When it comes to learning English vocabulary topic, family is probably one of the most popular topics that we need to learn to be able to communicate fluently with other people.
So how many English words about family do you already know? Let’s check out our blog post below to test your family-related vocabulary and learn some more!
1. How to effectively learn English vocabulary about family
- Add eJOY Extension to your Chrome
- Highlight any new word/ phrase to look up its meanings, definition, and pronunciation. Click on the blue +Add button to save the word to your wordbook.
- eJOY Extension will help you learn vocabulary in context instead of learning every individual word.
2. English Vocabulary about Family
2.1. Theme 1 – Family
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Parent noun /ˈpɛrənt/
a mother or father Example: Has Joe met your parents yet? |
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Offspring noun /‘ɔf,sprɪŋ/
The immediate descendants of a person Example: She was the mother of many offspring. |
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Sibling noun /‘sɪblɪŋ/ A person’s brother or sister Example: I have two siblings, one elder brother and one younger sister. |
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Folks noun /foʊks/ Your parents Example: He wrote to his folks every day. |
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Husband noun /ˈhʌzbənd/ the man that somebody is married to; a married man Example: That was the day she met her future husband. |
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Wife noun /waɪf/ the woman that somebody is married to; a married woman Example: I’ve never met William’s wife. |
Let’s watch the video below about The Simpson’s introduction to review the words we’ve just learned!
2.2. Theme 2 – Relatives
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Grandmother noun /ˈɡrænˌmʌðər/
the mother of a person’s father or mother Example: My grandmother has readied the lunch before I got home. |
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Grandson noun /ˈɡrænsʌn/
the son of a person’s son or daughter Example: He is the grandson of the director. |
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Relative noun /ˈrɛlət̮ɪv/
a member of your family, especially one who does not live with you, for example, a grandparent or cousin Example: I traveled to Crete with his family to visit his relatives there. |
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Uncle noun /ˈʌŋkl/
the brother of your mother or father, or the husband of your aunt Example: I’ve just become an uncle. |
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Aunt noun /ænt/
the sister of your mother or father, or the wife of your uncle Example: My aunt is a poor person. |
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Cousin noun /ˈkʌzn/
a child of your aunt or uncle, or, more generally, a distant (not close) relation Example: They are my cousin from Vietnam. |
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Nephew noun /ˈnɛfju/
a son of your sister or brother, or a son of the sister or brother of your husband or wife Example: My nephew turns 2 today. |
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Niece noun /nis/
a daughter of your brother or sister, or a daughter of your husband’s or wife’s brother or sister Example: My niece can draw very well. |
Master the words above with this interesting video!
2.3. Theme 3 – The In-Laws
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Mother-in-law noun /ˈmʌðər ɪnˌlɔ/
the mother of your husband or wife Example: I don’t like my mother-in-law. |
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Son-in-law noun /ˈsʌn ɪn lɔ/
the man who is married to your daughter Example: Her son-in-law is a nice guy. |
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Daughter-in-law noun ˈdɔt̮ər ɪn lɔ/ the woman who is married to your son Example: She is my daughter-in-law. |
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Brother-in-law noun /ˈbrʌðər ɪn lɔ/ The husband of your sister, or the brother of your husband or wife, or the man who is married to the sister of your wife or husband Example: I don’t know my brother-in-law very well. |
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Sister-in-law noun /ˈsɪstər ɪnˌlɔ/ the sister of your husband or wife; your brother’s wife; the wife of your husband or wife’s brother Example: My sister-in-law is a friendly person. |
NOTE:
- Plural case: two sons-in-law; three daughters-in-law; brothers-in-law; sisters-in-law.
- Possessive case: my father-in-law’s house; my sister-in-law’s car.
Watch the video below to understand better about these words.
3. Exercises
3.1. Multiple Choice
| 1. My mother’s daughter is my
a. aunt b. cousin c. sister 2. My mother’s mother is my a. auntie b. great aunt c. grandmother 3. My father’s son is my a. uncle b. cousin c. brother 4. My step-mother’s son is my a. step-brother b. brother-in-law c. step-son 5. My brother’s daughter is my a. nephew b. niece c. cousin |
6. My aunt’s children are my
a. step-children b. cousins c. nephews and nieces 7. My grandpa’s father is my a. great uncle b. great grandpa c. great great grandpa 8. My dad’s brother is my a. uncle b. cousin c. brother-in-law 9. My sister’s husband is my a. brother-in-law b. sibling c. husband-in-law 10. My female spouse is my a. grandmother b. mother-in-law c.wife |
3.2. Visual Vocabulary Practice
Choose a photo of your family, then try to figure out how you are related to each person in the photograph and how you call them in English.
(For example: grandmother, grandfather, mother…)
3.3. Reading Comprehension
Paul and Kerry McDonald would like to welcome their new son Christopher Casey to the clan! Weighing 4.2 kilograms, Chris was born on January 2nd at 3:30pm. He will join sister Rachel, 6 and brother Malcolm, 4 in the McDonald household in Vancouver, Canada. Christopher’s proud aunts Kathy McDonald and Sherry Smith were present at his birth. Grandparents, Lisa and Mike Smith were also present. Chris’s grandmother in Texas will be arriving soon to meet her new grandson. Cousins Jerry, Fern, and Lindsay can’t wait to meet baby Chris too! The proud parents would like to thank all of their extended family for the warm wishes and gifts.
- What is Christopher’s mother’s name?
- Who are Christopher’s siblings?
- How is Kathy McDonald related to the newborn?
- Who will be coming to see Chris soon?
- Who is Kathy in relation to Kerry?
Share your answers in the comment section below.
So above is our list of 33 essential English words about family. If you’d like to learn more vocabulary about other topics, then visit eJOY GO and get access to the 3000 Smart Word list.
Install eJOY Extension FREEeJOY Extension is an excellent tool to learn English on a desktop. With just one click, you can watch your favorite TV shows, movies, or videos with dual subtitles, translate, and look up any word right on the captions.
Happy learning and don’t forget to learn English vocabulary with eJOY Extension!
