Vocabulary · Beginner–Elementary

🏅 Sports Vocabulary in English

Learn the most common sports words, verbs and expressions so you can talk about your favourite activities with confidence.

🌟 Why learn sports vocabulary?

Talking about sports is a natural and entertaining way to practise English. You can describe the activities you enjoy, ask other people about their interests and understand basic sports conversations.

🎯 In this lesson, you will learn to:

Recognise common sports and activities.
Use play, go and do correctly.
Talk about your favourite sport.
Ask and answer sports-related questions.
Name sports equipment and playing areas.
Understand common American and British vocabulary differences.

Different people practising football, basketball, swimming, tennis and cycling

Sports and Collocations

⚽ Sports We Play

We commonly use play with team sports, competitive games and many sports that use a ball.

Sport	Verb	Definition	Spanish	Example
⚽ Soccer / Football	play	🥅 A team sport in which players kick a ball and try to score goals.	Fútbol	I play football every weekend.
🏀 Basketball	play	🧺 A game in which teams throw a ball through a raised hoop.	Baloncesto	She plays basketball after school.
🎾 Tennis	play	🏸 A racket sport in which players hit a ball over a net.	Tenis	They play tennis on Saturdays.
🏐 Volleyball	play	🙌 A team sport in which players hit a ball over a high net.	Voleibol	We play volleyball at the beach.
🏒 Hockey	play	🥅 A sport in which players use sticks to move a puck or ball.	Hockey	He plays ice hockey in winter.
🏈 American Football	play	🏟️ A team sport involving running, passing and scoring touchdowns.	Fútbol americano	They play American football at school.
⚾ Baseball	play	🧢 A bat-and-ball game in which players score runs.	Béisbol	She plays baseball for a local team.
⛳ Golf	play	🏌️ A sport in which players hit a ball into a series of holes.	Golf	My dad plays golf twice a month.

Verb Pattern

🏊 Sports We Go

We often use go with recreational activities whose names end in -ing.

Activity	Definition	Spanish	Example
🏊 Swimming	🌊 Moving through water using your arms and legs.	Natación	We go swimming in the summer.
🚴 Cycling	🚲 Riding a bicycle for sport, transport or recreation.	Ciclismo	He goes cycling in the park.
🏃 Running	👟 Moving quickly on foot as exercise or competition.	Correr	She goes running every morning.
⛷️ Skiing	❄️ Moving over snow while wearing skis.	Esquí	They go skiing in the mountains.
🏄 Surfing	🌊 Riding ocean waves while standing or lying on a board.	Surf	I go surfing during the holidays.

📌 The usual structure

Subject + go / goes + activity ending in -ing

I go swimming on Fridays.
Leo goes cycling after work.
We go skiing every winter.

People swimming, cycling, running, skiing and surfing — Go swimming, go cycling, go running, go skiing and go surfing.

Grammar in Action

🥋 Sports We Do

Use do with many martial arts, exercise routines and individual physical activities.

Activity	Definition	Example
🥋 Karate	👊 A Japanese martial art using controlled punches, kicks and blocks.	My brother does karate twice a week.
🤸 Gymnastics	⭐ A sport involving balance, strength and controlled movements.	She does gymnastics at school.
🥊 Boxing	🧤 A combat sport in which two opponents use padded gloves.	He does boxing training at the gym.
🧘 Yoga	🌿 A physical activity involving postures, breathing and flexibility.	We do yoga every Tuesday.

🔍 Play, Go or Do?

⚽

PLAY

Team sports and competitive games.

play tennis · play football

🏊

GO

Many recreational activities ending in -ing.

go swimming · go running

🥋

DO

Exercise, martial arts and individual activities.

do karate · do yoga

Children practising karate, gymnastics, boxing and yoga — Do karate, do gymnastics, do boxing training and do yoga.

🎯 Mini Activity: Choose the correct verb

We ______ volleyball after class.
She ______ swimming every Saturday.
My cousin ______ karate.
They ______ tennis at the sports centre.

