How many animal names do you know in English? You may already know the words cow, dog, and fish, but what about hedgehog, ibis, and wildebeest? Learn English names for animals around the world and find out how to pronounce each one.
Table of Contents
Animal vocabulary in English
In order to understand names of animals in English, you’ll need to know these important vocabulary words to describe animals and the places they live.
- amphibian (am-FIB-ee-uhn): animals that lay eggs and can live in both land and water
- bird (burd): winged animals that lay eggs and usually fly
- ecosystem (EE-koh-sis-tuhm): connections between animals and plants that live in the same environment
- farm animal (FAHRM AN-uh-muhl): outdoor animals raised for food, meat, labor, or another reason
- fish (fish): swimming animals that only live in water
- forest animal (FOR-irst AN-uh-muhl): animal that lives in wooded areas
- habitat (HAB-i-tat): natural environment where animals live
- insect (IN-sekt): invertebrate with three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings
- invertebrate (in-VUR-teh-brit): animal without backbones
- mammal (MAM-uhl): animals that give birth to live babies, which they feed with milk
- marine animal (muh-REEN AN-uh-muhl): animal that lives in or near the ocean
- pet (pet): indoor animal that lives in your house as a companion
- safari animal (suh-FAHR-ee AN-uh-muhl): animals that live in African grasslands
- reptile (REP-tahyl): scaly animals that breathe air and lay eggs on land
- vertebrate (VUR-teh-brit): animals with backbones
Pet names in English
A vocabulary list of English words often includes names of pets. The word pet describes an animal you keep in your house or yard. Dogs and cats are common pets, but some people like having bearded dragons (small reptiles) or tarantulas (large spiders) instead.
If you speak Italian, you may notice that many dog breed animal names in Italian are similar to English, but most other words are very different. And most French animals have different words than English, but you might hear a few that sound the same. Learn animal vocabulary in English to describe pets that live with you and your family.
| Pet Name in English | Pronunciation |
| ball python | BAWL PAHY-thon |
| bearded dragon | BEER-did DRAG-uhn |
| betta fish | BAY-tuh fish |
| budgie | BUHJ-ee |
| bunny | BUHN-ee |
| canary | kuh-NAIR-ee |
| cat | kat |
| chinchilla | chin-CHIL-uh |
| dog | dawg |
| ferret | FER-it |
| finch | finch |
| gecko | GEK-oh |
| gerbil | JUR-buhl |
| goldfish | GOHLD-fish |
| guinea pig | GIN-ee pig |
| hamster | HAM-ster |
| hedgehog | HEJ-hawg |
| hermit crab | HUR-mit krab |
| iguana | ih-GWAH-nuh |
| kitten | KIT-n |
| lizard | LIZ-erd |
| parakeet | PAR-uh-keet |
| parrot | PAR-uht |
| puppy | PUHP-ee |
| rabbit | RAB-it |
| rat | rat |
| snake | sneyk |
| tarantula | tuh-RAN-chuh-luh |
| tropical fish | TROP-i-kuhl fish |
| turtle | TUR-tl |
Farm animals in English
Farms have lots of different kinds of animals! Some help farmers get their work done or they might be considered pets. Many farm animals produce eggs, milk, meat, or wool for their owners. Discover the names of animals that you might see on farms all over the world.
| Farm Animal Name | Pronunciation |
| bull | bool (buhl) |
| calf | kaf |
| chick | chik |
| chicken | CHIK-uhn |
| cow | kou |
| donkey | DAWNG-kee |
| duck | duhk |
| duckling | DUHK-ling |
| ewe | yoo |
| foal | fohl |
| gander | GAN-der |
| goat | goht |
| goose | goos |
| gosling | GOZ-ling |
| honeybee | HUHN-nee-bee |
| horse | hawrs |
| lamb | lam |
| llama | LAH-muh |
| mare | mair |
| mule | myool |
| ox | oks |
| peacock | pee-kok |
| pig | pig |
| piglet | pig-lit |
| rooster | ROO-ster |
| sheep | sheep |
| stallion | STAL-yuhn |
| turkey | TUR-kee |
Safari animal names in English
The term safari animal refers to animals living in the African savanna or grasslands. When you go on a safari (a tour to see African animals) or visit a zoo, you might see some or all of these creatures. If you speak Spanish, the sounds of many zoo animal names in Spanish will sound familiar in English. Find out how to describe these animals in English along with their pronunciations.
