Note (September 2026): This guide has been rewritten into plain English. The abdomen definition previously named the stomach as its upper boundary; the abdomen actually extends from the diaphragm to the pelvis.
The main human body parts in English are grouped as the head and shoulders (hair, forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, chin, neck), the arms and hands (elbow, wrist, palm, fingers, thumb), the trunk or torso (chest, abdomen, back, waist, hips) and the legs and feet (thigh, knee, shin, ankle, heel, toes). Inside the body are organs such as the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys.
Key Takeaways
- This list gives 47 external body parts in four groups, each with a plain-English definition and an example sentence.
- Two common body words have irregular plurals: tooth becomes teeth and foot becomes feet.
- An adult human skeleton has around 206 bones, and adults usually have 32 permanent teeth, according to Wikipedia’s anatomy articles.
- The main internal organs (brain, heart, lungs, stomach, liver, kidneys and intestines) are listed in a table below.
- Many everyday English idioms use body parts, such as “cost an arm and a leg” and “learn by heart.”
Body parts: this guide lists the English names of the main parts of the human body, each with a short definition and an example sentence. Learning these words builds your everyday English vocabulary. Imagine, for example, that you are in an English-speaking country and you need to see a doctor.
One of the first things you will need to explain is where on your body the problem is. That is why it is worth memorizing the names of the different body parts in English.
This vocabulary is useful not only in a medical situation but also in everyday conversation, because many English idioms refer to body parts, and understanding them will help you progress in the language.
Human Body Parts Names in English!
When you are ill, or simply need to ask someone a question about the human body, it is important to be able to explain what the matter is.
That applies whether you are talking to a doctor, a pharmacist or a friend, by email, by phone or in person. So it is essential to know the words for the different body parts and how to use them in conversation.
The body parts below are grouped into four sections, and each word has an example sentence showing how to use it in conversation.
Head and Shoulders
HAIR – The fine threadlike strands growing from the skin, especially on a person’s head.
- Your brother pulled my hair really hard, and now my head hurts!
HEAD – The top part of the human body, containing the brain, the mouth and the main sense organs.
- I accidentally walked into the door and hit my head really hard! It feels sore now.
FOREHEAD – The part of the face above the eyebrows.
- I have a few spots on my forehead today.
EYEBROW – The strip of hair growing above a person’s eye socket.
- He raised his eyebrow in a questioning gesture.
EYELASH – The short curved hairs growing on the edge of a person’s eyelid, which help protect the eyes from dust particles.
- My eyelashes are falling out; I think I used too much mascara!
EYELID – The upper and lower folds of skin that cover the eye when shut.
- My eyelids feel very heavy; I am so sleepy that I can’t keep my eyes open any longer…
EYE – The round organs in the head through which we see; the visible part is usually almond-shaped in animals with eyelids.
- My pet dog is blind in one eye.
CHEEK – Either side of the face, below the eye.
- Ouch! I just bit the inside of my cheek by chewing my food too quickly.
JAW – The upper and lower bony structures that form the framework of the mouth and hold the teeth; the lower jaw moves when you talk or eat.
- I have a stiff jaw because somebody punched me in the face yesterday.
NOSE – The part that sticks out above the mouth on a person’s face, containing the nostrils and used for breathing and smelling.
- Last week, two thieves took my wallet and phone, then punched me in the face and broke my nose because I tried to stop them!
NOSTRIL – The two openings of the nose that let air into your lungs and allow you to smell.
- There is blood coming out of my nostrils and I don’t know why!
LIPS – The two fleshy parts that form the upper and lower edges of the opening of the mouth.
- My lips are very dry because I am thirsty. Could I have some water, please?
TOOTH (particular)/TEETH (plural) – Hard, enamel-covered structures in the jaws of most vertebrates, used for biting and chewing. Tooth is the singular form and teeth is the plural.
- I chipped my tooth on a hard nut! I need to see a dentist.
TONGUE – The fleshy muscular organ in the mouth of a mammal, used for tasting, licking, swallowing and (in humans) forming speech.
- I bit my tongue while eating French fries, and now it is bleeding!
MOUTH – The opening in the lower part of the human face, surrounded by the lips, through which food is taken in and from which speech and other sounds come out.
- I ate some very spicy food and now my mouth is burning!
CHIN – The part of the face that sticks out below the mouth, formed by the tip of the lower jaw.
- I have a big mosquito bite on my chin.
THROAT – The passage that leads from the back of the mouth of a person or animal to the stomach or to the lungs.
- I have a sore throat and can’t swallow food properly.
FACE – The front part of a person’s head, from the forehead to the chin.
- You should wash your face thoroughly with a cleanser every day.
