Vocabulary · Everyday life
Health in English
A2
Health in English: doctors and hospitals, illnesses and symptoms, medicine and care, and simple phrases to explain how you feel. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
People and places
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| doctor(n.)“I need to see a doctor.” | a person who treats sick people | /ˈdɒktə/ |
| nurse(n.) | a person who cares for patients | /nɜːs/ |
| dentist(n.) | a doctor for your teeth | /ˈdentɪst/ |
| patient(n.) | a person a doctor is treating | /ˈpeɪʃənt/ |
| hospital(n.) | where very sick people get treatment | /ˈhɒspɪtəl/ |
| pharmacy / chemist(n.) | a shop that sells medicine | /ˈfɑːməsi/ |
Illnesses and symptoms
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| sick / ill(adj.) | not healthy; not well | /sɪk/ |
| cold(n.) | a light illness with a runny nose | /kəʊld/ |
| flu(n.) | an illness with fever and aches | /fluː/ |
| fever(n.) | a high body temperature | /ˈfiːvə/ |
| cough(n.) | pushing air out of your throat noisily | /kɒf/ |
| headache(n.) | a pain in your head | /ˈhedeɪk/ |
| stomachache(n.) | a pain in your belly | /ˈstʌməkeɪk/ |
| sore throat(n.) | pain when you swallow | /sɔː θrəʊt/ |
Medicine and care
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| medicine(n.) | something you take to get better | /ˈmedsən/ |
| pill / tablet(n.) | a small piece of medicine you swallow | /pɪl/ |
| prescription(n.) | a doctor's note for medicine | /prɪˈskrɪpʃən/ |
| bandage(n.) | a long strip of cloth for injuries | /ˈbændɪdʒ/ |
| plaster / band-aid(n.) | a small sticky strip for cuts | /ˈplɑːstə/ |
| injection / shot(n.) | medicine given with a needle | /ɪnˈdʒekʃən/ |
Useful verbs
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| to feel(v.) | to experience, like pain or tiredness | /fiːl/ |
| to hurt(v.) | to cause pain; to be painful | /hɜːt/ |
| to recover(v.) | to get better after an illness | /rɪˈkʌvə/ |
| to rest(v.) | to relax and do nothing | /rest/ |
| Get well soon!(phrase) | what you say to an ill person | /ɡet wel suːn/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
I have cold ❌: say I have a cold
When you are ill, say I have a cold (with a!). I have cold is wrong. If the temperature is too low for you, say I'm cold.
Pharmacy (US) or chemist (UK)?
In the US: pharmacy. In the UK: chemist or chemist's, and pharmacy too. In the US, a drugstore is a pharmacy and a small shop at the same time.
Practice quiz
Related pages: Health
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Going further
The “Health” 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.
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Practise on PLAYHealth: 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.
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For teachers“Health” vocabulary, ready for your lessons
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say you are ill in English?+
Say I'm ill (UK) or I'm sick (US). In British English, I feel sick often means that you want to vomit. To be more precise, say I have a cold, I have the flu or I have a headache.
How do you describe your symptoms in English?+
Use I have + symptom: I have a fever, I have a cough, I have a sore throat. Use my + body part + hurts: My head hurts. Or say I don't feel well. These simple sentences help you explain your problem to a doctor.
Is it pharmacy or chemist?+
Pharmacy is understood everywhere. In the UK, people also say chemist or the chemist's, a more traditional word. In the US, a drugstore is a pharmacy that also sells everyday things, like a small supermarket.
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/health
© 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.