow the operator's instructions.

Other person
Hello, emergency services. What's your emergency?
You
I need an ambulance, please.
or
I need the police.
or
I need the fire brigade.
UK
or
I need the fire department.
US
Other person
Where is the emergency?
You
I'm at the corner of Oxford Street and Regent Street.
→ Give a landmark and the street name or number. The more precise you are, the faster help arrives.
Other person
Stay on the line.
→ This is a standard instruction: never hang up until the operator tells you to.
You
OK, I'll stay on the line.
Other person
Help is on the way.

2. Describing an accident or an injury

Say what kind of accident it is and how the injured people are. Use short, clear sentences.

You
There's been an accident.
→ A useful opening sentence for any accident.
You
A man has been hit by a car.
Other person
How many people are injured?
You
Two people, both adults.
Other person
Is he awake and breathing?
You
He's not breathing.
→ This is the most important thing to say: the operator will start giving first-aid instructions straight away.
or
He's unconscious, but he's breathing.
or
He's bleeding heavily.
Other person
Can you tell me what's wrong?
You
I think he's having a heart attack.
or
I've fallen and I can't get up.
→ Use this when you are the injured person and you are making the call.
or
I think my arm is broken.

3. Reporting a theft, a mugging or a burglary

Say what happened, where and when, and describe the person if you can.

You
I'd like to report a theft.
Other person
What happened?
You
My bag has been stolen.
or
I've been mugged.
→ To be mugged means that someone attacks you in the street to steal from you.
or
Someone broke into my flat.
UK
or
Someone broke into my apartment.
US
Other person
Where did it happen?
or
When did it happen?
You
On Camden High Street, about ten minutes ago.
Other person
Can you describe the suspect?
You
A man, about 6 feet, wearing a black hoodie.
Other person
Would you like to make a statement?
You
Yes, I need to file a police report.
→ You need a police report for your insurance and to replace stolen documents.

4. Asking for help in the street

Call out for help, then say what the problem is. Keep it short and strong.

You
Help! I need help!
→ A general call for help: say it loudly and say it again.
Other person
What's the matter?
You
My friend has fainted. Call an ambulance!
or
I think I'm having a panic attack. I need a doctor.
or
Stop! Thief! Call the police!
→ Use this when someone has just stolen something from you in the street.
or
Fire! Call 999!
UK
or
Fire! Call 911!
US
Other person
I'm calling now.
You
Is there a doctor here?
Other person
I'm a nurse. Let me have a look.

5. At the hospital or the police station

Help arrives, someone checks you, and you explain what happened. Stay calm and show your ID.

Other person
Could you describe what happened?
You
I fell off my bike and landed on my wrist.
Other person
Where does it hurt?
You
Here, in my wrist.
Other person
On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad is the pain?
You
About seven.
Other person
Could you fill in this form? Do you have any ID?
You
No, my passport was stolen with my bag. I need to contact my embassy.
→ This is very important abroad if your documents are stolen or if you have a problem with the police.
Other person
Of course. Is there anything else you need?
You
Is there a translator available?
Other person
Yes, we can arrange one.
You
Could I have a copy of the report?
→ You will need it for your insurance.
Other person
Of course. Would you like to call anyone?
You
I need to call my family.

6. Following first-aid instructions

The emergency services tell you what to do, over the phone or on the spot.

You
He's on the ground and he's not moving.
Other person
Stay where you are. Don't move him.
You
He's bleeding from his leg. What should I do?
Other person
Put pressure on the wound.
You
OK, I'm pressing on it now.
Other person
Keep him awake and talk to him.
or
If he's unconscious, put him in the recovery position.
You
OK, I'll do that.
Other person
Could you wait outside to flag down the ambulance?
You
Yes, I'm going outside now.
Other person
The paramedics will be there in 4 minutes. Don't hang up.
You
OK, I'm still here.

Useful vocabulary

Numbers and services

999 / 112emergency numbers in the UK and Europe
911the emergency number in the US
emergency servicespolice, ambulance and fire services together
the policepeople who stop crime and keep order
an ambulancea vehicle that takes patients to hospital
the fire brigade / fire departmentpeople who put out fires
the coastguardthe service that rescues people at sea
mountain rescuea team that saves people in mountains

Types of emergency

a car accident / a crashwhen a car hits something
a fireflames that burn a building or place
a heart attacka sudden, serious problem with the heart
a strokea sudden loss of blood to the brain
a falldropping suddenly to the ground
a drowningwhen someone cannot breathe under water
a robbery / a theft / a burglarytaking things that belong to someone else
an assault / a mugginga violent attack on a person