Check your answers

1. play · 2. goes · 3. does · 4. play

Speaking Practice

🗣️ Talking About Sports

Use these questions to ask about preferences, routines and abilities.

Question	Possible Answer	Communication Goal
⭐ What’s your favourite sport?	My favourite sport is basketball.	❤️ Expressing preferences
⚽ Do you play any sports?	Yes, I play football and tennis.	🏃 Talking about habits
📅 How often do you go swimming?	I go swimming twice a week.	⏰ Describing frequency
🏀 Can you play basketball?	Yes, I can, but I’m not very good at it yet.	💪 Talking about ability
📺 Do you like watching sports?	Yes, I love watching football matches.	😊 Talking about likes
👥 Who do you usually play with?	I usually play with my friends.	🤝 Adding personal details
📍 Where do you practise?	I practise at a sports centre near my house.	🗺️ Talking about places

⏱️ Useful Frequency Expressions

every day once a week twice a week three times a month at weekends in the summer

🎤 Speaking Challenge

Ask a partner three questions from the table. Ask one additional follow-up question after every answer.

Grammar Focus

🚫 Negative Sentences and Abilities

Use don’t, doesn’t and can’t to describe routines and abilities.

1️⃣ Present Simple Negative

I / You / We / They + don’t + base verb

⚽ I don’t play football.
🥋 They don’t do karate.
🏊 We don’t go swimming in winter.

He / She / It + doesn’t + base verb

🏃 He doesn’t go running in the morning.
🎾 She doesn’t play tennis on weekdays.

2️⃣ Ability with Can and Can’t

Subject + can / can’t + base verb

🏀 I can play basketball.
⛷️ She can’t ski.
🏄 They can surf very well.

She can play basketball, but she can’t ski yet.

💬 Grammar in Action

Mia: Do you play basketball?

Leo: No, I don’t. I usually play tennis.

Mia: Can you swim?

Leo: Yes, I can, but I can’t dive very well.

✏️ Correct the Mistakes

She doesn’t plays volleyball.
They don’t goes swimming.
He can plays tennis.

Check your answers

She doesn’t play volleyball.
They don’t go swimming.
He can play tennis.

Equipment Vocabulary

🎒 Sports Equipment

Equipment includes the objects, clothing and protective items people use to practise a sport safely.

Equipment	Used In	Definition	Spanish
🏀 Ball	Basketball, football, volleyball	⭕ A round object that players throw, kick, hit or catch.	Pelota / balón
🎾 Racket	Tennis, badminton, squash	🕸️ An object with a handle and strings used to hit a ball or shuttlecock.	Raqueta
🥅 Goal	Football, hockey	🎯 A structure or marked area where players try to score.	Portería
⛳ Club	Golf	🏌️ A specially shaped stick used to hit a golf ball.	Palo de golf
🥽 Goggles	Swimming	💧 Protective glasses that help swimmers see underwater.	Gafas de natación
🏒 Stick	Ice hockey, field hockey	🪵 A long piece of equipment used to control and hit a puck or ball.	Palo de hockey
🥊 Gloves	Boxing	🧤 Padded coverings that protect a boxer’s hands.	Guantes
🎿 Skis	Skiing	❄️ Long, narrow pieces attached to boots for travelling over snow.	Esquís
⚾ Baseball Bat	Baseball	🪵 A long wooden or metal object used to hit a baseball.	Bate de béisbol

🦅 Alti’s Equipment Challenge

Choose one piece of equipment and describe it without saying its name. Your partner must guess the object.

Example: “You wear these over your eyes when you swim.” → Goggles!

Places and People

🏟️ Where Do People Play Sports?

Different sports take place in different playing areas and involve people with specific roles.

