Pre-A1 Starters Vocabulary: Animals

    Cambridge Pre-A1 Starters introduces 32 animals words. Every word below has its part of speech, a kid-friendly meaning and an example sentence — most also have pronunciation audio. Tap the speaker to hear a word.

    New at Pre-A1 Starters: 32 words

    animal
    animal — Picture
    noun

    It is a living thing.

    I like to see every animal.

    bat
    bat — Picture
    noun

    It is a wooden stick you use to hit a ball.

    I hit the ball with my new bat.

    bear
    bear — Picture
    noun

    A big, furry animal.

    I have a teddy bear.

    bee
    bee — Picture
    noun

    It is a flying insect.

    I see a bee in the garden.

    bird
    bird — Picture
    noun

    It is an animal that flies.

    I see a small bird outside.

    cat
    cat — Picture
    noun

    It is a small animal.

    My cat sleeps on the sofa.

    chicken
    chicken — Picture
    noun

    It's a farm animal bird.

    I eat chicken for dinner sometimes.

    cow
    cow — Picture
    noun

    It gives us milk.

    The cow eats grass in the field.

    crocodile
    crocodile — Picture
    noun

    It's a big green animal.

    I saw a crocodile at the zoo.

    dog
    dog — Picture
    noun

    A pet that barks often.

    I play with my dog every day.

    donkey
    donkey — Picture
    noun

    A farm animal like a horse.

    The donkey eats grass in the field.

    duck
    duck — Picture
    noun

    It is a swimming bird.

    I see a duck in the pond.

    elephant
    elephant — Picture
    noun

    It is a big, grey animal.

    I see an elephant at the zoo.

    fish
    fish — Picture
    noun, pl) n

    It lives and swims in water.

    I like to eat fish.

    frog
    frog — Picture
    noun

    It is a green animal.

    I see a frog in the pond.

    giraffe
    giraffe — Picture
    noun

    It is a tall animal.

    I see a giraffe at the zoo.

    goat
    goat — Picture
    noun

    It is a farm animal.

    The goat eats grass in the field.

    hippo
    hippo — Picture
    noun

    It is a large animal.

    I saw a big hippo at the zoo.

    horse
    horse — Picture
    noun

    It is a farm animal.

    I see a brown horse on the farm.

    jellyfish
    jellyfish — Picture
    noun

    Sea animal with soft body.

    I see a jellyfish in the sea.

    lizard
    lizard — Picture
    noun

    It is a small reptile.

    I see a green lizard on the wall.

    monkey
    monkey — Picture
    noun

    It is a climbing animal.

    I see a monkey at the zoo.

    mouse/mice
    mouse/mice — Picture
    noun

    A small animal with a long tail — one mouse, two mice.

    The little mouse is under the table.

    pet
    pet — Picture
    noun

    It is a friendly animal.

    I like to play with my pet.

    polar bear
    polar bear — Picture
    noun

    A white bear lives in snow.

    I saw a polar bear at the zoo.

    sheep
    sheep — Picture
    noun, pl) n

    It is a farm animal.

    I see many sheep on the farm.

    snake
    snake — Picture
    noun

    It is a long reptile.

    I see a snake in the grass.

    spider
    spider — Picture
    noun

    It is a small animal with eight legs.

    I see a spider in my room.

    tail
    tail — Picture
    noun

    It is the end of an animal.

    The dog wags its tail happily.

    tiger
    tiger — Picture
    noun

    It is a big, striped cat.

    I like the tiger at the zoo.

    zebra
    zebra — Picture
    noun

    It is a black and white animal.

    I see a zebra at the zoo.

    zoo
    zoo — Picture
    noun

    A place has many animals.

    I like to see monkeys at the zoo.

    Frequently asked questions

    How many animals words are in the Pre-A1 Starters wordlist?

    Pre-A1 Starters introduces 32 animals words, including animal, bat, bear. All of them are on this page with kid-friendly meanings, example sentences, and audio for most words.

    Are these all the animals words for the Pre-A1 Starters exam?

    Yes — Pre-A1 Starters is the first Cambridge YLE level, so the 32 words on this page are the complete animals vocabulary your child needs for the exam.

    Is this the official Cambridge list?

    This page is aligned with the official Cambridge English Pre-A1 Starters 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 Pre-A1 Starters wordlist into mini-games with audio, pictures and spaced review — and tracks every word your child masters.