A2 Flyers Vocabulary: Animals
Cambridge A2 Flyers introduces 15 new animals words, on top of the 45 from earlier levels — 60 in total for the exam, because YLE vocabulary is cumulative. The new words are below with meanings, examples and audio; the earlier ones are listed further down.
New at A2 Flyers: 15 words
| Word | Type | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
beetle  | noun | It is a small insect with a hard shell on its back. | I saw a big black beetle in the garden. |
butterfly  | noun | It is a pretty insect with colourful wings that flies. | I saw a yellow butterfly in the garden. |
camel  | noun | It's a big animal that lives in the desert and has humps on its back. | We saw a camel at the zoo today. |
creature  | noun | An animal or being that is alive. | I saw a furry creature in my garden! |
dinosaur  | noun | A very big animal that lived a long, long time ago. | My little brother likes playing with his dinosaur toys. |
eagle  | noun | It is a big, strong bird with sharp eyes that hunts animals. | I saw an eagle at the zoo, and it was very big. |
extinct | adjective | No longer existing; all gone. | Dinosaurs are extinct, so you cannot see them now. |
fur  | noun | The thick hair that covers some animals. | My cat has soft, white fur. |
insect  | noun | A small animal with six legs and often wings. | I don't like that insect, it might bite me. |
nest  | noun | It's a home that birds make for their eggs and babies. | We saw a bird's nest high up in the tree. |
octopus  | noun | It is a sea animal with a soft body and eight arms. | I saw a big octopus at the aquarium today. |
swan  | noun | A big, white bird that lives on water and has a long neck. | We saw a beautiful white swan on the lake. |
tortoise  | noun | It is a slow animal with a shell that it can hide inside. | The tortoise walked very slowly across the grass. |
wild | adjective | Not tame; living in nature, not kept by people. | My dog got very wild when we went to the park. |
wing  | noun | It is part of a bird that helps it fly. | The bird hurt its wing, so it cannot fly. |
It is a small insect with a hard shell on its back.
I saw a big black beetle in the garden.
It is a pretty insect with colourful wings that flies.
I saw a yellow butterfly in the garden.
It's a big animal that lives in the desert and has humps on its back.
We saw a camel at the zoo today.
An animal or being that is alive.
I saw a furry creature in my garden!
A very big animal that lived a long, long time ago.
My little brother likes playing with his dinosaur toys.
It is a big, strong bird with sharp eyes that hunts animals.
I saw an eagle at the zoo, and it was very big.
No longer existing; all gone.
Dinosaurs are extinct, so you cannot see them now.
The thick hair that covers some animals.
My cat has soft, white fur.
A small animal with six legs and often wings.
I don't like that insect, it might bite me.
It's a home that birds make for their eggs and babies.
We saw a bird's nest high up in the tree.
It is a sea animal with a soft body and eight arms.
I saw a big octopus at the aquarium today.
A big, white bird that lives on water and has a long neck.
We saw a beautiful white swan on the lake.
It is a slow animal with a shell that it can hide inside.
The tortoise walked very slowly across the grass.
Not tame; living in nature, not kept by people.
My dog got very wild when we went to the park.
It is part of a bird that helps it fly.
The bird hurt its wing, so it cannot fly.
Also needed from earlier levels: 45 words
The A2 Flyers exam re-uses every animals word from the earlier YLE levels. Your child should know these too — tap any word to hear it.
From Pre-A1 Starters (32 words)
From A1 Movers (13 words)
More A2 Flyers topics
Frequently asked questions
How many animals words are in the A2 Flyers wordlist?
A2 Flyers introduces 15 new animals words, including beetle, butterfly, camel. Together with the earlier levels, your child needs 60 animals words in total for the A2 Flyers exam.
Does my child also need the animals words from earlier levels?
Yes. Cambridge YLE vocabulary is cumulative: the A2 Flyers exam can use any word from the earlier levels. That's why this page also lists the 45 animals words from earlier levels further down.
Is this the official Cambridge list?
This page is aligned with the official Cambridge English A2 Flyers vocabulary list, with kid-friendly definitions, example sentences and audio added by FlyersEnglish. FlyersEnglish is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cambridge; the official PDF wordlists are available at cambridgeenglish.org.
FlyersEnglish is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cambridge. This page is aligned with the official Cambridge English wordlists; the official PDFs are available at cambridgeenglish.org.
Turn these words into a game
Kids remember animals words by playing, not by reading lists. FlyersEnglish turns the A2 Flyers wordlist into mini-games with audio, pictures and spaced review — and tracks every word your child masters.