Matches
157 words and counting.
This is the vocabulary of football, written for people learning English. Every word here was taught inside a real English FC lesson built from a real football story, so nothing is invented and nothing is out of context. Each entry gives you the lesson level you meet the word at, British pronunciation in IPA and read aloud, a plain-English definition and every sentence the word has appeared in.
The glossary grows with every lesson: 41 at A2 · 26 at B1 · 22 at B2 · 68 at C1. Search it, or pick a letter.
Browse A–Z
Every letter has its own page. Empty ones fill themselves in as lessons are published.
Popular words
The words that come up most often across the lessons.
half-timeA2the break in the middle of the matchpre-seasonA2the weeks of practice matches before the season startsshoot-outA2a series of penalties taken to decide a drawn cup matchchampionsA2the team that won the competitionfriendlyA2a practice match; it does not count in the league tablepenaltyA2a free kick from close to the goal, with only the goalkeeper to beatdefenderA2a player whose job is to stop the other team scoringequalisedB1scored to make the scores the samefixtureC1a match that has been arranged for a certain datemanagerA2the person who picks the team and decides how it playsassistsA2passes or touches that set up a goal directlycrossA2a pass hit in from the side of the pitch towards the goal
Recently added
New from the latest lessons.
assistsA2passes or touches that set up a goal directlydebutantB2a player making his first appearance for a clubcompetitiveB1in a real competition, not a friendly gamecontestedC1competed fordominantC1much stronger than the opponentmarginC1the difference between two scoresmatchA2a game between two teamso'clockA2used to give the exact hour, for example three o'clockoutsetC1the very beginningsilverwareC1trophiesvenueB1the place where an event is heldshoot-outA2a series of penalties taken to decide a drawn cup match
The level is the English FC lesson where you meet the word — A2, B1, B2 or C1.
If a word turns up in more than one lesson, the glossary shows the easiest one.
The colour is how the word is taught in that lesson:
target = a target word, one level above the text ·
stretch = deliberately above the level, taught anyway ·
football = football vocabulary.
Tap any word to see every example sentence it has appeared in.