Vocabulary · Seasons and celebrations
Halloween in English
A2
Halloween in English: monsters and creatures, pumpkins, costumes, sweets and the famous “Trick or treat!” that children say at every door on 31 October. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
Monsters and creatures
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ghost(n.) | the spirit of a dead person | /ɡəʊst/ | “The ghost said boo!” |
| witch(n.) | a woman with magic powers | /wɪtʃ/ | “The witch flies on her broom.” |
| vampire(n.) | a creature that drinks blood | /ˈvæmpaɪə/ | “Vampires are afraid of garlic.” |
| zombie(n.) | a dead body that walks | /ˈzɒmbi/ | “Zombies walk very slowly.” |
| skeleton(n.) | all the bones of a body | /ˈskelɪtən/ | “A skeleton has 206 bones.” |
| mummy(n.) | a dead body wrapped in bandages | /ˈmʌmi/ | “The mummy was wrapped in bandages.” |
| werewolf(n.) | a man who turns into a wolf | /ˈweəwʊlf/ | “A werewolf comes out under the full moon.” |
| monster(n.) | a big, frightening creature | /ˈmɒnstə/ | “There is a monster under my bed!” |
Symbols and objects
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| pumpkin(n.) | a big, round orange vegetable | /ˈpʌmpkɪn/ | “We carve pumpkins for Halloween.” |
| jack-o'-lantern(n.) | a carved pumpkin with a light inside | /ˈdʒæk ə ˌlæntən/ | “A jack-o'-lantern glows in the dark.” |
| spider(n.) | a small animal with eight legs | /ˈspaɪdə/ | “I saw a big black spider on the wall.” |
| web(n.) | the net that a spider makes | /web/ | “The spider made a web in the corner.” |
| bat(n.) | a small animal that flies at night | /bæt/ | “Bats fly out at night.” |
| black cat(n.) | the dark-furred pet of a witch | /blæk kæt/ | “A black cat brings bad luck (or good!).” |
| broom(n.) | a brush with a long handle | /bruːm/ | “Witches fly on brooms.” |
| cauldron(n.) | a big, round pot for cooking | /ˈkɔːldrən/ | “The witch stirs her cauldron.” |
| graveyard(n.) | a place where dead people are buried | /ˈɡreɪvjɑːd/ | “They walked through the old graveyard.” |
| tombstone(n.) | the marker on top of a grave | /ˈtuːmstəʊn/ | “There was a name on the tombstone.” |
Costumes and parties
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| costume(n.) | clothes that make you look like someone | /ˈkɒstjuːm/ | “I wore a vampire costume.” |
| mask(n.) | a cover that hides your face | /mɑːsk/ | “My mask was really scary.” |
| haunted house(n.) | a building where ghosts live | /ˈhɔːntɪd haʊs/ | “They visited a haunted house.” |
| spooky(adj.) | strange and mysterious, like ghosts | /ˈspuːki/ | “The music was really spooky.” |
| scary(adj.) | making you feel afraid | /ˈskeəri/ | “That movie was too scary for me.” |
| creepy(adj.) | strange in a way that frightens you | /ˈkriːpi/ | “There was a creepy noise upstairs.” |
| to dress up(v.) | to put on a costume | /dres ʌp/ | “We dress up every year.” |
Sweets and traditions
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| trick or treat(phrase) | what children say to get sweets | /trɪk ɔː triːt/ | “Kids say "Trick or treat!" to get candy.” |
| candy(n.) | sugary treats like lollipops and toffees | /ˈkændi/ | “We got tons of candy this year!” |
| sweets(n.) | sugary treats like lollipops and toffees | /swiːts/ | “British kids ask for sweets at Halloween.” |
| chocolate(n.) | a sweet brown food made from cocoa | /ˈtʃɒklət/ | “Chocolate is my favourite treat.” |
| to carve(v.) | to cut a shape into something | /kɑːv/ | “We carve a face on the pumpkin.” |
| to scare(v.) | to make someone afraid | /skeə/ | “You scared me!” |
| to haunt(v.) | to visit a place as a ghost | /hɔːnt/ | “A ghost haunts this old castle.” |
Common mistakes to avoid
Candy (US) or sweets (UK)?
In the United States, sweets are called candy. It is usually uncountable (you do not count it): say some candy or lots of candy. Candies exists, but it is less common. In the UK, people say sweets (plural). Halloween is mainly American, so candy is more common, but a British text will say sweets.
Trick and treat ❌: the phrase never changes
Trick or treat! is a fixed phrase: you say it as one block and you do not change the words. It means “Give me a treat, or I will play a trick on you.” Trick and treat and Treat or trick are wrong.
Scary, spooky, creepy: three different feelings
Scary means it really frightens you (a horror film). Spooky means strange and mysterious, with a ghostly feeling (music, an old house). Creepy means it makes you feel uncomfortable (a strange smile, a man who follows you). All three work at Halloween, so choose the one that fits.
Haloween ❌: write two ls
Halloween has two ls. The name comes from All Hallows' Eve, the evening before All Saints' Day, and hallow also has two ls.
Practice quiz
Related pages: Halloween
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
Halloween: 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 “Halloween” on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachers“Halloween” 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 “Halloween” 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 Halloween?+
Halloween is on 31 October, the night before All Saints' Day (1 November). It is a very big celebration in the United States, and people also celebrate it in the UK, Ireland and Canada.
What does “trick or treat” mean?+
Trick or treat! means “Give me a treat, or I will play a trick on you!” Children in costumes say it when they knock on doors to get sweets. The phrase comes from the United States, where newspapers used it in the 1920s.
Is it candy or sweets at Halloween?+
Candy is American English and sweets is British English. Halloween is mainly an American celebration, so you often hear candy. Example: We collected lots of candy!
What are the most important Halloween words?+
The key words are pumpkin, ghost, witch, vampire, zombie, skeleton, costume, mask, candy, trick or treat, spooky, scary and haunted house. With these words, you can understand most texts about Halloween.
Why do people carve pumpkins at Halloween?+
It comes from an Irish legend. Jack o' Lantern was a blacksmith who had to walk the earth forever with a hollow turnip and a hot coal inside it. Irish people brought the tradition to the United States in the 19th century. There, the turnip became a pumpkin, because it is bigger and easier to carve.
What do you say on Halloween?+
Just say Happy Halloween!: it is the most common greeting. To sound warmer, say Have a spooky Halloween!, or Stay safe and have fun! to children who go from house to house.
What do children do on Halloween?+
Children dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating: they knock on doors and ask for sweets. Families also carve pumpkins to make jack-o'-lanterns, and some people visit a haunted house or have a party.
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/halloween
© 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.