A2Vocab

Describing People’s Appearances in English: Essential Vocabulary for Beginners

Posted on by adminatlingofrnd

Welcome to your English vocabulary lesson on describing people’s appearances! Being able to describe what someone looks like is a really useful skill in everyday English conversations. Whether you’re chatting with friends, reading a book, or watching a movie, you’ll often hear or need to talk about how people look. This lesson will give you the key vocabulary you need to confidently describe people’s appearances in English. It’s perfect for A2 level learners looking to improve their English vocabulary and spoken English practice.

Why Learn to Describe Appearances?

Think about it! We describe people all the time. Imagine you need to tell a friend about someone you met, or you’re trying to identify someone in a crowd. Knowing how to describe physical appearance is essential for clear communication. It helps you:

  • Make new friends: “I met a really nice woman with long blonde hair at the coffee shop.”
  • Tell stories: “The thief was a tall man wearing a black hat.”
  • Understand descriptions: In books, movies, and everyday conversations.
  • Improve your overall English fluency: Expanding your vocabulary makes you a more confident speaker.

So, let’s dive into the vocabulary you need to describe people’s appearances effectively!

Key Vocabulary for Describing Appearance

We can describe appearance in many ways. Let’s break it down into categories to make it easier to learn. We will cover:

  • Height
  • Build
  • Hair
  • Eyes
  • Age
  • General Appearance
  • Clothes

Describing Height

Here are some common words to describe how tall someone is:

  • Tall: Meaning above average height. Example: “My brother is very tall, almost 2 meters!”
  • Short: Meaning below average height. Example: “She is quite short for her age.”
  • Medium height: Meaning average height, not tall or short. Example: “He is of medium height, about 175cm.”

We can also use phrases like:

  • Very tall
  • Quite tall
  • Not very tall
  • Quite short
  • Very short

Describing Build (Body Shape)

Build refers to someone’s body shape. Here are some useful words:

  • Slim: Thin in an attractive way. Example: “She is very slim and elegant.”
  • Thin: Not fat. Can sometimes imply slightly too thin. Example: “He’s quite thin, he should eat more.”
  • Overweight: Heavier than is healthy or normal. Example: “The doctor said he is a little overweight.”
  • Fat: Having a lot of extra flesh on their body. (Use carefully, can be impolite). Example: “The baby is so fat and cute!” (Okay for babies, less polite for adults).
  • Muscular: Having well-developed muscles. Example: “He goes to the gym a lot, he’s very muscular.”
  • Well-built: Similar to muscular, strong and solid. Example: “The bodyguard was a well-built man.”
  • Stocky: Short and heavily built. Example: “He was a stocky man with broad shoulders.”

Describing Hair

Hair is a very noticeable feature. We can describe hair by its:

  • Colour:
    • Blonde: Pale yellow colour. Example: “She has blonde hair.”
    • Brown: Darker than blonde, lighter than black. Example: “He has short brown hair.”
    • Black: Darkest colour. Example: “Her hair is long and black.”
    • Red: Ginger colour. Example: “He is a red-haired man.”
    • Grey: Mixture of black and white, often with age. Example: “My grandfather has grey hair.”
    • White: Completely white, often with age. Example: “Her white hair is beautiful.”
    • Fair: Light blonde or light brown. Example: “He has fair hair and blue eyes.”
    • Dark: Brown or black hair. Example: “She has dark hair.”
  • Length:
    • Long: Extending far down. Example: “She has long hair that reaches her waist.”
    • Short: Not long. Example: “He has short, spiky hair.”
    • Medium-length: Between long and short. Example: “She has medium-length hair.”
    • Bald: No hair on the head. Example: “He is bald.”
  • Style:
    • Straight: Not curly. Example: “She has straight blonde hair.”
    • Curly: Forming curls or spirals. Example: “He has curly brown hair.”
    • Wavy: Between straight and curly, with gentle curves. Example: “She has wavy, shoulder-length hair.”
    • Spiky: Standing up in sharp points. Example: “He has spiky hair.”
    • Ponytail: Hair tied back at the back of the head. Example: “She wore her hair in a ponytail.”
    • Braids/Plaits: Hair interwoven into a pattern. Example: “She had her hair in braids.”

Describing Eyes

Eyes are another important feature. We can describe their:

  • Colour:
    • Blue: Example: “He has blue eyes.”
    • Brown: Example: “She has big brown eyes.”
    • Green: Example: “She has beautiful green eyes.”
    • Grey: Example: “He has piercing grey eyes.”
    • Hazel: Light brown or yellowish-brown with flecks of other colours. Example: “She has hazel eyes.”
  • Size & Shape:
    • Big eyes: Example: “She has big, round eyes.”
    • Small eyes: Example: “He has small, dark eyes.”
    • Round eyes: Example: “She has lovely round eyes.”
    • Almond-shaped eyes: Shaped like almonds. Example: “She has elegant almond-shaped eyes.”

