Sports Vocabulary
| English | Meaning / Example |
|---|---|
| football / soccer | A team sport played with a round ball. He plays football every weekend. |
| basketball | A team sport where you score by shooting into a basket. She's on the basketball team. |
| tennis | A sport played with rackets and a ball. They played tennis in the park. |
| swimming | Moving through water. She goes swimming twice a week. |
| cycling | Riding a bicycle for sport or transport. He goes cycling in the mountains. |
| athletics | Track and field sports such as running and jumping. She does athletics. |
| gymnastics | A sport involving balance, strength, and flexibility. She does gymnastics. |
| volleyball | A team sport where players hit a ball over a net. They play volleyball on the beach. |
| rugby | A contact team sport with an oval ball. England plays rugby. |
| hockey | A team sport played with sticks and a puck/ball. Ice hockey is popular in Canada. |
| skiing | Moving over snow on long thin boards. They go skiing in Austria. |
| boxing | A combat sport using fists. He does boxing three times a week. |
| running / jogging | Moving at speed on foot. She goes running every morning. |
| dancing | Moving rhythmically to music. She does dancing on Thursdays. |
Tip In English, there are three verbs used with sports: PLAY (team/ball sports): play football, play basketball, play tennis · DO (individual/martial arts): do gymnastics, do boxing, do athletics · GO (activity/recreation): go swimming, go cycling, go skiing, go running. When in doubt, check — some sports accept multiple verbs!
Sports Venues
| English | Meaning / Example |
|---|---|
| stadium | A large sports ground with seats for spectators. The stadium holds 80,000 fans. |
| pitch | The playing field for football, rugby, etc. They trained on the pitch. |
| court | The area for tennis, basketball, volleyball. She served on the tennis court. |
| pool / swimming pool | A place for swimming. The pool is heated. |
| gym | A place for training and exercise. He goes to the gym every day. |
| track | A path for running or cycling. She ran four laps of the track. |
| slope | A snowy hill for skiing. The ski slopes were perfect. |
Sports Equipment
| English | Meaning / Example |
|---|---|
| ball | The round or oval object used in many sports. Kick the ball! |
| racket | A bat with strings used in tennis. She bought a new racket. |
| helmet | Protective headgear. Always wear a helmet when cycling. |
| boots | Specialist footwear for football or skiing. Football boots need to be clean. |
| goggles | Protective glasses for swimming or skiing. Swimming goggles protect your eyes. |
| kit | The clothing and equipment for a sport. He forgot his PE kit. |
| referee | The official who enforces the rules. The referee blew the whistle. |
Real world: Talking about sport
"What sports do you do?" — "I play football for the school team on Saturdays, and I go swimming twice a week to keep fit. I tried doing gymnastics last year but it was too difficult!"
"There was an amazing match at the stadium last night. The score was 3–2 in the last minute — the crowd went wild."
"Remember — you say 'play' with football and tennis, 'go' with swimming and running, and 'do' with gymnastics and boxing."
Practice Problems
Which verb do you use with 'swimming': play, do, or go?
Show answer
go (go swimming)
Which verb do you use with 'gymnastics': play, do, or go?
Show answer
do (do gymnastics)
What do you call the area where football is played?
Show answer
a pitch
Name two sports where you need a racket.
Show answer
tennis / badminton / squash (any two)