Speak English With Vanessa

Free PDF Worksheet

“100 Body Vocabulary Words”
Dear English Learner,

Get ready to speak confidently with these 100 Body Vocabulary Words. I recommend reading
these words and phrases out loud and using the blank space on the last page to answer my
challenge question using the vocabulary. Thanks so much for learning English with me!

Your teacher,
Vanessa

Head and Face

Head: “Off the top of my head”: without really thinking about something

-Off the top of my head, I couldn’t tell you the distance from the earth to the moon.

Hair: brown hair/ brunette, blonde hair/ blonde, red hair/ redhead/ ginger, black hair

Scalp

Forehead

Eyebrow

Eye lashes

Eyelid: Note: in some Asian countries, people may say “monolid” or “double eyelid” but in

Western countries, simply “eyelid” is the best word

Eyes: “Don’t roll your eyes at me!” parents often say this to teenagers

Cheeks

Ears: “I’m all ears!”: I am listening intently

-If you have any good ideas, I am all ears.

Ear lobe

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Nose

Nostrils

Mouth

Lips: “My lips are sealed”: I won’t say anything

-I heard about the party but don’t worry, my lips are sealed-I won’t ruin the surprise!

Teeth: “To have a sweet tooth”: to crave something sweet

-I know we just had dinner, but I have a sweet tooth and really want ice cream.

Gums

Tongue: “It’s on the tip of my tongue”: when you know something, but you are struggling to

remember it

-What’s that movie about the pirate called? It’s on the tip of my tongue!

Neck: “To stick your neck out”: to risk criticism or anger by acting or speaking out

-I stuck my neck out for her because I thought she did the right thing.

Chin: “Keep your chin up!”: to stay cheerful even when things are difficult

-Keep your chin up, things will get better!

Face: “To put on a face” : to appear better than reality

-Even though I had a bad morning, I just had to put on a happy face when I went to the

office.

Upper Body

Chest: “Get it off your chest”: to say something you’ve been wanting to say, resulting in a feeling

of relief, like a weight being lifted off your chest

-Tell me what’s bothering you. You’ll feel better after you get it off your chest.

Shoulder: “To give the cold shoulder”: to be intentionally unfriendly

-I said hi to her, but she gave me the cold shoulder and walked away without a word.

Arm: “To twist someone’s arm”: to convince someone to do something

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 -My husband says I had to twist his arm to get a cat, but the truth is, he loves our cat.

Elbow: “To have elbow room”: to have enough space to move around in

-This kitchen is too small--there’s not enough elbow room!

Wrist

Hand: “To give a hand”: to help someone with something

-Can you give me a hand with this box? It’s heavy!

Fingers (thumb, pointer, middle, ring, pinky)

Fingerprint

Knuckles

Finger nails

Collar bone

Chest/ Chest area: the most polite and socially acceptable terms; not sexual for a woman

Ribs/rib cage

Belly button

Belly or stomach: “To trust your gut”: to trust your instincts, feelings or intuition

-“Which one should I choose?” -“I don’t know, trust your gut-which one feels right?”

Lower Body

Hips

Private parts: this is also the most polite and socially acceptable term

Crotch: more commonly used by men and slightly less polite, but with family and friends, it’s

okay to say: “Hey, don’t throw that at my crotch.”

Groin: “I pulled my groin” or “I pulled a muscle in my groin.” the muscles that go on the inside of

your legs

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Legs

Thighs: When you’re sitting, this is called your lap.

Butt/ Backside/ Bum (for children): It’s more polite to talk about yourself than someone else

Knee

Shin

Calf

Ankle

Foot: “To put your best foot forward”: to put forth effort and determination in order to gain

someone’s approval

-I wanted to put my best foot forward with my new neighbors, so I brought them a plate

of my favorite homemade cookies.

Toes (big toe, little toe)

Heel

Foot arch/ the arch of your foot

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 ​Vanessa’s Challenge Question

Use the space below to write a few sentences answering this question: When was a time that
you made a decision by trusting your gut?

Sample answer: “When I saw that Vanessa was offering an online English course, I wasn’t sure.
I’d never joined a course online. All of my past English classes were in the classroom. But I knew
that I liked her YouTube videos, so I just trusted my gut and joined the course. And guess what?
My gut was right! I love it!”

Want to continue becoming a confident English speaker?

>>Click here to join The Fearless Fluency Club.<<

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