Vocabulary · US culture
Super Bowl in English
B1
Super Bowl in English: the NFL final, touchdowns and quarterbacks, the halftime show, the famous adverts and the Super Bowl party, a big American tradition in February. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
The event
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Super Bowl(n.)“The Super Bowl is in February.” | the final game of the NFL season | /ˈsuːpə bəʊl/ |
| NFL(n.) | the top American football league | /en ef el/ |
| football(n.) | a team game with an oval ball (US) | /ˈfʊtbɔːl/ |
| championship(n.) | a competition to find the best team | /ˈtʃæmpiənʃɪp/ |
| final(n.) | the last, deciding game of a competition | /ˈfaɪnəl/ |
| Super Bowl Sunday(n.) | the day of the big final | /ˈsuːpə bəʊl ˈsʌndeɪ/ |
| Vince Lombardi Trophy(n.) | the cup the winning team gets | /vɪns lɒmˈbɑːdi ˈtrəʊfi/ |
The game
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| touchdown(n.)“A touchdown is worth six points.” | carrying the ball into the end zone | /ˈtʌtʃdaʊn/ |
| quarterback(n.) | the player who throws the ball | /ˈkwɔːtəbæk/ |
| team(n.) | a group of players who play together | /tiːm/ |
| coach(n.) | the person who trains a team | /kəʊtʃ/ |
| player(n.) | a member of a sports team | /ˈpleɪə/ |
| helmet(n.) | a hard hat that protects the head | /ˈhelmɪt/ |
| field(n.) | the grass area where the game is played | /fiːld/ |
| end zone(n.) | the scoring area behind the goal line | /end zəʊn/ |
| tackle(n.) | bringing the ball carrier to the ground | /ˈtækəl/ |
| pass(n.) | throwing the ball to a teammate | /pɑːs/ |
| kickoff(n.) | the moment the game starts | /ˈkɪkɒf/ |
Show and traditions
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| halftime show(n.)“The halftime show is legendary.” | the concert in the middle of the game | /ˈhɑːftaɪm ʃəʊ/ |
| commercial(n.) | a short TV film that sells something | /kəˈmɜːʃəl/ |
| ad(n.) | a short TV film that sells something | /æd/ |
| halftime(n.) | the break in the middle of the game | /ˈhɑːftaɪm/ |
| performance(n.) | a show by a singer or group | /pəˈfɔːməns/ |
| cheerleader(n.) | a dancer who supports a team | /ˈtʃɪəliːdə/ |
| mascot(n.) | a costumed character who represents a team | /ˈmæskɒt/ |
Super Bowl party
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Super Bowl party(n.) | a get-together to watch the final | /ˈsuːpə bəʊl ˈpɑːti/ |
| chicken wings(n.) | a snack of fried poultry wings | /ˈtʃɪkɪn wɪŋz/ |
| nachos(n.) | corn chips with melted cheese | /ˈnɑːtʃəʊz/ |
| beer(n.) | an alcoholic drink for adults | /bɪə/ |
| pizza(n.) | a flat bread with tomato and cheese | /ˈpiːtsə/ |
| snacks(n.) | small things to eat between meals | /snæks/ |
| to root for(v.) | to support a team (US, informal) | /ruːt fə/ |
| to cheer(v.) | to shout to support someone | /tʃɪə/ |
Common mistakes to avoid
Football in the US and in the UK
In the United States, football means American football (with helmets and an oval ball). In the UK, football is the game with a round ball, which Americans call soccer. The Super Bowl is only about American football (the NFL).
Roman numerals: Super Bowl LX
Each Super Bowl has a number in Roman numerals. Super Bowl LIX (2025) was the 59th, and Super Bowl LX (2026) was the 60th. To read them: L = 50, X = 10, V = 5, I = 1. One exception: in 2016, the organisers wrote Super Bowl 50 with normal numbers, because L alone did not look good.
Practice quiz
Related pages: Super Bowl
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
What's next?
Super Bowl: 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 “Super Bowl” on PLAYFree · No sign-up · 3 minutes
For teachers“Super Bowl” 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 “Super Bowl” 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 the Super Bowl?+
The Super Bowl is on the second Sunday in February (since 2022), at the end of the NFL season. People call this day Super Bowl Sunday: it is a social event as much as a sports event. The game starts at about 6.30 p.m. on the US East Coast.
What is the Super Bowl halftime show?+
The halftime show is the music show in the middle of the game. It is now a big cultural event of its own. The biggest stars in the world perform there: Beyoncé, Madonna, Bruno Mars, Shakira, J.Lo, Rihanna and Kendrick Lamar. The show lasts about 12 minutes, and more than 100 million people watch it.
Why are Super Bowl adverts so famous?+
Super Bowl commercials (adverts) are the most expensive in the world: about 7 million dollars for 30 seconds in 2024. Big brands like Coca-Cola and Apple try to make the most creative advert. Many Americans watch the Super Bowl for the adverts, and people rank and discuss them the next day.
What is the difference between American football and soccer?+
American football is a US sport with an oval ball, helmets and tackles. The field is 100 yards long, and a game has four quarters. Soccer is the American word for football: a round ball, 11 players per team and 90 minutes. The Super Bowl is the final of American football (the NFL), not of soccer (the MLS).
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/super-bowl
© 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.