Appearance and Describing People A2 Vocabulary Practice Tests Rules & Examples

Appearance and Describing People

How do you describe someone you know? Maybe you want to tell a friend what your new neighbour looks like, or describe a person you met on holiday. In English, we use a wide range of words to talk about a person's appearance — their height, build, hair, face, and general style. Learning these words will help you in everyday conversations, whether you are meeting new people, writing a message, or describing someone at an airport.

A Real-Life Situation

Imagine you are waiting at a busy train station. Your friend Tom is coming to visit, but you have never met his sister, Laura, before. Tom sends you a message:

"Laura has long, curly red hair. She is quite tall and slim. She is wearing a blue jacket and glasses. You can't miss her!"

This short message is a perfect example of describing someone's appearance in everyday English. Let's learn all the vocabulary you need to do the same!

Key Vocabulary and Meaning Breakdown

1. Height and Build

2. Hair — Length, Style, and Colour

3. Face and Features

4. Age

Collocations and Useful Expressions

In English, certain words go together naturally. Here are the most important collocations for describing people's appearance.

have + hair description
She has long, curly, dark hair.
Use have (not "be") to describe hair, eyes, and a beard.

have + beard / moustache / freckles / glasses
He has a beard and wears glasses.
Note: use wear for glasses, but have for a beard or freckles.

wear + glasses
My teacher wears glasses with a thin black frame.
Always use wear with glasses — never "have glasses on" in formal descriptions.

look + adjective
She looks very young.
He looks quite tired today.
Use look to describe someone's general appearance or expression.

of medium height / of medium build
The suspect was a man of medium height and medium build.
Always use the preposition of with these phrases.

be in his/her + decade
She is in her thirties and looks very fit.
This is a natural, polite way to talk about someone's approximate age.

go + bald / grey
My father started going grey when he was forty.
He is going bald, but it suits him.
Use go to describe a gradual change in appearance.

Important Differences and Confusing Words

Slim, Thin, or Skinny?

All three words describe someone with a small body, but they have different feelings:

• Slim — thin in a healthy, attractive way. "She is slim and fit." ✅ Positive
• Thin — a neutral word, but can sometimes suggest the person is too thin. "He looked very thin after his illness."
• Skinny — very thin, often in a negative or informal way. "She is so skinny — she never eats!" 🔻 Often negative or informal

At A2 level, slim is the safest and most polite choice for describing a thin person.

Old, Elderly, or Senior?

• Old — direct, but can sound rude. "A very old man sat in the corner."
• Elderly — polite and respectful. "An elderly woman smiled at me." ✅ Use this in conversation.
• Senior — mostly used in formal or official contexts. "Senior citizens get a discount."

Look, Look Like, or Be Like?

These phrases are often confused by learners:

• look + adjective — used for appearance. "She looks young."
• look like + noun / noun phrase — used to compare. "He looks like his father."
• be like — used to describe personality, not appearance. "What is she like?" "She is very kind and funny."

Pretty, Handsome, or Beautiful?

• Pretty — used for women or girls; informal and common. "She is very pretty."
• Handsome — used mostly for men. "Her husband is very handsome."
• Beautiful — very attractive; used for women, places, or things. "She is a beautiful woman."
• Good-looking — can be used for both men and women. "He is very good-looking." ✅ The safest choice for both

Common Mistakes

❌ She has a tall.
✅ She is tall. Use "be" for height and build, not "have".

❌ He has blue eyes with glasses.
✅ He has blue eyes and wears glasses. Use "wear" for glasses, not "have".

❌ She looks like very young.
✅ She looks very young. After "look" + adjective, do not use "like".

❌ He is a medium height.
✅ He is of medium height. Always use the preposition "of" with "medium height" and "medium build".

❌ She has a short and curly hairs.
✅ She has short, curly hair. "Hair" is an uncountable noun in English — never add an "s".

❌ He is a very good-looking person. He has 45 years old.
✅ He is a very good-looking person. He is 45 years old. Never use "have" with age — always use "be".

❌ My grandfather is very old. He looks like tired.
✅ My grandfather is elderly. He looks tired. Use "look" + adjective without "like" to describe appearance.

Appearance and Describing People: Quick Summary and Review

In this lesson, you learned the key vocabulary for describing a person's appearance in English. Here is a quick review of the most important points:

• Use be for height and build: She is tall and slim.
• Use have for hair, eyes, a beard, and freckles: He has dark hair and brown eyes.
• Use wear for glasses: She wears round glasses.
• Use look + adjective for general appearance: He looks young.
• Use look like + noun for comparisons: She looks like her mother.
• Use of medium height / of medium build with the preposition "of".
• Choose polite words like slim (not skinny) and elderly (not old).
• Remember: hair is uncountable — never say "hairs" when describing someone.

Now practise appearance and describing people vocabulary in the exercises below.