Vocabulary · British culture
Bonfire Night in English
B1
Bonfire Night in English: 5 November, Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, bonfires and fireworks, traditional food and the famous rhyme. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
The plot of 1605
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Bonfire Night(n.)“Bonfire Night is on November 5th.” | the UK celebration on 5 November | /ˈbɒnfaɪə naɪt/ |
| Guy Fawkes(n.) | the man caught with the gunpowder | /ɡaɪ fɔːks/ |
| Gunpowder Plot(n.)“The Gunpowder Plot failed in 1605.” | the 1605 plan to blow up Parliament | /ˈɡʌnpaʊdə plɒt/ |
| treason(n.) | a crime against your king or country | /ˈtriːzən/ |
| plot(n.) | a secret plan to do something bad | /plɒt/ |
| conspirator(n.) | a person who makes a secret plan | /kənˈspɪrətə/ |
| gunpowder(n.) | a black powder that explodes | /ˈɡʌnpaʊdə/ |
| barrel(n.) | a big round wooden container | /ˈbærəl/ |
| Houses of Parliament(n.) | the building in London where laws are made | /ˈhaʊzɪz əv ˈpɑːləmənt/ |
| King James I(n.) | the king of England in 1605 | /kɪŋ dʒeɪmz ðə fɜːst/ |
Fire and explosions
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| bonfire(n.)“They lit a huge bonfire.” | a big outdoor fire for a celebration | /ˈbɒnfaɪə/ |
| fireworks(n.) | colourful explosions in the night sky | /ˈfaɪəwɜːks/ |
| sparkler(n.) | a stick that throws out bright sparks | /ˈspɑːklə/ |
| rocket(n.) | a firework that flies up high | /ˈrɒkɪt/ |
| firecracker(n.) | a small firework that makes a bang | /ˈfaɪəkrækə/ |
| flame(n.) | the bright, hot part of a fire | /fleɪm/ |
| smoke(n.) | the grey cloud that comes from fire | /sməʊk/ |
| to light(v.) | to start a fire | /laɪt/ |
| to explode(v.) | to burst with a loud bang | /ɪkˈspləʊd/ |
Traditions and celebration
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| effigy(n.)“They burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes.” | a model of a person, often burnt | /ˈefɪdʒi/ |
| guy(n.) | a figure burnt on the bonfire | /ɡaɪ/ |
| mask(n.) | something that covers your face | /mɑːsk/ |
| toffee apple(n.) | an apple covered in hard caramel | /ˈtɒfi ˈæpəl/ |
| jacket potato(n.) | a whole potato baked in its skin | /ˈdʒækɪt pəˈteɪtəʊ/ |
| parkin(n.) | a sticky ginger cake from northern England | /ˈpɑːkɪn/ |
| penny for the guy(phrase) | what children said to ask for money | /ˈpeni fə ðə ɡaɪ/ |
The famous rhyme
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Remember, remember(phrase) | the first words of the Bonfire Night rhyme | /rɪˈmembə rɪˈmembə/ |
| the fifth of November(phrase) | the date of Bonfire Night | /ðə fɪfθ əv nəʊˈvembə/ |
| gunpowder treason(phrase) | the crime of the 1605 plot | /ˈɡʌnpaʊdə ˈtriːzən/ |
| V for Vendetta(n.) | a film that made the mask famous | /viː fə venˈdetə/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
A bonfire in the fireplace ❌
A bonfire is a big fire outside, made for a celebration. The word comes from bone fire: long ago, people burnt bones and rubbish in it. A fire in your living room is just a fire. A small fire for camping is a campfire. The big fire of Bonfire Night is a bonfire.
A guy is always a man ❌
On Bonfire Night, a guy is a figure of Guy Fawkes, made from old clothes and burnt on the bonfire. The everyday word guy comes from this tradition. In the 19th century, a guy first meant this figure, then a strangely dressed man, and finally any man. That is why guys means “men” or “people” today.
Practice quiz
Related pages: Bonfire Night
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
Bonfire Night: learn these words for good
Learning a long list by heart and forgetting it a few days later? With PLAY, you review the words at the right moment (spaced repetition), so they stay in your head.
Review “Bonfire Night” on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachers“Bonfire Night” vocabulary, ready for your lessons
The Academy groups these words into topic-based sequences, with quizzes and practice in context: your students remember the words, and you have nothing to mark.
Discover the Academy30-day free trial · No bank card needed
English contestThe “Bonfire Night” topic is part of the contest vocabulary
Every year, the English contest uses a wide range of cultural topics. Register your students so they can see what they really remember.
Register my students5,000 students every year · Primary and secondary
Frequently asked questions
When is Bonfire Night?+
Bonfire Night (also called Guy Fawkes Night) is on 5 November in the UK and in some Commonwealth countries, like New Zealand. It is not a public holiday, but it is a very popular evening celebration.
What was the Gunpowder Plot?+
The Gunpowder Plot was a plan by a group of English Catholics in 1605. They wanted to blow up the Houses of Parliament with 36 barrels of gunpowder during a speech by King James I. Guy Fawkes was caught in the cellars under Parliament on the night of 4 to 5 November.
How do people celebrate Bonfire Night?+
There are three main traditions. People light a big bonfire, often with a guy (a figure of Guy Fawkes) on top. They watch fireworks and hold sparklers. And they eat special food like toffee apples, jacket potatoes and parkin. The evening also has its own rhyme: Remember, remember the fifth of November.
Why is the Guy Fawkes mask famous?+
The Guy Fawkes mask became famous with the comic and then the film V for Vendetta (2005-2006). Since then, protest groups around the world have used it as a symbol (for example, Anonymous and Occupy Wall Street). In the UK, people still connect it mainly with 5 November.
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/bonfire-night
© 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.