Vocabulary · British culture
Notting Hill Carnival in English
B1
Notting Hill Carnival in English: London's Caribbean street festival, its history and the Windrush generation, soca and steel drums, costumes, floats and food. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
The carnival
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Notting Hill Carnival(n.)“Notting Hill Carnival is in August.” | London's big Caribbean street festival | /ˈnɒtɪŋ hɪl ˈkɑːnɪvəl/ |
| carnival(n.) | a big, colourful street festival | /ˈkɑːnɪvəl/ |
| parade(n.) | a big public march with music | /pəˈreɪd/ |
| street party(n.) | an outdoor celebration in a closed road | /striːt ˈpɑːti/ |
| bank holiday(n.) | a public holiday in the UK | /bæŋk ˈhɒlɪdeɪ/ |
| crowd(n.) | a large group of people together | /kraʊd/ |
| London(n.) | the capital city of the UK | /ˈlʌndən/ |
Caribbean roots
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Caribbean(adj.) | from the islands between the Americas | /ˌkærɪˈbiːən/ |
| Trinidad(n.) | a Caribbean island, home of soca | /ˈtrɪnɪdæd/ |
| Jamaica(n.) | a Caribbean island, home of reggae | /dʒəˈmeɪkə/ |
| West Indies(n.) | the islands of the Caribbean Sea | /west ˈɪndiz/ |
| Windrush generation(n.)“The Windrush generation arrived after WWII.” | Caribbean people who moved to Britain, 1948-1971 | /ˈwɪndrʌʃ ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃən/ |
| immigrant(n.) | a person who moves to a new country | /ˈɪmɪɡrənt/ |
| diaspora(n.) | people living far from their home country | /daɪˈæspərə/ |
| heritage(n.) | traditions passed down from the past | /ˈherɪtɪdʒ/ |
Music and dance
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| soca(n.)“Soca music gets everyone dancing.” | fast, happy dance music from Trinidad | /ˈsəʊkə/ |
| calypso(n.) | Caribbean songs with funny, clever words | /kəˈlɪpsəʊ/ |
| reggae(n.) | Jamaican music with a slow, strong beat | /ˈreɡeɪ/ |
| steel drum(n.) | a metal drum that plays musical notes | /stiːl drʌm/ |
| sound system(n.) | a big set of speakers for music | /saʊnd ˈsɪstəm/ |
| DJ(n.) | a person who plays recorded music | /diː dʒeɪ/ |
| to dance(v.) | to move your body to music | /dɑːns/ |
| rhythm(n.) | the regular beat in music | /ˈrɪðəm/ |
Costumes and food
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| costume(n.) | special clothes for a show or party | /ˈkɒstjuːm/ |
| feather(n.)“Dancers wear feathered costumes.” | one of the soft parts covering a bird | /ˈfeðə/ |
| sequin(n.) | a small shiny disc sewn on clothes | /ˈsiːkwɪn/ |
| mas band(n.) | a big group of costumed carnival dancers | /mɑːs bænd/ |
| float(n.) | a decorated lorry in a parade | /fləʊt/ |
| jerk chicken(n.) | spicy grilled chicken from Jamaica | /dʒɜːk ˈtʃɪkɪn/ |
| plantain(n.) | a large banana you cook before eating | /ˈplæntɪn/ |
| rum punch(n.) | a fruity Caribbean drink for adults | /rʌm pʌntʃ/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
Carribean ❌: one r, two bs
The correct spelling is Caribbean: one r and two bs. There are two correct pronunciations: /ˌkærɪˈbiːən/ (stress on bee) and /kəˈrɪbiən/ (stress on rib). The first one is more common in British English, and the second one is very common in American English.
Windrush: the name of a ship
The Windrush generation is the name for the Caribbean people who moved to the UK between 1948 and 1971. The name comes from a ship, the HMT Empire Windrush, which brought one of the first groups in 1948. Their families are at the heart of Notting Hill Carnival, which started in 1966 to celebrate their culture after the racism and riots of 1958.
Practice quiz
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Frequently asked questions
When is Notting Hill Carnival?+
Notting Hill Carnival takes place over the August bank holiday weekend, at the end of August, usually on the Sunday and the Monday. The Sunday is traditionally Children's Day, and the Monday has the big adult parade. People often describe it as the biggest street festival in Europe.
What is the history of Notting Hill Carnival?+
The carnival has two beginnings. In 1959, the activist Claudia Jones organised an indoor Caribbean carnival at St Pancras. In 1966, Rhaune Laslett, a local social worker, started the first street party in Notting Hill. Both events came after the Notting Hill race riots of 1958. They celebrated the culture of the Windrush generation, the people who came from the Caribbean after 1948.
What music is played at Notting Hill Carnival?+
Three styles are the most important: soca (happy dance music from Trinidad), calypso (Caribbean songs with funny, clever words) and reggae (from Jamaica). Steel drums from Trinidad play in the parades, and huge sound systems fill the streets of Notting Hill, Ladbroke Grove and Westbourne Park with music.
What food can you eat at Notting Hill Carnival?+
The food stalls sell Caribbean dishes: jerk chicken (spicy grilled chicken from Jamaica), curry goat, fried plantain (a large banana you cook), roti (a flat bread from the Caribbean and India) and patties (small spicy pastries).
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/notting-hill-carnival
© 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.