December 17, 2024 [Aroline Hanson, Ph.D.](https://blog.duolingo.com/author/aroline/) # English vocabulary, phrases, and grammar for parts of the body We've got your vocabulary needs covered, from *head* to *toe*! _Part_ of learning English is learning the _parts_ of the body! We’ve broken down into groups the most important words for body parts. - [Body parts in English](https://blog.duolingo.com/words-for-body-parts/#body-parts-in-english) - [Parts of the head and face](https://blog.duolingo.com/words-for-body-parts/#parts-of-the-head-and-face) - [Parts of the torso](https://blog.duolingo.com/words-for-body-parts/#parts-of-the-torso) - [Organs](https://blog.duolingo.com/words-for-body-parts/#organs) - [Parts of the arms and hands](https://blog.duolingo.com/words-for-body-parts/#parts-of-the-arms-and-hands) - [Parts of the legs and feet](https://blog.duolingo.com/words-for-body-parts/#parts-of-the-legs-and-feet) - [How to talk about body parts in English](https://blog.duolingo.com/words-for-body-parts/#how-to-talk-about-body-parts-in-english) - [Animal body parts](https://blog.duolingo.com/words-for-body-parts/#animal-body-parts) ## Body parts in English Let’s start from the top—the top of the body, that is! ### Parts of the head and face cheeks chin crown ears eyebrows eyes forehead hair head jaw lips mouth nape neck nose teeth throat tongue ### Parts of the torso Let’s make our way down to the middle of the body. In English, this is known as the torso, and it covers everything between the neck and legs! back butt / bum / buttocks chest collarbone hips ribs spine stomach / belly waist ### Organs Inside your body are the organs and bones. Here are some of the words you need to know: appendix blood bones brain heart intestines kidneys liver lungs muscles skeleton skin stomach ### Parts of the arms and hands You should get to know the words for the parts of the arms and the legs like the back of your hand (that’s an English expression that means you know something very well)! armpits bicep / upper arm elbow fingernail forearm / lower arm middle finger palm pinky finger pointer finger / index finger ring finger shoulders thumb wrist ### Parts of the legs and feet ankle big toe calf hamstring heel knee kneecap pinky toe / baby toe quadricep (or quad) shin thigh toenail ## How to talk about body parts in English In English, you can describe a pain in a body part with the verb to hurt as in my wrist hurts or my knees hurt. Note how the [possessive pronoun](https://blog.duolingo.com/possessive-pronouns-in-english/) is used with the relevant body part, so you say my wrist or your leg. You can also say I have a pain in my wrist. If it is a more serious injury, you might say the bone or muscle is torn or broken, as in I broke my collarbone. Ouch! There are many types of pain. If you have to be specific about your pain, like at the doctor’s office, you can identify it as sharp, burning, throbbing, aching, stabbing, or just dull. A body part might also feel sore, tight, or just plain painful. If you feel sore or achy in a specific body part, you can say you have a headache, toothache, earache, muscle ache, or stomachache. Note how many of these words in English combine ache with the body part to make one word. If you have a cold, you might say you are stuffy or congested. You can also say you have a stuffed up nose, a sore throat, a cough, the chills, or a fever. Along with bruises, cuts, scrapes, and broken or fractured bones, you could also pull a muscle, strain or sprain a muscle, twist an ankle, or dislocate a shoulder. There are also a few injuries that take their names from the sports that usually cause them, like tennis elbow (a painful injury that makes it difficult to move your arm) and runner’s knee (pain in the front of your knee). Ready to use all of this new vocabulary? Here are a few example sentences! Your teeth are very straight! They have such blue eyes. Are my cheeks red? He has food on his chin. Her hair is so long it reaches her waist. My back is sore. I sprained my ankle. I have a cough and a sore throat. ## Animal body parts English has some additional words for the unique parts of [bugs, birds, fish, and animals](https://blog.duolingo.com/words-for-animals/). antennae antler beak bill claw fang feathers fins fur gills hoof horn hump mane paw pouch scales shell snout tail talon tentacles trunk tusk whiskers wings ## Use your head! Have fun learning all of these new words and putting them to use.