Topics / Health Vocabulary
Health Vocabulary in English
Doctors, hospitals, and the words for illness, the body, fitness, and getting better. 102 words, A1 to B2.
102 words
Being Well and Unwell
HealthA2The condition of your body and mind.“Sleep is important for your health.”HealthyB1Well and not ill, or good for your body.“A healthy diet includes fruit and vegetables.”UnhealthyA2Not good for your health; also not in good health.“Eating chips every day is unhealthy.”IllA1Not well; sick.“She is ill today and cannot come.”SickA1Ill; not well.“He is sick today and cannot come.”WellA1In a good or successful way; or in good health.“She speaks English well.”FitB1To be the right size, or to be healthy and strong.“These shoes do not fit.”FitnessA2How healthy and strong your body is.“Cycling to college improved her fitness.”ExerciseA2Physical activity that you do to stay healthy, or a practice task.“Walking is good exercise.”DietB1The food and drink that a person or animal usually has.“A balanced diet includes fruit and vegetables.”SleepA1To rest with your eyes closed, usually at night.“I sleep eight hours.”TiredA2Needing rest because you have used a lot of energy.“I am tired after the long day.”ExhaustedB1Extremely tired, with no energy left.“After the night shift she was too exhausted to cook.”EnergyB1The physical or mental strength to do things, or power from fuel or electricity.“I did not have the energy to cook after work.”CalorieB2A unit for measuring the energy in food.“Quote calories per 100 g from the table, not a diet slogan.”ObeseB2Very overweight in a medical sense (often with stated BMI criteria).“The health paper uses obese with stated BMI criteria, not a photo caption.”PainA2An unpleasant feeling in your body when you are hurt or ill.“She felt a sharp pain in her knee.”AcheA2A continuous pain that is not sharp.“I had a backache after the long coach trip.”HeadacheA2A pain in your head.“I have a headache after the long exam.”StomachacheB1Pain in the stomach (also written stomach ache).“A stomachache after lunch still goes to first aid, not straight home.”ThroatA1The inside of your neck, used for swallowing and speaking.“I have a sore throat.”CoughA2To push air from your throat with a sudden noise, often when you are ill.“He coughed all night with a cold.”FluA2A common illness with fever, aches, and a cold-like feeling.“She missed school because of the flu.”FeverA2A high body temperature, usually because you are ill.“He stayed in bed with a fever.”TemperatureA2How hot or cold a person, place, or thing is.“Check the temperature of the baby’s bottle.”SymptomB1A change in your body that shows you may have an illness.“A high temperature is a common symptom of flu.”DiseaseB1An illness that affects people, animals, or plants.“The doctor is researching a rare disease.”IllnessB1A period of being unwell, or a particular type of disease.“She was away from work because of illness.”InfectionB1An illness caused by bacteria or a virus.“The cut became red because of an infection.”VirusA2A very small thing that can make you ill; also harmful computer software.“A virus kept half the class at home.”BacteriaB2Very small living things, some of which cause disease (plural; singular bacterium).“The outbreak was linked to bacteria in the canteen water cooler.”GermA2A very small living thing that can make you ill.“Wash your hands to kill germs.”
People and Places
DoctorA1A person whose job is to treat people who are ill.“You should see a doctor.”NurseA2A person whose job is to care for people who are ill.“The nurse checked the patient’s temperature.”HospitalA1A place where sick or injured people are treated.“She works in a hospital.”ClinicB1A place where people go for medical treatment or advice, often without staying overnight.“I have an appointment at the dental clinic.”SurgeryB1A UK doctor’s local practice (the GP surgery); also a medical operation.“GP surgery closed at noon; use 111, not A&E, for the repeat prescription.”WardB2A room in a hospital for patients; also a local voting area, or a child in someone’s care.“The health case study compared waiting times on a children’s ward.”AmbulanceB1A vehicle that takes sick or injured people to hospital.“They called an ambulance after the accident.”EmergencyA2A serious, unexpected situation that needs action now.“Call 999 in an emergency.”ChemistA2A shop that sells medicine, or the person who works there.“I bought some painkillers at the chemist.”PrescriptionB1A doctor’s written order for medicine, or the medicine itself.“The chemist could not give her the tablets without a prescription.”MedicineA2Something you take to treat an illness.“Take this medicine twice a day.”PillB2A small round piece of medicine to be swallowed; the pill often means contraception.“Name the pill in the trial, not a brand from an advert.”DoseB2An amount of a medicine taken at one time.“Do not increase the dose without speaking to a pharmacist.”AppointmentB1A planned meeting at a set time, often with a doctor or office.“I have a dentist appointment at ten.”Waiting RoomB1A room where people wait, for example at a doctor’s or a station.“Please take a seat in the waiting room until they call your name.”DentistA2A doctor who looks after people’s teeth.“I have a dentist appointment on Tuesday.”CounsellorB2A person trained to listen and help with personal problems (UK spelling; not a councillor).“A counsellor is available after results day for students in distress.”PsychologistB2A person who studies the mind and behaviour, or who treats related problems.“Cite the psychologist in the methods paper, not a lifestyle coach.”SurgeonB2A doctor who performs operations.“Name the consultant surgeon in the case study, not a generic “hospital worker”.”WheelchairA2A chair with wheels for a person who cannot walk easily.“There is a ramp for wheelchair users.”DisabledB1Having a condition that makes daily activities harder; used before people in careful UK style.“The station still lacks step-free access for disabled passengers.”DisabilityB2A physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities.“The building still fails basic standards on disability access.”CapsuleB2A small case that holds medicine, seeds, or a spacecraft cabin.“Label the time capsule in the local-history source, not a sweet brand.”
