Vocabulary · Everyday life
Family in English
A1
Family in English: parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, family by marriage, and words for babies and children. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
Close family
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| family(n.)“I love my family.” | parents, children and other relatives | /ˈfæmɪli/ |
| parents(n.) | your mother and father | /ˈpeərənts/ |
| father / dad(n.) | your male parent | /ˈfɑːðə/ |
| mother / mum / mom(n.) | your female parent | /ˈmʌðə/ |
| brother(n.) | a boy with the same parents as you | /ˈbrʌðə/ |
| sister(n.) | a girl with the same parents as you | /ˈsɪstə/ |
| son(n.) | a parent's male child | /sʌn/ |
| daughter(n.) | a parent's female child | /ˈdɔːtə/ |
Grandparents, aunts and uncles
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| grandparents(n.) | your mum's or dad's parents | /ˈɡrænpeərənts/ |
| grandfather / grandpa(n.) | your mum's or dad's father | /ˈɡrænfɑːðə/ |
| grandmother / grandma(n.) | your mum's or dad's mother | /ˈɡrænmʌðə/ |
| uncle(n.) | your parent's brother, or your aunt's husband | /ˈʌŋkəl/ |
| aunt(n.) | your parent's sister, or your uncle's wife | /ɑːnt/ |
| cousin(n.) | your aunt's or uncle's child | /ˈkʌzən/ |
| nephew(n.) | your brother's or sister's son | /ˈnefjuː/ |
| niece(n.) | your brother's or sister's daughter | /niːs/ |
Family by marriage
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| husband(n.) | the man a person is married to | /ˈhʌzbənd/ |
| wife(n.) | the woman a person is married to | /waɪf/ |
| in-laws(n.) | your husband's or wife's family | /ˈɪnlɔːz/ |
| stepfather(n.) | your mother's new husband | /ˈstepfɑːðə/ |
| stepmother(n.) | your father's new wife | /ˈstepmʌðə/ |
| stepbrother(n.) | the son of your stepfather or stepmother | /ˈstepbrʌðə/ |
Babies and children
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| baby(n.) | a very young child | /ˈbeɪbi/ |
| child(n.) | a young boy or girl | /tʃaɪld/ |
| children(n.) | the plural: young boys and girls | /ˈtʃɪldrən/ |
| twin(n.) | one of two children born together | /twɪn/ |
| only child(n.) | a person with no brothers or sisters | /ˈəʊnli tʃaɪld/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
Childs ❌: the plural is children
The plural of child is children, not childs. It is one of the few irregular plurals in English, so learn it by heart. Childrens is wrong too.
Stepmother or mother-in-law?
Mother-in-law = the mother of your husband or wife (family by your marriage). Stepmother = your father's new wife (family by a parent's new marriage). Your in-laws are your husband's or wife's family.
Practice quiz
Going further
The “Family” 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
Practise on PLAYFamily: 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 “Family” on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachers“Family” 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
Frequently asked questions
What is the plural of child?+
The plural is children. It is irregular: not childs. It is one of the classic exceptions, like mouse → mice and person → people.
Is there a female form of cousin?+
No. In English, cousin is the same word for a boy and a girl: my cousin John, my cousin Sarah. There is only one form. The name or the context tells you if it is a male or a female cousin.
What is the difference between stepmother and mother-in-law?+
A stepmother is your father's new wife: she is not your birth mother. A mother-in-law is the mother of your husband or wife. Step- words come from a parent's new marriage, and -in-law words come from your own marriage.
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/family
© 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.