What are the main body parts in English?
The main body parts in English are the head, face, neck, shoulders, chest, arms, hands, back, stomach, hips, legs, and feet. Within each area there are more specific terms: on the face alone, learners need forehead, eyebrow, eyelid, cheek, chin, jaw, and nostril.
Body part vocabulary is essential for medical situations, sports, physical descriptions, and everyday conversation about health and appearance.
Key takeaways
- Body vocabulary in English divides into logical groups: head and face, upper body, arms and hands, lower body, and legs and feet, each of which can be learned as a connected set.
- Several body part names have silent letters or non-obvious pronunciation: knee (the k is silent), thumb (the b is silent), and wrist (standard pronunciation, but often misstressed by learners).
- The difference between formal/medical terms and everyday terms matters: abdomen is the medical word, stomach or belly are everyday English; tibia is medical, shin is everyday.
- Body vocabulary is one of the most practical areas to learn early because it appears in medical appointments, injury descriptions, sports, and physical directions in fitness and dance.
A learner at a doctor’s appointment abroad, playing a team sport with English-speaking teammates, or following an exercise class needs body vocabulary that goes beyond head and hand. Knowing that the shin is the front of the lower leg, that the collar bone is also called the clavicle, and that the nape is the back of the neck: these details are what move vocabulary from beginner to functional.
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Head and face vocabulary
The head contains the most vocabulary density of any body area. Face vocabulary appears frequently in physical descriptions and emotional expressions.
Head
| English | Notes |
|---|---|
| Head | The whole upper part of the body |
| Skull | The bone structure of the head |
| Scalp | The skin on top of the head |
| Hair | Grows from the scalp |
| Temple | The flat area on the side of the head, above the cheekbone |
| Forehead | Front of the head above the eyebrows |
Face
| English | Notes |
|---|---|
| Face | The front of the head |
| Eyebrow | The hair ridge above the eye |
| Eyelid | The skin that covers the eye |
| Eyelash | The hairs on the eyelid edge |
| Eye | The organ of vision; includes pupil, iris, cornea |
| Nose | The central feature used for breathing and smelling |
| Nostril | One opening of the nose (two nostrils) |
| Cheek | The fleshy area below the eye on each side |
| Jaw | The lower bone of the face; the jawbone |
| Chin | The bottom center of the face |
| Mouth | The opening for eating and speaking |
| Lip | Upper and lower borders of the mouth |
| Tongue | The muscular organ inside the mouth |
| Tooth / teeth | Teeth is the plural; tooth is singular |
| Gum | The tissue around the teeth |
| Ear | The organ of hearing on each side of the head |
| Earlobe | The soft lower part of the ear |
Pronunciation note: eyebrow has stress on EYE. Eyelash, eyelid, and eyelash all start with EYE.
Neck, shoulders, and upper body
| English | Medical equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Neck | Cervical region | Connects head to torso |
| Nape | N/A | Back of the neck |
| Throat | Pharynx / larynx | Front of the neck; used for breathing and swallowing |
| Shoulder | N/A | Joint connecting arm to torso |
| Collar bone | Clavicle | Prominent bone across the upper chest |
| Shoulder blade | Scapula | Flat bone on the upper back |
“Nape of the neck” is a common phrase in English, particularly in descriptions of hairstyles and physical appearance.
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Arm and hand vocabulary
| English | Notes |
|---|---|
| Arm | The whole limb from shoulder to wrist |
| Upper arm | The section from shoulder to elbow |
| Elbow | The joint in the middle of the arm |
| Forearm | The section from elbow to wrist |
| Wrist | The joint connecting forearm to hand |
| Hand | The whole structure at the end of the arm |
| Palm | The inside of the hand (opposite of the back of the hand) |
| Thumb | The short, thick finger set apart from the others |
| Index finger | The first finger (next to the thumb); also called pointer finger |
| Middle finger | The longest finger; the third one |
| Ring finger | The fourth finger; traditionally where wedding rings are worn |
| Pinky finger | The smallest finger; also called little finger |
| Fingernail | The hard covering at the tip of each finger |
| Knuckle | The joints on the back of the finger |
Silent letter: thumb; the b is not pronounced. Say THUM, not THUMBB.
The five fingers have informal names in everyday English: thumb, index finger (or pointer finger), middle finger, ring finger, and pinky (or little finger). Medical terms are different: pollex (thumb), digitus secundus (index), etc., but everyday speakers never use them.
Torso and back vocabulary
| English | Medical equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chest | Thorax | The front of the upper body |
| Breast | Mammary gland | Can refer to the chest area or specifically to the mammary tissue |
| Rib | Costa | The curved bones protecting the lungs and heart |
| Stomach | Abdomen | Everyday term; technically the stomach is the digestive organ |
| Belly | Abdomen | Informal; used for the lower front of the torso |
| Navel / belly button | Umbilicus | The small indentation left by the umbilical cord |
| Waist | N/A | The narrow middle of the torso |
| Hip | Ilium / pelvis | The area below the waist on each side |
| Back | Dorsal region | The rear of the torso |
| Spine | Vertebral column | The column of bones running down the center of the back |
| Lower back | Lumbar region | Common location for pain; the area above the hips |
In everyday conversation, stomach is used broadly to refer to the entire front of the lower torso, not just the digestive organ. “My stomach hurts” is a natural English sentence even when the pain is in the intestines or abdomen generally.