Body and Treatment
HeartA2The organ in your chest that pumps blood around your body.“Your heart beats faster when you run.”LungB1One of the two organs in the chest that you use to breathe.“The scan showed a shadow on the left lung.”BrainB1The organ in your head that controls thought, memory, and the body.“Sleep is important for the brain.”StomachA1The part of the body where food goes after you swallow it; also the front of the body below the chest.“My stomach hurts.”LiverB1The organ in the body that cleans the blood and helps digestion.“The clinic monitors liver function after the new tablets.”KidneyB1One of the two organs in the body that clean the blood; also a type of bean.“The hospital has a long waiting list for kidney transplants.”BoneB1One of the hard parts that form the skeleton of a person or animal.“He broke a bone in his wrist.”MuscleB2Tissue in the body that can tighten to produce movement.“Label the muscle on the diagram, not the bone beside it.”SkinA1The outer covering of a person’s or animal’s body.“Use cream if your skin is dry.”BloodB1The red liquid that flows through your body.“The nurse took a blood sample.”BleedA2To lose blood from the body.“His knee started to bleed after he fell on the path.”WoundB2An injury in which the skin or flesh is cut or torn; also (verb) to injure that way.“Dress the wound before you discuss infection in the first-aid paper.”CutA1To divide something with a knife or scissors.“Cut the bread, please.”BruiseB2A dark mark on the skin from a blow; as a verb, to cause or get that mark.“A bruise featured in the medical notes; quote the date, not a cartoon bump.”InjuryB1Harm to a person’s body.“He could not play because of an injury.”BrokenA2Damaged and in pieces, or not working.“The broken window let in the cold air.”FractureB2A break in a bone or hard object; also a split in a group.“A fracture in the coalition delayed the schools bill.”BurnA2To be on fire, or to damage something with fire or heat.“Don’t burn the toast.”AllergyB1A medical condition in which food, dust, or an animal makes you ill.“He carries a card because of a serious allergy to peanuts.”AsthmaB2A condition that makes breathing difficult, with wheezing and tight airways (usually uncountable).“Asthma in the prevalence table still needs the year and the age band, not an inhaler slogan.”CancerA2A serious disease in which harmful cells grow in the body.“Doctors are treating her uncle for cancer.”MentalB1Connected with the mind, not the body.“The charity campaigns for better mental health services.”DepressionB1A medical condition of deep, lasting low mood; also a period of falling trade.“The clinic offers support for depression after redundancy.”AnxietyB1A feeling of worry or fear about what may happen.“She felt a lot of anxiety before the interview.”StressB1Mental pressure caused by problems or too much work.“Exam stress is common in May.”TherapyB2Treatment intended to help a physical or mental condition.“Speech therapy was offered after the stroke.”VaccineA2A medicine given to protect you from a disease.“She had a flu vaccine at the clinic.”InjectionB1The act of putting a drug into the body with a needle; also money put into a business or system.“The nurse gave him an injection in his arm.”OperationA2A planned activity, or medical surgery in hospital.“The airport operation ran smoothly after the storm.”X-RayA2A photograph of the inside of the body, used in hospitals.“The doctor sent him for an x-ray of his wrist.”ScanB1To look through something quickly for key facts, or to examine it with a machine.“Scan the source for the command word before you write.”TestA1A short exam to see what you know or can do.“We have an English test tomorrow.”TreatmentB1Medical care, or the way someone is dealt with (often uncountable).“Treatment starts after the consent form, not after the leaflet.”CureA2To make an illness or problem go away.“Doctors hope to cure the infection with this medicine.”HealA2To become healthy again, or to make a wound better.“The cut will heal in a few days.”RecoverB1To get better after an illness or a problem.“It took a week to recover from the flu.”RecoveryB2A return to health, strength, or a better economic state.“Exam recovery sessions start the week after results day.”HygieneA2The practice of keeping yourself and things clean so you stay healthy.“Good hygiene means washing your hands before meals.”WashA1To clean something with water.“Wash your hands before dinner.”SoapA1A substance used with water for washing your body or clothes.“Wash your hands with soap.”AlcoholB1Drinks such as beer, wine, and spirits that can make you drunk.“The restaurant does not serve alcohol to anyone under 18.”DrugB1A medicine, or an illegal substance that affects your mind or body.“The doctor prescribed a new drug for the pain.”AddictionB2A strong need to keep doing or using something, even when it is harmful.“He is fighting an addiction to smoking.”First AidB1Simple medical help given before a doctor or ambulance arrives (often uncountable).“First aid is in the office; do not put a classmate in a taxi to A&E.”BandageA2A strip of cloth used to cover a cut or injury.“The nurse put a bandage on his hand.”PlasterA1A small sticky covering for a cut (British).“Put a plaster on your finger.”Plaster CastB1A hard plaster case that keeps a broken bone still while it heals (UK).“A plaster cast still needs the lift pass; PE is adapted, not skipped without a sick note.”