Family Members in English
Do more with this exercise
Learn the words for your family in English: mother, father, brother, sister and more. Read each word and its example, and listen to it. Then do the exercises.
Parents, brothers and sisters
motheryour parent (a woman)
This is my mother. Her name is Rosa.
mummother (a friendly word, UK)
My mum is a teacher.
mommother (a friendly word, US)
Is your mom at home?
fatheryour parent (a man)
My father is from Chile.
dadfather (a friendly word)
That man is my dad.
parentsyour mother and your father
My parents are at work.
brothera boy or man with the same parents as you
Sam is my little brother. He's six.
sistera girl or woman with the same parents as you
My sister is a doctor.
twinstwo children born together in one birth
Ana and Eva are twins. They are ten.
Children
sonyour child (a boy or man)
This is our son, Leo.
daughteryour child (a girl or woman)
Their daughter is a student.
childrensons and daughters (one child, two children)
These are my children, Mia and Ben.
baby
Is your baby a boy or a girl?
Grandparents and grandchildren
grandmotheryour mother's or father's mother
My grandmother is eighty.
grandfatheryour mother's or father's father
Her grandfather is from Italy.
grandparentsyour grandmother and your grandfather
My grandparents are in Spain this week.
grandsonyour son's or daughter's son
Tom is Mary's grandson.
granddaughteryour son's or daughter's daughter
Lucy is their granddaughter.
Aunts, uncles and cousins
uncleyour mother's or father's brother
My uncle is my mum's brother.
auntyour mother's or father's sister
My aunt is my dad's sister.
cousinyour aunt's or uncle's child
Pedro is my cousin. His mother is my aunt.
nephewyour brother's or sister's son
Is that boy your nephew?
nieceyour brother's or sister's daughter
My niece is three years old.
Husband and wife
husbandthe man you are married to
This is Kate, and this is her husband, Paul.
wifethe woman you are married to
His wife is a nurse.
Practice exercises
Match the Words
Match each family word with its meaning.
Choose a word on the left, then its match on the right.
Choose the Correct Word
Choose the correct family word.
7.My mother's sister is my ___.
8.My sister's son is my ___.
9.My grandmother's husband is my ___.
10.Ben is Mr Lee's ___. He is ten.
11.Mia and Leo are my son and my daughter. They are my ___.
12.Lucy is a girl. Tom is her brother. Lucy is Tom's ___.
Fill in the Blank
Type the correct family word.
True or False?
Read the sentence. Is it true or false?
19.Your uncle's daughter is your cousin.
20.Your niece is a boy.
21.Your grandparents are your parents' parents.
22.Your father's sister is your uncle.
Family Words in English: A Short Guide
Family words are some of the first words you need in English. They are the words for the people close to you: This is my sister. That is my dad. These are my grandparents.
Many family words come in pairs: one for a man or boy and one for a woman or girl. Father and mother, son and daughter, brother and sister, uncle and aunt, nephew and niece, husband and wife. Cousin is different: it is one word for both.
Grand- is the word for two steps up or down in the family. Your parents' parents are your grandparents, and your children's children are your grandchildren: your grandson and your granddaughter.
Possessives are very useful with family words. My mother's sister is my aunt. Your aunt's son is your cousin. With 's, every person in your family is easy to name, step by step.
Some words are friendly, short forms. Mum (UK) and mom (US) are for mother, and dad is for father. They are good at home and with friends. The exercises above practice all these words.
Frequently asked questions
What are the family members in English?
The main words are mother, father, parents, brother, sister, son, daughter and children. Then come grandmother, grandfather, grandson and granddaughter, and aunt, uncle, cousin, nephew and niece. Husband and wife are family words too.
What is the difference between mum and mom?
They are the same word. Mum is British English and mom is American English. Mother is good in both. Dad is the same in the UK and the US.
Is cousin a boy or a girl?
Both. Cousin is one word for the son or the daughter of your aunt or uncle: my cousin Pedro, my cousin Ana.
What is the difference between nephew and niece?
Both are the children of your brother or sister. A nephew is a boy or a man. A niece is a girl or a woman.
How do I use 's with family words?
Add 's to a person: Tom's sister, my mother's brother. With a plural that ends in -s, add only an apostrophe: my parents' house. With children, add 's: my children's names.
Answer key
1. parents
Answer: your mother and your father
Your parents are your mother and your father.
2. daughter
Answer: your child (a girl or woman)
A daughter is a girl. A son is a boy.
3. grandmother
Answer: your mother's or father's mother
Your mother's mother and your father's mother are your grandmothers.
4. uncle
Answer: your mother's or father's brother
An uncle is a man: the brother of your mother or father.
5. cousin
Answer: your aunt's or uncle's child
The children of your aunt and uncle are your cousins. Cousin is for a boy and for a girl.
6. wife
Answer: the woman you are married to
A wife is a woman. A husband is a man.
7. My mother's sister is my ___.
Answer: aunt
Your mother's sister is your aunt. Your mother's brother is your uncle.
8. My sister's son is my ___.
Answer: nephew
Your sister's son is your nephew. Her daughter is your niece.
9. My grandmother's husband is my ___.
Answer: grandfather
Your grandmother and your grandfather are husband and wife.
10. Ben is Mr Lee's ___. He is ten.
Answer: son
Ben is a boy (he), so he is Mr Lee's son. A daughter is a girl.
11. Mia and Leo are my son and my daughter. They are my ___.
Answer: children
Your sons and daughters are your children. Your parents are your mother and father.
12. Lucy is a girl. Tom is her brother. Lucy is Tom's ___.
Answer: sister
Lucy is a girl, so she is Tom's sister.
13. My father's father is my ___.
Answer: grandfather
Your father's father is your grandfather. Grandpa and grandad are friendly words for him.
14. My ___ and dad are my parents.
Answer: mum
Your mother and your father are your parents. Mum (UK) and mom (US) are friendly words for mother.
15. My brother's daughter is my ___.
Answer: niece
Your brother's daughter is your niece. His son is your nephew.
16. Her son's son is her ___.
Answer: grandson
The son of your son or daughter is your grandson. Grandchild is also correct for a boy or girl.
17. Paul and I are married. These are our children. Paul is their ___.
Answer: father
Paul and the speaker are the parents of these children, so Paul is their father.
18. Anna and Kate are sisters. Both are ten today, and it is their birthday. They are ___.
Answer: twins
Anna and Kate are sisters of the same age with the same birthday, so they are twins.
19. Your uncle's daughter is your cousin.
Answer: True
True. The children of your aunt and uncle are your cousins.
20. Your niece is a boy.
Answer: False
False. A niece is a girl or a woman. A boy is a nephew.
21. Your grandparents are your parents' parents.
Answer: True
True. Your mother's parents and your father's parents are your grandparents.
22. Your father's sister is your uncle.
Answer: False
False. Your father's sister is your aunt. An uncle is a man.