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Leg and foot vocabulary
| English | Medical equivalent | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Leg | N/A | The whole lower limb |
| Thigh | Femoral region | The upper section from hip to knee |
| Knee | Patella (kneecap) | The joint in the middle of the leg |
| Shin | Tibia (front lower leg) | The front of the lower leg |
| Calf | Gastrocnemius | The muscular back of the lower leg |
| Ankle | N/A | The joint connecting leg to foot |
| Foot | N/A | The structure at the end of the leg |
| Heel | Calcaneus | The back of the foot |
| Arch | N/A | The curved middle part of the sole |
| Sole | Plantar surface | The bottom of the foot |
| Toe | Digit (pedal) | The five digits on each foot |
| Toenail | N/A | The nail at the tip of each toe |
| Big toe | Hallux | The largest toe |
Silent letter: knee; the k is not pronounced. Say NEE, not K-NEE.
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Basic internal body parts
These terms appear in medical contexts and health conversations.
| English | Notes |
|---|---|
| Heart | Pumps blood; center of the circulatory system |
| Lungs | Two organs for breathing; left and right |
| Liver | Filters blood; large organ in the upper right abdomen |
| Kidneys | Two bean-shaped organs that filter waste from blood |
| Stomach | The digestive organ that processes food |
| Intestines | Small intestine and large intestine; process food after the stomach |
| Brain | The organ in the skull that controls the body |
| Bladder | Stores urine before it is expelled |
| Spine | The column of vertebrae supporting the body and protecting the spinal cord |
For medical appointments, the most useful terms are heart, lungs, stomach (even used broadly), kidneys, and the general abdomen/chest area.
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Everyday vs. medical terms
Learners preparing for medical contexts need to understand that English has parallel vocabulary systems: one for everyday conversation and one for clinical settings.
| Everyday English | Medical / formal English |
|---|---|
| Stomach / belly | Abdomen |
| Shin | Tibia |
| Kneecap | Patella |
| Collar bone | Clavicle |
| Shoulder blade | Scapula |
| Tailbone | Coccyx |
| Womb | Uterus |
| Throat | Pharynx / larynx |
| Jawbone | Mandible |
| Thumb | Pollex |
In a casual conversation about an injury, “my shin hurts” is natural. In a medical consultation, a doctor may say tibia, and the patient needs to understand both terms.
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Pronunciation notes
| Word | Pronunciation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Knee | NEE | Silent k |
| Thumb | THUM | Silent b |
| Wrist | RIST | w pronounced; rs blend |
| Shoulder | SHOHL-der | Do not over-pronounce the l |
| Stomach | STUM-uk | Not sto-MACH |
| Tongue | TUNG | The ue at the end is silent |
| Throat | THROHT | Rhymes with “boat” |
| Forehead | FOR-id or FOR-hed | Both pronunciations are used |
| Eyelid | EYE-lid | Stress on EYE |
| Knuckle | NUK-ul | Silent k |
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Example sentences
- A sharp pain in the shin after running may indicate a stress fracture or shin splints.
- The dentist checked every tooth and found no cavities.
- The nape of the neck is a sensitive area; many people get headaches that start there.
- After the fall, the knee was swollen and tender to the touch.
- The collar bone felt bruised but was not broken.
- Deep breathing expands the lungs and lowers the heart rate.
- Bending from the waist rather than the knees puts extra strain on the lower back.
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Practice tasks
Task 1: Label a diagram Draw a simple outline of a body. Label 20 body parts from this guide. Say each label aloud. Check pronunciation against the pronunciation notes.
Task 2: Medical appointment roleplay With an English tutor online, roleplay a visit to a doctor. Describe a pain using the correct body part name, location, and sensation (sharp, dull, throbbing, constant).
Task 3: Everyday vs. medical pairs Create a two-column list: write the everyday English term in column one and the medical equivalent in column two. Test recall in both directions.
Task 4: Describe a body position In English, describe the body position of someone sitting at a desk. Use at least eight body part terms: where are the elbows, the spine, the wrists, the feet?
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Where do learners go from here?
Body part vocabulary extends into injury language (sprain, fracture, bruise, strain), medical symptoms (ache, throb, swell, itch), fitness and exercise directions, and physical descriptions. Each area builds on the core vocabulary in this guide.
italki has connected learners with English teachers since 2007. An English teacher online can build body vocabulary into real conversation practice using medical scenarios, sports language, or physical description exercises.
Book a trial lesson and bring a specific scenario to practice, whether a doctor visit, a fitness class, or a physical description task.
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FAQ
What is the difference between the stomach and the abdomen?
The stomach is a specific digestive organ inside the body. The abdomen is the broader area of the torso below the chest and above the pelvis. In everyday English, people say “my stomach hurts” to refer to any pain in the abdominal area, even when the stomach organ is not the cause. In medical settings, abdomen is the more precise term.
Why is the k silent in knee and knuckle?
In older English, the k in kn- combinations was pronounced. Over centuries, the k sound was dropped in spoken English while the spelling was preserved. Other silent-k words include knit, knife, knob, knock, and know.
What is the difference between the shin and the calf?
The shin is the front of the lower leg, where the tibia bone is close to the surface. The calf is the muscular back of the lower leg, made up of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. A football kick hits the shin; running builds the calf.
Is belly informal?
Yes. Belly is used in casual conversation: “my belly is full,” “belly button,” “belly laugh.” Abdomen is formal and medical. Stomach sits between the two; it is casual but also appears in medical contexts without sounding out of place.
What body parts should an English learner know for a medical appointment?
The most important for a basic appointment: head, neck, chest, stomach/abdomen, back, shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist, hand, leg, knee, ankle, and foot. Being able to point and say “it hurts here” combined with the correct body part name covers most situations, even at lower fluency levels.
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