| Safari Animal Name | Pronunciation |
| aardvark | AHRD-vahrk |
| antelope | AN-tl-ohp |
| baboon | ba-BOON |
| buffalo | KEYP BUHF-uh-loh |
| cheetah | CHEE-tuh |
| chimpanzee | chim-pan-ZEE |
| crocodile | KROK-uh-dahyl |
| elephant | EL-uh-fuhnt |
| emu | EE-myoo |
| flamingo | fluh-MING-goh |
| gazelle | guh-ZEL |
| giraffe | juh-RAF |
| gorilla | guh-RIL-uh |
| hippopotamus | hip-uh-POT–uh-muhs |
| hornbill | HAWRN-bil |
| hyena | hahy-EE-nuh |
| ibis | AHY-bis |
| impala | im-PAL-uh |
| jackal | JAK-uhl |
| leopard | LEP-erd |
| lion | LAHY-uhn |
| meerkat | MEER-kat |
| okapi | oh-KAH-pee |
| ostrich | AW-stritch |
| porcupine | PAWR-kyuh-pahyn |
| rhinoceros | rahy-NOS-er-uhs |
| tiger | TAHY-ger |
| vulture | VUHL-cher |
| warthog | WAWRT-hawg |
| wildebeest | WIL-duh-beest |
| zebra | ZEE-bruh |
Forest animal names in English
Animals that live in areas with lots of trees and plants are called forest animals. They might live in a mountain forest area or in a tropical rainforest where the weather is very rainy.
| Forest Animal Name | Pronunciation |
| bear | bair |
| bullfrog | BOOL-frawg |
| chipmunk | CHIP-muhngk |
| deer | deer |
| eagle | EE-guhl |
| falcon | FAWL-kuhn |
| fox | foks |
| giant panda | JAHY-uhnt PAN-duh |
| koala | koh-AH-luh |
| lynx | lingks |
| monkey | MUHNG-kee |
| moose | moos |
| owl | oul |
| raccoon | ra-KOON |
| skunk | skuhngk |
| sparrow | SPAR-oh |
| squirrel | SKWUR-uhl |
| toad | tohd |
| weasel | WEE-zuhl |
| wild boar | wahyld BOHR |
| wolf | woolf |
| wolverine | WOOL-vuh-reen |
| woodpecker | WOOD-pek-er |
Marine animal names
Marine animals live in the ocean (also known as the sea). Most marine animals are fish or invertebrates, although mammals like dolphins or whales also live in these saltwater habitats. You might see these marine animals underwater or living very close to the ocean. Many of these English animal names are cognates (words that sound the same and have the same meaning) with German animals.
| Marine Animal Name | Pronunciation |
| barracuda | bar-uh-KOO-duh |
| clam | klam |
| clownfish | KLOUN-fish |
| coral | KOR-uhl |
| crab | krab |
| dolphin | DAWL-fin |
| eel | eel |
| flounder | FLOUN-der |
| jellyfish | JEL-ee-fish |
| mussel | MUHS-uhl |
| octopus | OK-tuh-puhs |
| oyster | OI-ster |
| penguin | PENG-gwin |
| rockfish | ROK-fish |
| sand dollar | SAND DOL-er |
| sea bass | SEE bas |
| sea cucumber | SEE KYOO-kuhm-ber |
| sea lion | SEE LAHY-uhn |
| sea otter | SEE ot-ter |
| sea star | SEE stahr |
| sea turtle | SEE tur-tl |
| sea urchin | SEE ur-chin |
| seahorse | SEE-hawrs |
| seal | seel |
| shark | shahrk |
| shrimp | shrimp |
| squid | skwid |
| stingray | STING-rey |
| swordfish | SOHRD-fish |
| tuna | TOO-nuh |
| walrus | WAWL-ruhs |
| whale | weyl |
Insect vocabulary
Did you know that 90% of living creatures on Earth are insects? These invertebrates live in all kinds of habitats around the world, including forests, deserts, and grasslands. They are important parts of their ecosystems, but they are often considered pests to humans.
