Vocabulary · Nature
Wild animals in English
A1
Wild animals in English: big cats, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, the places where they live, and irregular plurals like wolves and deer. With British pronunciation (IPA) and examples.
Quick answer
Big cats
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| lion(n.)“The lion is the king of the jungle.” | a big cat with a mane | /ˈlaɪən/ |
| tiger(n.) | a big orange cat with black stripes | /ˈtaɪɡə/ |
| leopard(n.) | a big cat with dark spots | /ˈlepəd/ |
| cheetah(n.) | the fastest land animal | /ˈtʃiːtə/ |
| panther(n.) | a big black wild cat | /ˈpænθə/ |
Mammals
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| elephant(n.) | a huge grey animal with a trunk | /ˈelɪfənt/ |
| bear(n.) | a big, heavy animal with thick fur | /beə/ |
| wolf(n.) | a wild animal like a big dog | /wʊlf/ |
| fox(n.) | a small orange animal with a long tail | /fɒks/ |
| deer(n.) | a forest animal; males have antlers | /dɪə/ |
| kangaroo(n.) | an Australian animal that jumps | /ˌkæŋɡəˈruː/ |
| monkey(n.) | a clever animal that climbs trees | /ˈmʌŋki/ |
| gorilla(n.) | the biggest ape, strong and dark | /ɡəˈrɪlə/ |
Reptiles and amphibians
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| snake(n.) | a long animal with no legs | /sneɪk/ |
| crocodile(n.) | a big reptile with strong jaws | /ˈkrɒkədaɪl/ |
| lizard(n.) | a small reptile with four legs | /ˈlɪzəd/ |
| frog(n.) | a small green animal that jumps | /frɒɡ/ |
| turtle(n.) | a reptile with a hard shell | /ˈtɜːtəl/ |
Places and adjectives
| Word | Meaning | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| jungle(n.) | a hot, wet forest with thick plants | /ˈdʒʌŋɡəl/ |
| forest(n.) | a large area full of trees | /ˈfɒrɪst/ |
| savanna(n.) | a hot, dry area with grass | /səˈvænə/ |
| wild(adj.) | living in nature, not with people | /waɪld/ |
| dangerous(adj.) | able to hurt or kill you | /ˈdeɪndʒərəs/ |
A common mistake
Two deers ❌: deer never changes
Deer stays the same in the plural: one deer, two deer. Do not say deers. Sheep and fish work the same way.
Practice quiz
Related pages: Wild animals
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Going further
The “Wild animals” topic is part of the contest vocabulary
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Frequently asked questions
What is the plural of wolf?+
Wolves. Many words that end in -f or -fe change to -ves in the plural: wolf → wolves, leaf → leaves, life → lives. But there are exceptions: roof → roofs. It is an irregular plural.
Which animal names do not change in the plural?+
Sheep, fish and deer keep the same form in the singular and the plural: one deer, two deer. Some other words do the same, like aircraft and species.
What does wildlife mean?+
Wildlife means all the wild animals that live in a place. One animal is a wild animal: wild means that it lives in nature, not with people. A more formal word for the animals of a place is fauna.
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/wild-animals
© 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.