Serious injuries and symptoms

unconsciousnot awake and not responding
bleedinglosing blood
breathing / not breathingtaking air in and out, or not
broken (arm / leg)with a cracked bone
a wound / a cutan injury where the skin is open
a burnan injury caused by heat or fire
chokingsomething stuck in the throat
in shockvery weak and confused after an accident

Documents and procedures

a police reportan official record of a crime
a statementwhat you tell the police, written down
a witnessa person who saw what happened
a suspecta person the police think committed the crime
ID / identificationa document that shows who you are
an embassy / a consulateyour country's office in another country
insurancea contract that pays for damage or loss
next of kinyour closest family member

UK vs US: what changes

You want to say…	UK	US
Number to call for help	999 (or 112 anywhere in Europe)	911
Service that puts out fires	Fire brigade	Fire department
Hospital department for urgent care	A&E (Accident & Emergency)	ER (Emergency Room)
A home on one floor of a building	Flat	Apartment
Taking something that isn't yours	Steal / nick (informal)	Steal / rip off (informal)
Telling the police about a crime	A statement / a complaint	A report / a complaint

Common mistakes to avoid

1. I hurted ❌

The verb to hurt is irregular in the past: hurt, hurt, hurt. There is no -ed. ✓ I've hurt my leg (Present Perfect). ✓ I hurt my leg yesterday (Past Simple). ✗ I hurted my leg. Cost, cut, put, set and let work in the same way: one form for everything.

2. I am injured since 1 hour ❌

For a situation that started in the past and is still going on, use the Present Perfect + for / since. ✓ I've had this pain for an hour (a length of time with for). ✓ He's been unconscious since 3 pm (a starting point with since). ✗ I am injured since 1 hour (the Present Simple with since, and since with a length of time).

3. The police is coming ❌

In English, police is a group noun that always takes a plural verb. ✓ The police are coming. ✓ The police have arrived. ✗ The police is coming / has arrived. For one person, say a police officer or a policeman.

4. I bleed ❌

For something that is happening right now, use the Present Continuous. ✓ I'm bleeding heavily (right now). ✓ He's not breathing. ✗ I bleed (it sounds like a habit, which is strange here). In the same way, say I'm having a heart attack (it is happening now), not I have a heart attack.

5. I am stolen ❌

With to steal, the passive is about the thing that was taken, never the person. ✓ My bag has been stolen. ✓ I've been robbed (someone took things from me). ✗ I am stolen (impossible). You rob a person or a place; you steal an object.

Practice quiz

Question 1 / 4The Big Challenge question bank

You are in New York and you see an accident. Which number do you call?

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Frequently asked questions

What is the emergency number in the UK and the US?+

UK: 999 (the traditional number) or 112 (the European number, which also works). US and Canada: 911. Australia: 000. New Zealand: 111. You can call 112 from any mobile phone anywhere in Europe, and it puts you through to the right service.

How do you call emergency services in English?+

Dial the local number (999 in the UK, 911 in the US). The operator says Emergency services. What's your emergency? Then answer in this order. 1) The service you need: I need an ambulance / the police / the fire brigade. 2) The exact place: street, number and a landmark. 3) What happened: There's been an accident. Two people are injured. 4) Don't hang up until the operator tells you to.

How do you shout for help in English?+

Help!, Help me! or Somebody help! are what everyone shouts to get attention. A calmer way: I need help. To ask for something specific: Call an ambulance! / Call the police! / Call 911! / Call 999! For a fire: Fire! Fire! If someone steals something from you: Stop, thief!

How do you describe an injury in English?+

Five key verbs. To bleed (to lose blood): I'm bleeding. To hurt (irregular: hurt, hurt, hurt): My X hurts / I've hurt my X. To break: My arm is broken / I think I've broken my X. To faint (to suddenly become unconscious): She's fainted / She's unconscious. To breathe: He's not breathing (the most urgent case).

How do you report a theft to the police in English?+

Say I'd like to report a theft (or a robbery, or a burglary). These three words are different. A theft is stealing without violence and without breaking in. A robbery uses violence or threats (in the street, it is a mugging). A burglary is when someone breaks into a building. Give the place, the time and a description of the suspect if you can. Then ask for a police report: you need it for your insurance.

How do you say you have stomach pain in English?+

My stomach hurts is the most natural. Other options: I have severe stomach pain / I have a stomachache. To be more precise: It's a sharp / dull / throbbing pain. To say where: in my lower / upper abdomen. On the 1 to 10 scale: On a scale of 1 to 10, the pain is a + number.

Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →

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