Family and Friends Vocabulary Practice Tests (A1 Level) Rules & Examples

Family and Friends: Essential Vocabulary for Beginners

Do you want to talk about the people in your life? In this lesson, you will learn important English words for family and friends. These are some of the most useful words in everyday English. You will learn how to name family members, describe relationships, and talk about the people who are important to you.

Meet the Johnson Family

Read this short story. It will help you understand the vocabulary in context.

My name is Emma. I live with my parents — my mother and my father. I have one sister and one brother. My grandparents live near us. My grandmother makes wonderful food! I also have a best friend called Mia. She is very kind. We go to school together every day.

Now let's look at the key vocabulary from this story and more useful words for talking about family and friends.

Key Vocabulary and Meaning Breakdown

1. Immediate Family Members

These are the people in your closest family — the people you often live with or see every day.

Word / Phrase	Part of Speech and Meaning	Example Sentence	Notes
mother	noun — a female parent	My mother works in a hospital.	Informal: mum (British English)
father	noun — a male parent	My father cooks dinner on Sundays.	Informal: dad
parents	noun (plural) — your mother and father together	My parents are very kind.	Singular = parent
sister	noun — a female sibling (same parents as you)	I have one sister. Her name is Lucy.	Older sister / younger sister
brother	noun — a male sibling (same parents as you)	My brother is ten years old.	Older brother / younger brother
child	noun — a young person; also a son or daughter	They have one child — a little girl.	Plural = children
son	noun — a male child	Their son is five years old.	Opposite = daughter
daughter	noun — a female child	Their daughter goes to school.	Opposite = son
husband	noun — a man who is married	Her husband is a teacher.	Opposite = wife
wife	noun — a woman who is married	His wife works in a shop.	Opposite = husband
baby	noun — a very young child	My aunt has a new baby.	Plural = babies

2. Extended Family Members

These are family members who are not in your immediate family, but they are still important relatives.

Word / Phrase	Part of Speech and Meaning	Example Sentence	Notes
grandmother	noun — your mother's or father's mother	My grandmother lives in the countryside.	Informal: grandma or nan
grandfather	noun — your mother's or father's father	My grandfather tells great stories.	Informal: grandad
grandparents	noun (plural) — your grandfather and grandmother	We visit our grandparents at the weekend.	Use grandparents for both together
aunt	noun — your parent's sister	My aunt lives in London.	Opposite = uncle
uncle	noun — your parent's brother	My uncle has a big car.	Opposite = aunt
cousin	noun — the child of your aunt or uncle	My cousin is the same age as me.	Can be male or female
relative	noun — any family member	We have many relatives in Ireland.	Also: relation
family	noun — a group of people who are related	I love spending time with my family.	Can mean just parents and children, or a larger group

3. Friends and Social Relationships

These words help you talk about friends and the people around you.

Word / Phrase	Part of Speech and Meaning	Example Sentence	Notes
friend	noun — a person you like and spend time with	Tom is my best friend.	Best friend = your closest friend
classmate	noun — a person in your class at school	My classmate helps me with English.	Not always a close friend
neighbour	noun — a person who lives near you	Our neighbour is very friendly.	British spelling: neighbour
colleague	noun — a person you work with	My colleague is very helpful at work.	For adult learners and work contexts
partner	noun — a person you have a romantic relationship with; also a business partner	She lives with her partner.	Can be boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife
person	noun — a human being (man, woman, or child)	She is a very nice person.	Plural = people

Collocations and Useful Expressions

A collocation is two or more words that go together naturally. Learn these common collocations for talking about family and friends.

have + a big / small family
I have a big family. There are six people in my house.

live + with your family
I live with my family in Manchester.

spend time + with friends / family
I love to spend time with my friends at the weekend.

visit + relatives / grandparents
We visit our relatives every Christmas.

make + friends
It is easy to make friends at school.

best + friend
Anna is my best friend. We talk every day.

close + family / friend
She is a close friend. I tell her everything.

get + married
My sister wants to get married next year.

grow up + with / in
I grew up with my three brothers in a small town.

look after + someone
My grandmother looks after my baby brother.

Important Differences and Confusing Words

Mum, Mother, or Parent?

Mother is the formal or general word for your female parent.

My mother is a doctor. (formal or written English)

Mum is the informal, everyday British English word. You use this when you speak to or about your mother in casual conversation.

My mum makes great soup. (everyday spoken English)

Parent means either a mother or a father. It is a general word. Use parents (plural) to talk about both together.

My parents both work in the city.

Friend vs Acquaintance

Friend is someone you know well, like, and spend time with.

Jake is my friend. We play football together every week.

Acquaintance is someone you know, but not very well. You do not spend a lot of time with this person. (This word is for higher levels, but it is useful to know the idea.)

I know her face, but she is just an acquaintance — not a real friend.

Child vs Children

Child is singular — it means one young person.

She has one child.

Children is the plural of child. Note: we do NOT say childs.

They have three children.

Older vs Elder

When talking about siblings (brothers and sisters), British English often uses elder.

Older is more common in everyday speech and is always correct.

My older brother is twenty years old.

Elder is slightly more formal and is often used in set phrases like my elder sister.

My elder sister lives in London.

Common Mistakes

❌ I have two childs.
✅ I have two children. — The plural of child is children, not childs.

❌ My mum and dad is at home.
✅ My mum and dad are at home. — Use are with plural subjects like mum and dad.

❌ She is my cousin sister.
✅ She is my cousin. — In English, we just say cousin. We do not add sister or brother.

❌ I live with my family since ten years.
✅ I have lived with my family for ten years. — Use have lived and for with a length of time.

❌ My father name is David.
✅ My father's name is David. — Use an apostrophe + s to show possession in English.

❌ She is a very good friend of me.
✅ She is a very good friend of mine. — Use of mine / of yours / of his, not of me.

Family and Friends: Quick Summary and Review

Well done! In this lesson, you have learnt the most important English words for talking about family and friends. Here is a quick summary of what you studied:

• Immediate family words: mother, father, parents, sister, brother, son, daughter, husband, wife, baby, child
• Extended family words: grandmother, grandfather, grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousin, relative, family
• Friends and social words: friend, best friend, classmate, neighbour, colleague, partner, person
• Key collocations: spend time with, make friends, live with your family, visit relatives
• Important rules: The plural of child is children. Use are with plural family members. Say cousin, not cousin sister or cousin brother.

Remember, talking about your family and friends is one of the first things people do when they meet someone new. Practise using these words every day — describe your family to a friend, or write a few sentences about the people you love.

Now practise your family and friends vocabulary in the exercises below.