Your Essential Guide to Health Words in English

Health vocabulary in English is one of the most useful topics you can learn. Whether you visit a doctor, go to a pharmacy, or simply talk about how you feel, knowing the right words in English can make a big difference. In this article, we will explore the most important health-related words and expressions for everyday life.

Simple examples to get started

Before we go deeper, here are a few simple sentences you might use or hear in real life:

• ‘I have a headache.’ – J’ai mal à la tête.
• ‘I feel sick.’ – Je me sens malade.
• ‘I need to see a doctor.’ – J’ai besoin de voir un médecin.
• ‘Take this medicine twice a day.’ – Prenez ce médicament deux fois par jour.

These sentences are short, clear, and very practical. You can use them right away!

Key elements of health vocabulary in English

Health vocabulary covers several important areas. Let us look at the main ones.

Common symptoms

A symptom is a sign that something is wrong with your body. Here are the most common ones:

• headache – mal de tête
• fever – fièvre
• cough – toux
• sore throat – mal de gorge
• stomachache – mal au ventre
• runny nose – nez qui coule

Example: ‘I have a fever and a sore throat. I think I have the flu.’

People and places

When you are not feeling well, you may need to go somewhere or talk to someone. Here is useful vocabulary:

Example: ‘I have an appointment with my doctor at 3 p.m.’

Common medicines and treatments

At the pharmacy or at the doctor, you will often hear these words:

• medicine / medication – médicament
• pill / tablet – comprimé
• prescription – ordonnance
• injection – piqûre / injection
• rest – repos

Example: ‘The doctor gave me a prescription for some medication. I need to take one pill every morning.’

Why health vocabulary in English matters

Imagine you are travelling in an English-speaking country and you feel ill. If you do not know how to explain your symptoms, it can be very stressful. Learning health words in English helps you:

• Communicate clearly with doctors and nurses
• Understand instructions on medicine packets
• Ask for help in an emergency
• Feel more confident in everyday situations

Health is a universal topic. Everyone gets sick sometimes. So this vocabulary is truly useful for everyone, everywhere.

Comparison with other languages

Many health words in English come from Latin or Greek, just like in French and Spanish. This means you can often recognise them!

These words are called cognates – words that look or sound similar across languages. They are great shortcuts for learners!

However, be careful. Some words look similar but have different meanings. Always check before you use them.

A complete example

Here is a short dialogue at the doctor’s office. Read it carefully and try to understand every word.

• Doctor: ‘Good morning! How are you feeling today?’
• Patient: ‘Not very well. I have a bad headache and a fever.’
• Doctor: ‘How long have you had these symptoms?’
• Patient: ‘Since yesterday morning.’
• Doctor: ‘I see. I will give you a prescription. Take one tablet three times a day and get plenty of rest.’
• Patient: ‘Thank you, doctor.’

This dialogue uses many of the words we learned today. Try to read it out loud for extra practice!

Key points to remember

• Health vocabulary is essential for everyday life in English.
• Learn common symptoms first: headache, fever, cough, sore throat.
• Know the key places: hospital, pharmacy, doctor’s office.
• Many health words in English look similar to French or Spanish words – use this to your advantage!
• Practise with short, real-life sentences and dialogues.

Start with the basics, and add new words little by little. Every word you learn brings you one step closer to speaking English with confidence in any situation.

Sources

• Council of Europe – Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), 2001. Available at: www.coe.int
• Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries – Health and the body vocabulary. Available at: www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com
• Cambridge Dictionary – English vocabulary for health and medicine. Available at: dictionary.cambridge.org