Sports & Hobbies Vocabulary
This page collects 49 English sports words. Every word comes with a real photo, pronunciation audio, a clear meaning and an example sentence, so you can see and hear each word in context. Each card links to the daily lesson where the word was taught, so you can read the full conversation and practice shadowing.
Words are grouped by topic: Sports (20 words), Fitness & Gym (19 words), Competitions & Sporting Events (8 words) and More Sports & Hobbies Vocabulary (2 words). They cover all six CEFR levels, from beginner words like ball, coach, goal to advanced words like regimen, calisthenics, deload. Use the audio on each card to check your pronunciation, then test yourself with the quiz below.
Quiz: Test Yourself
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check your score.
Q1. Which word means 'the person who trains a team'?
Q2. Which word means 'to push up into the air'?
Q3. Which word means 'to train to get better'?
Q4. Which word means 'to be the best in a game'?
Q5. Which word means 'exercise that raises your heart rate'?
Q6. What is this?
Q7. What is this?
Q8. What is this?
Q9. What is this?
Q10. What is this?
Sports (20 words)
A1
ball noun · A1
BAL
a round toy you kick or throw in games
The ball is round.
coach noun · A1
KOHCH
the person who trains a team
The coach teaches us every day.
goal noun · A1
GOHL
the place where you put the ball to get points
He kicks the ball into the goal.
match noun · A1
MATCH
a game between two teams or players
We watched a football match.
play verb · A1
PLAY
to do a game for fun
We play football after school.
player noun · A1
PLAY-ur
a person who plays a sport or game
The player is very fast.
run verb · A1
RUN
to move fast on your feet
I run in the park every morning.
score verb · A1
SKOR
to get a point in a game
the number of points in a game
the number of points in a game
She can score a goal.
sport noun · A1
SPORT
a game or exercise like football or tennis
Football is my favorite sport.
team noun · A1
TEEM
a group of people who play together
Our team is very good.
win verb · A1
WIN
to be the best in a game
Our team wants to win today.
A2
practice verb · A2
PRAK-tis
to train to get better
We practice free throws every day.
B2
agility noun · B2
uh-JIH-luh-tee
the ability to move quickly and change direction easily
Tennis players need agility as well as power.
foul noun · B2
FOWL
an action against the rules in a game
The referee gave a foul when he pushed the other player.
penalty noun · B2
PEN-ul-tee
a punishment in a game for breaking a rule
He scored the winning goal from a penalty in the last minute.
rivalry noun · B2
RY-vul-ree
a strong competition between two people or teams
The rivalry between the two clubs goes back thirty years.
sprint verb · B2
SPRIHNT
to run very fast for a short distance
She sprinted the last hundred meters of the race.
technique noun · B2
tek-NEEK
the correct way of performing a movement
Good technique matters more than heavy weight.
Fitness & Gym (19 words)
A1
exercise noun · A1
EK-sur-size
physical activity to make the body strong
I do exercise every morning.
A2
balance noun · A2
BA-lans
the ability to stay steady
Good balance helps in yoga.
stretch verb · A2
STRECH
to make your muscles longer
Stretch before you run.
B2
cardio noun · B2
KAR-dee-oh
exercise that raises your heart rate
Swimming is great cardio for burning fat.
endurance noun · B2
en-DOOR-uhns
the ability to keep going for a long time
Running builds endurance.
flex verb · B2
FLEX
to tighten a muscle
He flexed his arm to show the muscle.
interval noun · B2
IHN-ter-vul
a short burst of hard effort followed by rest
Interval training burns calories fast.
routine noun · B2
roo-TEEN
a regular plan of exercises done in order
She follows a strict gym routine.
stamina noun · B2
STAM-uh-nuh
the ability to keep doing something tiring for a long time
She has amazing stamina. She ran the whole game without getting tired.
strength noun · B2
STRENGTH
physical power and muscle force
He built strength with heavy squats.
workout noun · B2
WURK-out
a planned session of physical exercise
My morning workout includes running and push-ups.
C1
regimen noun · C1
REJ-uh-muhn
a strict daily training schedule
Her dawn training regimen includes ninety minutes of swimming before breakfast.
C2
calisthenics noun · C2
kal-iss-THEN-iks
exercises using only body weight, such as push-ups
Calisthenics like pull-ups and dips built his upper-body strength.
deload verb · C2
dee-LOHD
to train lighter for a short period to allow recovery
After three heavy weeks, he plans to deload with easy sessions.
ergogenic adjective · C2
ur-guh-JEN-ik
intended to improve physical performance
Caffeine is one of the few supplements with proven ergogenic effects.
hypertrophy noun · C2
hy-PER-truh-fee
the growth of muscle tissue that makes muscles larger
After months of heavy lifting, he noticed real hypertrophy in his shoulders.
macrocycle noun · C2
MAK-roh-SAI-kul
a long-term training plan lasting several months
His coach mapped the whole season as one twelve-week macrocycle.
plyometrics noun · C2
plai-uh-MET-riks
jump-based exercises that develop explosive power
Her coach added plyometrics like box jumps to sharpen her sprint starts.
taper verb · C2
TAY-pur
to gradually reduce training before a competition
She will taper her mileage in the final two weeks before the marathon.
Competitions & Sporting Events (8 words)
A1
trophy noun · A1
TROH-fee
a special cup or prize for the winner
The team won a gold trophy.
B2
comeback noun · B2
KUM-bak
a return to success after a bad period or defeat
After two injuries, his comeback was the story of the season.
compete verb · B2
kum-PEET
to try to win against others
He will compete in the national championship.
disqualify verb · B2
dis-KWOL-uh-fy
to stop someone from a competition for breaking the rules
They disqualified him from the race for a false start.
marathon noun · B2
MAR-uh-thon
a very long running race, about forty-two kilometers
She trained for six months before her first marathon.
spectator noun · B2
spek-TAY-ter
a person who watches a game or event but doesn't play
Over forty thousand spectators filled the stadium last night.
tournament noun · B2
TOOR-nuh-ment
a sports competition with many matches, ending with one winner
Our school team reached the final of the national tournament.
C1
underdog noun · C1
UN-der-dawg
the competitor everyone expects to lose
The national team entered the tournament as underdogs and left as champions.
More Sports & Hobbies Vocabulary (2 words)
A2
game noun · A2
GAYM
something we play for fun
The game starts at six o'clock.
C1
gamification noun · C1
gay-muh-fuh-KAY-shun
using game-like elements such as points and badges in non-game activities
The fitness app uses gamification to make daily workouts feel like a fun challenge.
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