📍 Playing Areas

Area	Sports	Definition	Spanish
⚽ Pitch	Football, rugby	🌱 A marked grass or artificial surface used for a match.	Campo de juego
🏀 Court	Basketball, tennis, volleyball	📐 A flat, marked surface used for playing a sport.	Cancha / pista
🏈 Field	American football, baseball	🌳 An open area designed or marked for outdoor sports.	Campo
🏟️ Stadium	Various sports	👥 A large venue with seating for spectators.	Estadio
🏊 Pool	Swimming, diving	💦 A large artificial area filled with water.	Piscina
⛳ Course	Golf	🏌️ A large outdoor area containing a series of holes.	Campo de golf

A sports complex with a football pitch, basketball court, swimming pool and golf course — Pitch, court, pool, stadium and golf course.

👥 People in Sports

🏃

Player

A person who participates in a game or team sport.

📋

Coach

A person who trains and guides athletes or teams.

🟨

Referee

An official who controls games such as football or basketball.

⚾

Umpire

An official in sports such as baseball, cricket and tennis.

👏

Spectator

A person who watches a sporting event.

English Around the World

🇺🇸 American vs. British Sports Vocabulary 🇬🇧

Some sports words are more common in American English, while others are preferred in British English.

“Football” can refer to different sports depending on the country.

📌 Important: These are common preferences, not universal rules. Vocabulary may change according to the sport, country or speaker.

American English 🇺🇸	British English 🇬🇧	Meaning	Spanish
⚽ Soccer	⚽ Football	🥅 The sport in which players kick a round ball into a goal.	Fútbol
🏈 Football	🏈 American football	🏟️ The sport involving touchdowns and an oval-shaped ball.	Fútbol americano
🌳 Field	🌱 Pitch	📍 The surface where outdoor team sports are played.	Campo
👟 Cleats	🥾 Football boots	⚽ Sports shoes with studs underneath for playing on grass.	Botines / tacos
🏃 Track and field	🏃 Athletics	🏅 Running, jumping and throwing competitions.	Atletismo
👕 Jersey / uniform	👕 Shirt / kit	🎽 Clothing worn by a player or sports team.	Camiseta / uniforme
🤝 Tie	🤝 Draw	⚖️ A result in which both sides finish with the same score.	Empate
0️⃣ Zero	0️⃣ Nil	📊 The number zero when announcing some sports scores.	Cero
⏱️ Overtime	⏱️ Extra time	⌛ Additional playing time used in certain sports.	Tiempo extra
👟 Sneakers	👟 Trainers	🏃 Comfortable shoes used for sport or casual activities.	Zapatillas deportivas

⚠️ The Word “Football”

In the United States, football usually means American football. In the United Kingdom and many other countries, football usually means the sport Americans call soccer.

Culture and Final Practice

🌍 Sports Around the World

Sports connect people from different countries, cultures and generations.

🎾

Wimbledon

A historic tennis tournament held in London, England.

🏀

NBA

A major professional basketball league based in North America.

🏈

Super Bowl

The championship game that determines the winner of the NFL season.

🏅

Olympic Games

An international competition featuring athletes from around the world.

🏆

FIFA World Cup

A major international football tournament held every four years.

🚴

Tour de France

A famous annual cycling race held mainly in France.

✅ Final Speaking and Writing Challenge

Choose one sport and prepare a short description. Include:

Its name and the correct verb: play, go or do.
Where people practise it.
The equipment players need.
How often you practise or watch it.
Why you like or dislike it.

✍️ Model Answer

My favourite sport is tennis. I play tennis once a week on a court near my house. I need a racket and tennis balls. I like it because it is exciting and helps me stay active.

⭐ Revision Tracker

Tick the statements you can complete confidently.

I can name at least eight sports. I can use play, go and do correctly. I can ask someone about their favourite sport. I can make affirmative and negative sentences. I can name sports equipment and playing areas.

My common mistake today:

__________________________________________

Three words I want to remember:

1. __________ 2. __________ 3. __________

🔑 Answer Key

Play, Go or Do: 1. play · 2. goes · 3. does · 4. play

Correct the Mistakes:

She doesn’t play volleyball.
They don’t go swimming.
He can play tennis.

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