| Insect name in English | Pronunciation |
| ant | ant |
| bedbug | BED-buhg |
| bumblebee | BUHM-buhl-bee |
| butterfly | BUHT-er-flahy |
| beetle | BEET-l |
| cicada | si-KAH-duh |
| cockroach | KOK-rohch |
| cricket | KRIK-it |
| damselfly | DAM-zuhl-flahy |
| dragonfly | DRAG-uhn flahy |
| earwig | EER-wig |
| flea | flee |
| fruit fly | froot flahy |
| grasshopper | GRAS-hop-er |
| house fly | HOUS flahy |
| ladybug | LEY-dee-buhg |
| louse | lous |
| moth | mawth |
| praying mantis | PRAY-ing MAN-tis |
| termite | TUR-mahyt |
| weevil | WEE-vuhl |
| wasp | wosp |
Names for animals that live in North America
North America is home to many unique kinds of animals whether you’re in the Arizona desert or the hills of the Appalachian Mountains. Learn how to describe these animals in English-speaking countries in North America. Look carefully at their pronunciations, as some North American animal names sound different from their spelling.
| Animal name in English | Pronunciation |
| alligator | AL-i-gey-ter |
| armadillo | ahr-muh-DIL-oh |
| axolotl | AK-suh-lot-l |
| bald eagle | bahld EE-guhl |
| beaver | BEE-ver |
| bison | BAHY-suhn |
| blue jay | BLOO jahy |
| bobcat | BOB-kat |
| catfish | KAT-fish |
| cottonmouth snake | COT-tun-mouth SNEYK |
| cougar | KOO-ger |
| coyote | kahy-OH-tee |
| crow | kroh |
| elk | elk |
| Gila monster | HEE-luh MAHN-ster |
| grizzly bear | GRIZ-lee |
| groundhog | GROUND-hawg |
| firefly | FAHYUHR-flahy |
| island fox | ahy-luhnd FOKS |
| jackrabbit | JAK-rab-it |
| lobster | LOB-ster |
| monarch butterfly | MON-ahrk buht-er-flahy |
| opossum | uh-POS-uhm |
| prairie dog | PRAIR-ee dawg |
| pronghorn | PRAWNG-hawrn |
| rainbow trout | REYN-boh TROUT |
| rattlesnake | RAT-l-sneyk |
| red-tailed hawk | red-tayld HAWK |
| red wolf | red WOOLF |
| walleye | WAWL-ahy |
| yellowjacket | YEL-oh JAK-et |
Names for groups of animals
There are many collective English nouns to describe larger groups of animals. Find out how English speakers use words like flock, herd, and pride for different types of animal families.
| Collective Noun | Pronunciation | Animals in the Group |
| band | band | coyotes, gorillas |
| colony | KOL-uh-nee | ants, beavers, penguins |
| herd | hurd | deer, elephants, goats |
| flock | flok | birds, chickens, sheep |
| gaggle | GAG-uhl | geese |
| gang | gang | buffalo, turkeys |
| litter | LIT-er | baby animals (puppies, kittens, piglets) |
| pack | pak | wolves, dogs, |
| pod | pod | whales, hippopotamuses |
| pride | prahyd | lions |
| school | skool | fish |
| shiver | SHIV-er | sharks |
| swarm | swawrm | bees, flies, jellyfish |
| troop | troop | bab |
| warren | WOR-uhn | rabbits |
Add more English nouns to your vocabulary
Mastering the names of animals in English can increase your English vocabulary quickly. That helps you learn how to speak English even faster! Find out how learning English with Rosetta Stone can help you become fluent on your own schedule.
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