Describing Age

We can give a general idea of someone’s age using these words:

  • Young: Not old. Example: “She looks very young for her age.”
  • Old: Having lived for a long time. Example: “He is quite old, over 80.”
  • Middle-aged: Between young and old, roughly between 40 and 60. Example: “My parents are middle-aged.”
  • Teenager: Between 13 and 19 years old. Example: “He is a teenager.”
  • Child: A young person. Example: “She is still a child.”

We can also use phrases like:

  • In his/her twenties: Between 20 and 29 years old. Example: “He is in his twenties.”
  • In his/her thirties: Between 30 and 39 years old. Example: “She is in her thirties.”
  • Elderly: Polite word for old. Example: “The elderly gentleman was very kind.”

Describing General Appearance/Looks

These words describe someone’s overall appearance:

  • Beautiful: Very attractive (usually for women). Example: “She is a beautiful woman.”
  • Handsome: Very attractive (usually for men). Example: “He is a very handsome man.”
  • Pretty: Attractive in a delicate way (usually for women and girls). Example: “She is a very pretty girl.”
  • Good-looking: Attractive. General term for men and women. Example: “They are both very good-looking.”
  • Attractive: Pleasing to the eye. General term. Example: “He is an attractive man.”
  • Average-looking: Not particularly attractive or unattractive. Example: “He is quite average-looking.”
  • Unattractive: Not attractive. Example: “He is considered unattractive by many.” (Use carefully, can be impolite).
  • Ugly: Very unattractive. Example: “The witch in the story was described as ugly.” (Use carefully, very impolite to say about real people).

Describing Clothes

What someone wears can also tell us about their appearance.

  • Casual: Relaxed and informal clothes. Example: “He was wearing casual clothes – jeans and a t-shirt.”
  • Smart: Neat and stylish clothes, suitable for formal occasions. Example: “She was wearing a smart dress for the party.”
  • Formal: Very smart clothes, for very important occasions. Example: “They wore formal wear to the wedding.”
  • Trendy: Fashionable, wearing the latest styles. Example: “She always wears trendy clothes.”
  • Old-fashioned: Not fashionable anymore, from a previous era. Example: “His clothes are a bit old-fashioned.”
  • Well-dressed: Wearing attractive and stylish clothes. Example: “She is always very well-dressed.”
  • Badly-dressed: Wearing unattractive or unsuitable clothes. Example: “He is often quite badly-dressed.”

How to Use Appearance Vocabulary in Sentences

Now you know lots of words! Let’s see how to put them into sentences. We often use the verb “to be” (is/are/was/were) and “to have” (has/have/had) to describe appearance.

Examples:

  • “She is tall and slim.” (using “to be” with height and build)
  • “He has short brown hair.” (using “to have” with hair)
  • “They are good-looking.” (using “to be” with general appearance)
  • “She is wearing a smart dress.” (using “to be wearing” for clothes)
  • “He has got blue eyes.” (using “to have got” for eyes – more common in British English)

You can combine different descriptions to create a more complete picture. For example:

“She is a young woman. She is quite tall and slim. She has long, blonde, wavy hair and beautiful blue eyes. She is wearing a casual t-shirt and jeans.”

Let’s Practice!

Test your knowledge with these exercises:

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks.

  1. My father is very _____. He is almost 1.90 meters tall.
  2. She has _____ hair, it’s not straight or curly.
  3. He is a _____ man, he goes to the gym every day.
  4. Her eyes are a beautiful light brown colour, they are _____.
  5. They are wearing _____ clothes for the wedding.

Exercise 2: Describe the person.

Read the short descriptions and try to describe the person using the vocabulary you’ve learned.

  1. Person A: This person is not very tall and a bit heavy. They have short, black, curly hair and brown eyes. They are wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
  2. Person B: This person is very tall and thin. They have long, straight, blonde hair and blue eyes. They are wearing a smart dress.

Answers to Practice Exercises

Exercise 1 Answers:
  1. Tall
  2. Wavy
  3. Muscular / Well-built
  4. Hazel
  5. Formal
Exercise 2 Answers: (Possible answers – there can be other correct descriptions!)
  1. Person A: This person is short and overweight. They have short, curly black hair and brown eyes. They are dressed casually.
  2. Person B: This person is tall and slim. They have long, straight blonde hair and blue eyes. They are dressed smartly.

Practice Speaking with Lingofrnd

Now that you’ve learned lots of vocabulary for describing people’s appearances, it’s time to practice speaking! Lingofrnd.com is your AI spoken English teacher that can help you practice using this new vocabulary in conversations. You can practice describing people and get instant feedback on your pronunciation and grammar. It’s a fantastic way to improve your spoken English practice and build confidence.

Ready to start speaking? Download the Lingofrnd App today and begin practicing!

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve completed this lesson on describing people’s appearances in English. You now have a great vocabulary base to talk about how people look. Remember to practice regularly to make these words part of your active vocabulary. Keep practicing with Lingofrnd.com and you’ll be describing people like a pro in no time! Keep learning and keep speaking!