📖 What is Muse English?
Muse English is a free English learning app with daily lessons across all 6 CEFR levels (A1 Beginner to C2 Proficient). Every day brings new vocabulary, a real podcast conversation, shadowing practice, grammar and quizzes — all at museenglishapp.com.
📚 Vocabulary
10 new words Learn new words with real examples and audio.
Podcast: Health & Body
Listen to today’s conversation.
📝 Podcast Transcript
Hey everyone, welcome back to Word Kitchen, the show where we cook up useful English vocabulary together.
Hi Maya, hi everyone. I am excited about today's episode because our ten words are all about health and body.
That's right. Health and body words are some of the most useful words in real life. You need them at the doctor, at work, everywhere. Let's start with a story. Lena, have you ever had a really bad headache?
Oh yes. Last month I had the worst headache of my life. The headache started in the afternoon and stayed until bedtime.
That sounds awful. What did you do about the headache?
First I drank a big glass of water, because sometimes a headache comes from dehydration. Then I lay down in a dark room, and slowly the headache went away.
Good tips. So our first word is headache, a pain in the head. When you have a headache, rest and water usually help.
Word two is fever. A fever means your body temperature is too high because you are ill. My little son had a fever last winter, and the fever worried us a lot.
Fevers can be scary, especially with kids. How did you know it was a fever and not just a warm day?
His forehead felt very hot, and the thermometer showed a clear fever. The doctor said the fever was his body fighting the illness, which is actually a good sign.
That's a nice way to think about it. So a fever is often the body's natural defense. Now, word three often comes with a fever. Sore throat.
Yes, a sore throat is that pain in your throat when you swallow. I hate a sore throat because even drinking water hurts.
Me too. When I have a sore throat, I drink warm tea with honey. Warm drinks really help a sore throat feel better.
My grandmother used to give me warm milk with honey for a sore throat. So a sore throat is pain in the throat, especially when you swallow.
Now word four: medicine. When home remedies are not enough, you need medicine. Medicine is the substance you take to get better when you are ill.
Right. I always keep some basic medicine at home. But you have to be careful with medicine and follow the instructions on the box.
Absolutely. Too much medicine can be dangerous, so read the label. Now, where do you buy medicine, Lena? That brings us to word five: pharmacy.
A pharmacy is the shop where you buy medicine. There is a pharmacy near my house that is open all night, which is wonderful when you need medicine at midnight.
An all-night pharmacy is a lifesaver. In some countries the pharmacy also gives advice, so you can ask the pharmacy staff about a small problem.
Yes, the pharmacist at my local pharmacy is very kind. So pharmacy is a shop where you buy medicine.
Now word six is appointment. Sometimes you cannot solve the problem yourself, and you need a doctor. An appointment is a fixed time to see the doctor.
Booking an appointment can be tricky. Last week I called to make an appointment, but the first free appointment was in two weeks.
Two weeks is a long wait when you feel sick. Did you get an earlier appointment in the end?
I asked to be put on a waiting list, and they called me the next day with an earlier appointment. Always ask. An appointment is just a fixed time, so don't be shy about asking for a better one.
Good advice. Word seven is injury. An injury is damage to a part of your body, like when you fall or twist your ankle. My brother got an injury playing basketball last summer.
Oh no, what kind of injury?
A knee injury. The injury kept him off the court for a month. An injury like that needs real rest.
And that brings us to word eight: bandage. A bandage is a strip of cloth you put on a wound. When I cut my finger last week, I put a bandage on it right away.
A bandage keeps the wound clean. Did you change the bandage often?
Yes, I changed the bandage every day. A fresh bandage helps a small cut heal much faster.
Word nine is ache. An ache is a continuous, dull pain in a part of your body. Not sharp, just an ache that stays with you.
Like a back ache after sitting at a desk all day?
Exactly. I often get an ache in my shoulders after long hours at the computer. The ache usually goes away with stretching.
My grandmother says a warm bath helps any ache. So an ache is a dull, continuing pain, like a back ache or a muscle ache.
And our last word, word ten, is about staying healthy in the first place: diet. A diet is the food you eat every day.
A healthy diet is so important. Since I changed my diet to include more vegetables, I feel much better.
A good diet really changes your energy. What does your diet look like now?
Less sugar, more vegetables, and lots of water. A balanced diet is the best medicine of all, don't you think?
I love that. So let's quickly review all ten words one more time. Headache, a pain in the head. Fever, a high temperature when ill. Sore throat, pain when you swallow. Medicine, what you take to get better. Pharmacy, the shop where you buy medicine. Appointment, a fixed time with the doctor. Injury, damage to part of your body. Bandage, cloth you put on a wound. Ache, a dull continuing pain. And diet, the food you eat every day.
Ten great health words. Try using them this week, and you will remember them naturally.
Thanks for listening to Word Kitchen. Stay healthy, and see you next time.
Bye everyone.
🎙 Try Shadowing free sample
Listen and repeat along with the studio audio. Full shadowing practice with pronunciation scoring is in the app.
Shadowing: A Healthy Week
Last Monday I woke up with a terrible headache, and the headache stayed all morning.
Water and rest usually help a headache, because a headache often comes from stress.
Train your speaking
Shadow every sentence with studio audio and get your pronunciation scored — only in the Muse English app.
📝Grammar: Present perfect + for / since, present perfect continuous
We use the **present perfect + for / since** to talk about situations that started in the past and are **still true now** — like a long ache, a headache that will not go away, or a diet you started and still follow. Use **for** with a **period of time** (for two days, for a week, for a year). Use **since** with a **starting point** (since Monday, since January, since 2020). To ask about an unfinished period, use **How long + present perfect**. It fits questions about a headache that started days ago, or work at the pharmacy that began years ago. For **actions** that started in the past and
Master this grammar in the app
Get clear explanations, more examples and interactive exercises.
Keep learning every day
New lessons, podcasts and quizzes daily — free in the Muse English app.