Body Parts in English — Vocabulary, Usage, Examples

Head Face

The head and face include the forehead, eyebrow, eye, cheek, nose, mouth, chin, and jaw. These words are used for appearance, for location, and for describing pain or injury around the face. In medical and everyday speech, these nouns are usually the first terms needed for clear communication.

Word or Phrase	Definition	Example
Forehead	The forehead is the flat area above the eyes and below the hairline.	It hurts here, because I hit my forehead.
Eyebrow	An eyebrow is one of the two strips of hair above the eyes.	Her eyebrow moved, because she was surprised.
Eye	An eye is one of the two organs used for seeing.	My eye is sore, so I am resting.
Cheek	A cheek is the soft side of the face below the eye.	Her cheek was red, because it was cold.
Nose	The nose is the organ used for smelling and breathing.	My nose is blocked, so I cannot smell well.
Mouth	The mouth is the opening used for speaking, eating, and breathing.	Open your mouth, because the doctor needs to look.
Chin	The chin is the lowest part of the face.	He touched his chin, because he was thinking.
Jaw	The jaw is the bone structure that moves when you eat or speak.	My jaw is sore, so chewing is difficult.

Senses

The sensory organs are the eye, ear, nose, and tongue. They connect directly with the verbs see, hear, smell, and taste, so these words often appear together in simple descriptions. This group is especially useful for medical and everyday talk when a person explains what they can or cannot sense.

Word or Phrase	Definition	Example
See	To see means to use the eyes to notice something visually.	I can see the sign, because it is very bright.
Hear	To hear means to notice sound with the ears.	I hear a noise, because the window is open.
Smell	To smell means to notice a scent with the nose.	I smell smoke, so I am checking the kitchen.
Taste	To taste means to notice flavor with the tongue.	I cannot taste much, because I have a cold.
Ear	An ear is one of the two organs used for hearing.	My ear hurts, so I am speaking quietly.
Nose	The nose is used for smelling and also helps you breathe.	Her nose is sensitive, so strong perfume bothers her.
Tongue	The tongue is the muscle in the mouth used for tasting and speaking.	My tongue is sore, so spicy food is difficult.

Upper Limbs

The upper limbs include the shoulder, arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, hand, palm, and fingers. These words help describe position, movement, and pain from the shoulder down to the fingertips. They are common in both daily conversation and in descriptions of strain or injury.

Word or Phrase	Definition	Example
Shoulder	A shoulder is the joint at the top of the arm.	My shoulder is stiff, so lifting is hard.
Arm	An arm is the part of the body from the shoulder to the hand.	She raised her arm, because she wanted to answer.
Elbow	An elbow is the joint in the middle of the arm.	His elbow is swollen, so he is not moving it.
Forearm	The forearm is the lower part of the arm between the elbow and the wrist.	He felt pain in his forearm, because he carried the box.
Wrist	A wrist is the joint between the forearm and the hand.	My wrist hurts, so I am typing slowly.
Hand	A hand is the part of the body at the end of the arm.	She washed her hands, because they were dirty.
Palm	The palm is the inside surface of the hand.	He opened his palm, because he found a coin.
Finger	A finger is one of the five small parts at the end of the hand.	Her finger is cut, so she put on a bandage.

Lower Limbs

The lower limbs include the hip, thigh, knee, calf, ankle, foot, heel, and toes. These words are needed to describe balance, walking, running, and common injuries in the legs and feet. They are also important in movement language used in Exercise and Movement.

Word or Phrase	Definition	Example
Hip	A hip is the joint on either side of the body above the thigh.	My hip is sore, so I am walking slowly.
Thigh	The thigh is the upper part of the leg between the hip and the knee.	Her thigh was tired, because she ran far.
Knee	A knee is the joint in the middle of the leg.	His knee hurt, so he could not kneel.
Calf	A calf is the back part of the lower leg.	My calf is tight, because I climbed stairs.
Ankle	An ankle is the joint between the leg and the foot.	She twisted her ankle, so she rested at home.
Foot	A foot is the part of the body used for standing and walking.	My foot is numb, so I need to sit down.
Heel	The heel is the back part of the foot.	He stepped on his heel, because the shoe was loose.
Toe	A toe is one of the small digits on the foot.	My toe is bruised, so I am wearing soft shoes.

Torso

The torso includes the chest, back, abdomen, stomach, heart, lungs, and kidneys. Some of these words name outer body areas, while others name internal organs that are often discussed in health care. These terms are central when learners need to describe where a problem is located or how the body feels.

Word or Phrase	Definition	Example
Chest	The chest is the front upper part of the torso.	He felt pressure in his chest, so he sat down.
Back	The back is the rear part of the body from the neck to the waist.	My back aches, because I lifted something heavy.
Abdomen	The abdomen is the area below the chest and above the hips.	The doctor touched my abdomen, because I had pain there.
Stomach	The stomach is the organ that helps digest food.	My stomach feels upset, so I am not hungry.
Heart	The heart is the organ that pumps blood around the body.	Her heart was beating fast, because she was nervous.
Lungs	The lungs are the organs used for breathing.	My lungs feel tight, so I am breathing carefully.
Kidneys	The kidneys are the pair of organs that filter the blood.	The doctor checked my kidneys, because my test was unusual.

