Vocabulary · Nature
Weather in English
A1
Weather in English: sunny, rainy and windy days, rain, snow and storms, hot and cold temperatures, and the phrases you need to talk about the weather. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
General weather
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| weather(n.)“What's the weather like?” | rain, sun, wind and temperature | /ˈweðə/ |
| sunny(adj.) | bright, with a clear sky | /ˈsʌni/ |
| cloudy(adj.) | with a grey, covered sky | /ˈklaʊdi/ |
| rainy(adj.) | with water falling from the sky | /ˈreɪni/ |
| windy(adj.) | with air moving fast | /ˈwɪndi/ |
| snowy(adj.) | with white, frozen flakes falling | /ˈsnəʊi/ |
| foggy(adj.) | with thick cloud near the ground | /ˈfɒɡi/ |
Sun, rain and storms
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| sun(n.) | the star that gives us light | /sʌn/ |
| rain(n.) | water that falls from clouds | /reɪn/ |
| snow(n.) | white, frozen flakes that fall in winter | /snəʊ/ |
| wind(n.) | air that moves | /wɪnd/ |
| cloud(n.) | a white or grey shape in the sky | /klaʊd/ |
| storm(n.) | very bad weather with strong wind | /stɔːm/ |
| thunder(n.) | the loud noise in a storm | /ˈθʌndə/ |
| lightning(n.) | the bright flash in a storm | /ˈlaɪtnɪŋ/ |
| rainbow(n.) | a curve of colours in the sky | /ˈreɪnbəʊ/ |
Temperatures
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| hot(adj.) | very warm | /hɒt/ |
| cold(adj.) | with a low temperature | /kəʊld/ |
| warm(adj.) | pleasantly hot | /wɔːm/ |
| cool(adj.) | a little cold, often pleasant | /kuːl/ |
| freezing(adj.) | very, very cold | /ˈfriːzɪŋ/ |
| boiling(adj.) | extremely hot (informal) | /ˈbɔɪlɪŋ/ |
| temperature(n.) | how hot or cold it is | /ˈtemprətʃə/ |
Weather phrases
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| It's raining(phrase) | water is falling from the sky | /ɪts ˈreɪnɪŋ/ |
| It's snowing(phrase) | white flakes are falling now | /ɪts ˈsnəʊɪŋ/ |
| It's hot(phrase) | the temperature is high | /ɪts hɒt/ |
| It's cold(phrase) | the temperature is low | /ɪts kəʊld/ |
| forecast(n.) | what the weather will be | /ˈfɔːkɑːst/ |
A common mistake
Is raining ❌: start with it
In English, say It's raining, It's sunny, It's cold. Always start with it to talk about the weather: not Is raining or The weather rains. With the word weather, use be + an adjective: The weather is nice.
Practice quiz
Related pages: Weather
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Going further
The “Weather” topic is part of the contest vocabulary
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Practise on PLAYWeather: learn these words for good
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For teachers“Weather” vocabulary, ready for your lessons
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Frequently asked questions
How do you ask about the weather in English?+
Ask What's the weather like? or How's the weather? Answer with It's + an adjective: It's sunny. It's cloudy. It's rainy. To ask about tomorrow, say What's the forecast?
Why do we say it's raining and not it's rain?+
For weather that is happening now, use the Present Continuous (be + verb + -ing): It's raining. It's snowing. Rain is a noun or a verb, so It's rain is wrong. You can also use the adjective: It's rainy (it is a rainy day).
What is the difference between cool, cold and freezing?+
Cool means a little cold, often in a pleasant way. Cold means the temperature is low. Freezing means very, very cold. From less cold to very cold: cool, cold, freezing.
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/weather
© 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.