Learning English Animals Vocabulary
[Note: This animals vocabulary pronunciation is in American English]
Animals words are some of the first words we learn in English. If you have a pet or like animals, this is a great topic for one of your first English conversations.
This is a list of popular animals but it is not complete. There are many types of animals that are not on this list. In English, we use "animals" to describe the broad list of living beings that are not plants. In this list of animals vocabulary, you'll find:
- mammal: an animal that feeds milk to its young and usually has fur or hair covering its body. (e.g., rabbit, dog, fox, bear, rhinoceros)
- bird: an animal that has feathers and wings. (e.g., turkey, parrot)
- reptile: an animal that has a hard or scaly body, lays eggs and has cold blood. (e.g., snake, turtle)
- fish: an animal that has cold blood, lives in the water and breathes with gills, is often covered with scales and usually has fins. (e.g., sea horse, shark)
- invertebrate: an animal that does not have a backbone. (e.g., crab, octopus, squid, starfish, jellyfish)
There are many more animals of course, but this is a good list to start with.
Animals vocabulary video
The video provides a chance to hear each word pronounced and there is a pause after each word so that you can say the words to practice your pronunciation.
When you're finished, leave a comment below to let us know what some of your favorite animals are.
Click the audio player below to hear the pronunciation.
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Learning English Animals Vocabulary
Now that you've heard the words pronounced, you can review the whole list of English animals vocabulary covered in the video.
This list includes the name of the animal as well as the baby name for the animal.
There is also the name we use to call a group of these types of animals.
For example, we call a baby dog a "puppy." We call a group of dogs together a "pack" of dogs. You could say the robber was attacked by a "group of dogs" but it would be more accurate to say he was attacked by a "pack" of dogs.
Of course, mother-tongue English speakers do not know the names of all of the babies or groups of animals. Native speakers probably know every animal on this list and many of the common baby names.
So, don't worry about memorizing everything.
It will help you sometimes, however, when you are reading about animals or listening to programs about them.
Key to terms on this animals vocabulary list:
name of animal / baby name
name of group of these animals
bear / bear cub (name of animal / baby name)
sloth of bears (name of group of these animals)
camel / camel calf
pack of camels
cat / kitten
clutter of cats / litter of kittens
* called "cattle" (cow is the name of female cattle) but in English we commonly call all of them "cows"
calf (name of baby cattle)
herd of cattle (cows)
crab / zoea larva
cast of crabs
crocodile / crocodile hatchling
bask of crocodiles
deer / doe
herd of deer*
(*note: plural of deer is also deer)
dog / puppy
pack of dogs
dolphin / dolphin pup (or dolphin calf)
pod of dolphins
duck / duckling
flock of ducks
elephant / elephant calf
herd of elephants
fish / fingerling
school of fish
fox / fox cub
skulk (or troop) of foxes
giraffe / calf
herd of giraffe
goat / kid (or billy)
herd of goats
hedgehog / piglet (or pup)
array of hedgehogs
hermit crab
cast of hermit crabs
hippopotamus / calf
herd of hippopotamuses (or hippopotami)
horse / foal
herd of horses
jellyfish / ephyna
bloom (or swarm) of jellyfish
kangaroo / joey
herd (or troop) of kangaroo
killer whale / calf
herd of killer whales
lion / lion cub
pride of lions
monkey / infant monkey
troop of monkeys
octopus
panda bear / panda bear cub
sloth of panda bears
peacock* / peachick
(*peafowl is the animal name and peacock is the name for male peafowl).
muster of peacocks
pig / piglet
herd of pigs
rabbit / bunny
colony (or drove) of rabbits
rhinoceros / calf
crash of rhinoceros (or rhinoceroses)
seahorse
shark / pup
school (or shiver) of sharks
sheep / lamb
herd (or flock) of sheep*
(*note: plural of sheep is also sheep)
shrimp* / baby shrimp
(*note: plural of shrimp is shrimp or shrimps)
snake / snakelet (or hatchling)
bed (or nest) of snakes
starfish
tiger / cub (or whelp)
ambush (or streak) of tigers
turkey / poult (or chick)
rafter of turkeys
turtle / hatchling
bale of turtles
whale / calf
pod (or school) of whales
wolf / pup (or whelp)
pack of wolves
zebra / foal
herd of zebra
Test your knowledge with this short quiz
Time to practice!
Learning English animals vocabulary takes practice and I hope this was helpful. You can also practice more animal names in this fun listening exercise here. Listen as Mel does animal impressions (makes the different sounds of animals).
What are some of your favorite animals? Which animals have you seen in person? Do you have any of these animals as pets?
Now, take a moment to practice your English. You can write answers to the questions on a sheet of paper or practice speaking either out loud to yourself or with a speaking partner. Remember, practice is the only way to improve your English!
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