Skin Hair Nails

Skin, scalp, hair, and nail are common words for the body’s outer covering and its growing parts. Hair is often uncountable in general use, while nail is usually countable and appears as nails in the plural. Careful grooming and hygiene language often uses these nouns with verbs such as wash, brush, cut, and clean.

Word or Phrase	Definition	Example
Skin	Skin is the outer covering of the body.	My skin is dry, so I use lotion.
Scalp	The scalp is the skin on the top of the head where hair grows.	Her scalp is itchy, so she is washing her hair.
Hair	Hair is the growing threadlike material on the head and body.	My hair is long, so I brush it every morning.
Nail	A nail is one of the hard coverings on the fingers or toes.	His nail is broken, so he trims it carefully.
Wash	To wash means to clean the body or part of the body with water.	I wash my hands, because they feel dirty.
Cut	To cut means to shorten hair or nails with a sharp tool.	She cuts her nails, because they are too long.
Brush	To brush means to smooth hair with a brush.	He brushes his hair, because it is tangled.

Mouth Throat

The mouth and throat include the lips, teeth, tongue, gums, and throat. These words are often used with actions such as swallow and speak, especially when describing eating, talking, or throat discomfort. Learners should use the medical or polite terms first, because slang and euphemisms vary widely by region and register.

Word or Phrase	Definition	Example
Lip	A lip is one of the two soft edges around the mouth.	Her lip was swollen, so she used ice.
Tooth	A tooth is one hard white part in the mouth.	One tooth hurts, so I need a dentist.
Teeth	Teeth are the plural form of tooth.	My teeth are sensitive, so cold water hurts.
Tongue	The tongue helps with tasting and speaking.	My tongue is dry, so I need a drink.
Gum	A gum is the soft tissue around the teeth.	My gums are sore, because I brushed too hard.
Throat	The throat is the passage from the mouth to the stomach and lungs.	My throat is sore, so I am drinking tea.
Swallow	To swallow means to move food or liquid down the throat.	It hurts to swallow, so I am eating soup.
Speak	To speak means to use the voice to form words.	I cannot speak loudly, because my throat hurts.

Pain Signs

English uses a small set of strong words to describe pain and visible symptoms. Ache and pain are general words, sore and swollen describe how a body part feels or looks, and numb, bruise, and bleed describe specific physical signs. These terms are crucial for describing problems clearly in Symptoms and Injuries.

Word or Phrase	Definition	Example
Ache	To ache means to hurt in a dull, continuous way.	My shoulders ache, because I carried heavy bags.
Pain	Pain is an unpleasant feeling in the body.	I feel pain in my foot, so I am stopping.
Sore	Sore means painful and sensitive to touch.	My arm is sore, because I exercised too much.
Swollen	Swollen means larger than normal because of injury or illness.	Her ankle is swollen, so she is resting it.
Numb	Numb means unable to feel normal touch or pain.	My fingers are numb, because it is very cold.
Bruise	A bruise is a dark mark caused by an injury under the skin.	He has a bruise on his knee, because he fell.
Bleed	To bleed means to lose blood from the body.	My finger is bleeding, so I need a bandage.

Doctor Talk

Simple doctor and patient phrases help describe location, symptoms, and temperature quickly and politely. It hurts here identifies a problem area, Where does it hurt asks for the location, and I have a fever gives an important symptom that often comes with infection. These expressions support clear communication in health settings and combine naturally with body part vocabulary.

Word or Phrase	Definition	Example
It hurts here	This phrase means that a body part is painful in a specific place.	It hurts here, so please look carefully.
Where does it hurt	This question asks the patient to identify the painful place.	Where does it hurt, because I need to help?
I have a fever	This phrase means that the body temperature is higher than normal.	I have a fever, so I am staying in bed.
It is swollen	This phrase means that a body part is larger than normal.	It is swollen, so I cannot wear my shoe.
It is numb	This phrase means that normal feeling is missing.	It is numb, so I cannot feel my toe.
Can you speak	This question asks whether the person can talk clearly.	Can you speak, because I need to hear you?
Can you swallow	This question asks whether the person can move food or liquid down the throat.	Can you swallow, or does it hurt too much?

Usage Notes

Body vocabulary carries important differences in countability, region, and register. Hair is often uncountable in general use, while tooth changes to teeth in the plural and lip changes to lips in normal speech. Polite medical terms should come before slang, and regional words such as bum in British English and butt in American English should be used with awareness of context.

Region	Word or Phrase	Regional Definition	Example
UK	Bum	Bum is a common informal word for the buttocks in British English.	Mind your bum, because the chair is wet.
US	Butt	Butt is a common informal word for the buttocks in American English.	Sit on your butt, because the floor is clean.
UK	Armpit	Armpit is the usual neutral word in British English and elsewhere.	My armpit is wet, because I walked fast.
US	Underarm	Underarm is also used for the area under the arm in American English.	She shaved her underarm, because the weather is warm.
General	Hair	Hair is often treated as uncountable when speaking in general.	Her hair is long, because she never cuts it.
General	Tooth	Tooth is singular, and teeth is the regular plural form.	One tooth is loose, so the dentist will check it.