Vocabulary · Nature
Farm animals in English
A1
Farm animals in English: the main animals, farm birds like hens and geese, the names of baby animals, and the places and people of the farm. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
Main animals
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| cow(n.)“The cow gives milk.” | a big farm animal that gives milk | /kaʊ/ |
| horse(n.) | a big animal that people ride | /hɔːs/ |
| sheep(n.) | an animal that gives us wool | /ʃiːp/ |
| pig(n.) | a pink farm animal with a curly tail | /pɪɡ/ |
| goat(n.) | an animal with horns and a beard | /ɡəʊt/ |
| donkey(n.) | a grey animal with long ears | /ˈdɒŋki/ |
Farm birds
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| chicken(n.) | a farm bird that gives us eggs | /ˈtʃɪkɪn/ |
| hen(n.) | a female chicken | /hen/ |
| rooster / cock(n.) | a male chicken | /ˈruːstə/ |
| chick(n.) | a baby chicken | /tʃɪk/ |
| duck(n.) | a water bird with a flat beak | /dʌk/ |
| goose(n.) | a big white water bird | /ɡuːs/ |
| turkey(n.) | a big bird often eaten at Christmas | /ˈtɜːki/ |
Baby animals
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| calf(n.) | a baby cow | /kɑːf/ |
| lamb(n.) | a baby sheep | /læm/ |
| foal(n.) | a baby horse | /fəʊl/ |
| piglet(n.) | a baby pig | /ˈpɪɡlət/ |
Places and people
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| farm(n.) | land where people grow food and keep animals | /fɑːm/ |
| farmer(n.) | a person who grows food or keeps animals | /ˈfɑːmə/ |
| barn(n.) | a big building for animals or hay | /bɑːn/ |
| field(n.) | an open area of grass or crops | /fiːld/ |
| stable(n.) | a building where horses live | /ˈsteɪbəl/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
Two sheeps ❌: sheep never changes
Sheep is the same in the singular and the plural: one sheep, two sheep. Never sheeps. It is the same with fish and deer.
Gooses ❌: the plural is geese
This plural is irregular: one goose, two geese. The vowel changes, like in foot → feet and tooth → teeth.
Practice quiz
Related pages: Farm animals
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Going further
The “Farm animals” topic is part of the contest vocabulary
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Frequently asked questions
What is the plural of sheep?+
Sheep does not change: one sheep, two sheep (no -s). It is the same with fish and deer.
What is the difference between chicken and hen?+
Chicken is the general word for the bird, and also for its meat. A hen is a female chicken, and a rooster (or cock in British English) is a male. A chick is a baby chicken.
What are baby farm animals called?+
Each animal has its own word: a calf (cow), a lamb (sheep), a foal (horse), a piglet (pig) and a chick (chicken). Learn them in pairs: cow → calf, sheep → lamb.
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/farm-animals
© 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.