Vocabulary · Nature
Insects in English
A2
Insects in English: common insects, beautiful insects like butterflies, spiders and other small creatures, body parts and actions such as sting, bite and crawl. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
Common insects
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| insect(n.)“There are many insects in summer.” | a small animal with six legs | /ˈɪnsekt/ |
| bug(n.)“A bug bit me.” | an informal word for an insect | /bʌɡ/ |
| ant(n.) | a tiny insect that lives in big groups | /ænt/ |
| fly(n.)“Plural: flies.” | a small insect that buzzes around food | /flaɪ/ |
| mosquito(n.) | a small insect that bites and drinks blood | /məˈskiːtəʊ/ |
| wasp(n.) | a yellow and black insect that stings | /wɒsp/ |
| bee(n.)“Bees make honey.” | an insect that makes honey | /biː/ |
| bumblebee(n.) | a large, round, furry insect that buzzes | /ˈbʌmblbiː/ |
| beetle(n.) | an insect with a hard shell | /ˈbiːtl/ |
| cockroach(n.) | a brown insect that lives in dirty places | /ˈkɒkrəʊtʃ/ |
Beautiful insects (and a caterpillar)
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| butterfly(n.)“A beautiful butterfly.” | an insect with big, colourful wings | /ˈbʌtəflaɪ/ |
| moth(n.) | a night insect, like a butterfly | /mɒθ/ |
| ladybug / ladybird(n.)“Ladybug (US) / Ladybird (UK).” | a small red beetle with black spots | /ˈleɪdibʌɡ/ |
| dragonfly(n.) | a long insect with four clear wings | /ˈdræɡənflaɪ/ |
| firefly(n.) | an insect whose body lights up at night | /ˈfaɪəflaɪ/ |
| caterpillar(n.) | a worm-like baby butterfly or moth | /ˈkætəpɪlə/ |
Spiders and other small creatures
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| spider(n.)“Spiders are arachnids, not insects.” | a small animal with eight legs | /ˈspaɪdə/ |
| scorpion(n.) | an arachnid with a stinging tail | /ˈskɔːpiən/ |
| tick(n.) | a tiny arachnid that drinks blood | /tɪk/ |
| flea(n.) | a tiny jumping insect that bites animals | /fliː/ |
| centipede(n.) | a long creature with many legs | /ˈsentɪpiːd/ |
| worm(n.) | a long, thin animal with no legs | /wɜːm/ |
| snail(n.) | a slow animal with a shell | /sneɪl/ |
| slug(n.) | a snail without a shell | /slʌɡ/ |
Jumping insects
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| grasshopper(n.) | a green insect that jumps very high | /ˈɡrɑːshɒpə/ |
| cricket(n.)“Also a sport!” | a jumping insect that chirps at night | /ˈkrɪkɪt/ |
Body parts and actions
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| wing(n.) | the part an insect uses to fly | /wɪŋ/ |
| leg(n.) | the part an insect uses to walk | /leɡ/ |
| antenna / antennae(n.)“Plural: antennae.” | a thin feeler on an insect's head | /ænˈtenə/ |
| sting(n./v.) | to hurt with a sharp point | /stɪŋ/ |
| bite(n./v.) | to cut with the teeth or mouth | /baɪt/ |
| crawl(v.) | to move slowly close to the ground | /krɔːl/ |
| hive(n.) | the home of a group of bees | /haɪv/ |
| web(n.) | the net a spider makes | /web/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
A spider is an insect ❌
Spiders are not insects: they are arachnids. In biology, insects have six legs and arachnids have eight.
Flys ❌: plurals in -ies and a Latin plural
Fly → flies and butterfly → butterflies: consonant + y becomes -ies. Antenna → antennae is a Latin plural, used for insects. Watch these spelling changes.
Ladybug (US) or ladybird (UK)?
Ladybug in the United States, ladybird in the UK. It is the same small red insect with black spots: only the word changes.
Bug or insect?
Insect is the scientific word. Bug is an informal word for any small creature. In the garden, people say creepy-crawlies for small creatures like worms, spiders and beetles.
Practice quiz
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between insect and bug?+
Insect is the scientific word: an insect has six legs. Bug is an informal word, and it is wider: it can mean any small creature, even one that is not an insect. In the garden, people also say creepy-crawlies for small creatures. A bug can also be a problem in a computer program!
Are spiders insects?+
No! Spiders are arachnids, not insects. Insects have six legs and arachnids have eight. Scorpions and ticks are arachnids too. It is a difference in biology.
What is the plural of fly?+
Flies: after a consonant, -y becomes -ies. It is the same for butterfly → butterflies and dragonfly → dragonflies.
Is it ladybug or ladybird?+
Both are correct. Ladybug is American English and ladybird is British English. It is the same small red insect with black spots. It is a UK/US difference, like cookie (US) and biscuit (UK).
What is the difference between sting and bite?+
Bees and wasps sting (sting → stung → stung): The bee stung me. Mosquitoes and ticks bite (bite → bit → bitten): The mosquito bit me.
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/insects
© 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.