Vocabulary · Seasons and celebrations
April Fools' Day in English
A2
April Fools' Day in English: jokes, pranks and hoaxes, the verbs for tricking someone, the idiom “pull someone's leg” and reactions like “Gotcha!” and “No way!”. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
The day and its name
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| April Fool's Day(n.)“April Fool's Day is on April 1st.” | 1 April, the day of jokes | /ˈeɪprəl fuːlz deɪ/ |
| April Fool!(phrase) | what you shout after a trick | /ˈeɪprəl fuːl/ |
| fool(n.) | a silly person who is easily tricked | /fuːl/ |
| tradition(n.) | something people have done for years | /trəˈdɪʃən/ |
| first of April(n.) | the date of the joke day | /fɜːst əv ˈeɪprəl/ |
Jokes and tricks
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| joke(n.)“It was just a joke!” | something funny you say to make people laugh | /dʒəʊk/ |
| prank(n.)“My brother played a prank on me.” | a funny trick you play on someone | /præŋk/ |
| hoax(n.) | a big fake story to fool people | /həʊks/ |
| trick(n.) | something you do to fool someone | /trɪk/ |
| gag(n.) | a short joke or funny moment | /ɡæɡ/ |
| practical joke(n.) | a funny trick you do, not say | /ˈpræktɪkəl dʒəʊk/ |
| lie(n.) | something you say that is not true | /laɪ/ |
| surprise(n.) | something you did not expect | /səˈpraɪz/ |
Verbs for tricking people
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| to prank(v.) | to play a funny trick on someone | /præŋk/ |
| to fool(v.) | to make someone believe something false | /fuːl/ |
| to trick(v.) | to fool someone with a clever plan | /trɪk/ |
| to lie(v.) | to say something that is not true | /laɪ/ |
| to play a joke on(v.) | to do a funny trick to someone | /pleɪ ə dʒəʊk ɒn/ |
| to pull someone's leg(v.)“Are you pulling my leg?” | to tease someone with a false story | /pʊl ˈsʌmwʌnz leɡ/ |
| to fall for(v.) | to believe a trick or a lie | /fɔːl fə/ |
| to laugh(v.) | to make a happy sound when amused | /lɑːf/ |
Adjectives and reactions
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| funny(adj.) | making you laugh | /ˈfʌni/ |
| silly(adj.) | a bit stupid, but often funny | /ˈsɪli/ |
| gullible(adj.) | easy to fool; believing everything | /ˈɡʌləbəl/ |
| fake(adj.) | not real; made to trick people | /feɪk/ |
| unbelievable(adj.) | very hard to accept as true | /ˌʌnbɪˈliːvəbəl/ |
| Gotcha!(phrase) | I tricked you! | /ˈɡɒtʃə/ |
| No way!(phrase) | I can't believe it! | /nəʊ weɪ/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
Prank, joke or hoax?
A joke is something funny that you say (Why did the chicken cross the road?). A prank is a funny trick that you do (putting salt in the sugar bowl). A hoax is a big fake story for many people, for example a false story in a newspaper. On April Fools' Day you can find all three, but the prank is the star.
Play a joke to someone ❌: use on
Say play a joke on someone and play a prank on someone: My brother played a prank on me. To someone and with someone are wrong here. You can also play a trick on someone.
Practice quiz
Related pages: April Fools' Day
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
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Frequently asked questions
When is April Fools' Day?+
It is on 1 April in all English-speaking countries (the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Ireland). Many other countries in Europe and around the world have the same tradition of jokes on that day.
Why do people play jokes on 1 April?+
Nobody knows for sure. One popular theory goes back to 1564, when the king of France, Charles IX, moved the start of the year to 1 January (it was at the end of March or the start of April before). People who still celebrated the new year in April were called “April fools”, and others played tricks on them.
Do April Fools' jokes stop at noon?+
In the UK, tradition says you can only play jokes before midday. After midday, the person who plays the joke is the fool! In the United States, people do not usually follow this rule, and the jokes can last all day.
What do you say after an April Fools' prank?+
Just shout April Fool! when the person believes your trick. You can also say Got you! or Gotcha! (informal: “I tricked you!”). If someone tricks you, you can say You got me!
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 →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/vocabulary/april-fools-day
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.