NECK – The part of a person’s body that connects the head to the rest of the body.
- I was wearing a necklace earlier today and now it’s gone! I think I lost it in the park…
SHOULDER – The upper joint of the human arm and the part of the body between it and the neck.
- I think I injured my shoulder while working out. It hurts to move my arm!
Arms and Hands
FINGERNAIL – The flat, hard layer on the upper surface of the tip of each finger.
- I caught my finger in the door and my fingernail broke.
FINGER – Each of the four slender jointed parts attached to either hand (the thumb is usually named separately).
- I accidentally cut my finger while chopping vegetables.
THUMB – The short, thick first digit of the human hand, set lower and apart from the other four.
- He pricked my thumb with a needle.
PALM – The inner surface of the hand between the wrist and the fingers.
- He held the insect in the palm of his hand.
HAND – The end part of a person’s arm beyond the wrist, including the palm, fingers and thumb.
- He held my hand firmly all the way to the station.
WRIST – The joint connecting the hand with the forearm.
- I broke my wrist playing badminton last week.
FOREARM – The part of a person’s arm extending from the elbow to the wrist.
- My forearms feel sore after rock climbing today!
ELBOW – The joint between the forearm and the upper arm.
- He smashed his elbow into my ribs!
UPPER ARM – The part of the arm between the elbow and the shoulder.
- My upper arms are sore after that tug of war!
ARM – Each of the two upper limbs of the human body from the shoulder to the hand.
- She held her baby in her arms for the first time.
Trunk or Torso
CHEST – The front surface of a person’s body between the neck and the abdomen.
- My chest hurts a lot every time I smoke.
STOMACH – The internal organ where food is churned and broken down by gastric acid and enzymes before it passes into the small intestine, where most nutrients are absorbed.
- I feel sick to my stomach; I think I ate too much cake!
BACK – The back surface of the human body from the shoulders to the hips.
- If you don’t do sit-ups properly, you could hurt your back.
WAIST – The part of the human body below the ribs and above the hips.
- That dress really shows off your waist.
ABDOMEN – The part of the body containing most of the digestive organs. In humans, it stretches from the diaphragm at the base of the chest down to the pelvis.
- She felt a sharp pain in her abdomen every time she moved.
HIPS – The area formed by the pelvis and the top of the thigh bone on each side of the human body.
- Women generally have wider hips than men.
BOTTOM – The buttocks; the two round fleshy parts that form the lower rear of the human trunk.
- He slipped on the icy street and fell on his bottom.
Legs and Feet
LEG – Each of the limbs on which a person or animal walks and stands.
- I broke my leg in a motorbike accident.
THIGH – The part of the human leg between the hip and the knee.
- My thighs are very sore after running that marathon!
KNEE – The joint between the thigh and the lower leg in humans.
- I hurt my left knee while playing football last week.
CALF – The fleshy part at the back of a person’s leg below the knee.
- I have very strong calf muscles because I run a lot.
SHIN – The front of the leg below the knee.
- She kicked me in the shin with her sharp high-heeled shoes!
ANKLE – The joint connecting the foot with the leg.
- I twisted my ankle yesterday; it is still really swollen.
HEEL – The back part of the foot, below the ankle.
- I accidentally stepped on some broken glass, and I think there is still a small piece stuck in my heel.
FOOT (Singular)/FEET (Plural) – The lower end of the leg, below the ankle, on which a person stands or walks. Foot is the singular form and feet is the plural.
- My feet feel squashed; these shoes are too tight for me.
TOE – Any of the five digits at the end of a human foot.
- He cut his big toe on a sharp stone.
TOENAIL – The nail at the tip of each toe.
- I need to cut my toenails; they are so long now!
What Are the Main Internal Organs of the Human Body?
The human body has approximately 79 organs, although the exact number is still debated, according to Wikipedia’s article on organs. The table below lists the internal organs English learners are most likely to need, with where each one sits and what it does.
| Organ | Where it is | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Brain | Inside the skull | Controls the body and processes information; the adult brain has about 86 billion neurons |
| Heart | Middle of the chest, between the lungs | Pumps blood through the blood vessels; it has four chambers (two atria and two ventricles) |
| Lungs | Chest (thoracic cavity), on either side of the heart | Take oxygen from the air into the blood and release carbon dioxide; the right lung has three lobes and the left lung has two |
| Stomach | Upper abdomen | Breaks food down with gastric acid and enzymes and churns it into a paste called chyme |
| Liver | Upper right abdomen, below the diaphragm | Removes toxins and makes proteins and other substances needed for digestion; it is the heaviest internal organ |
| Kidneys (two) | Back of the abdomen, one on each side | Filter the blood to make urine and help control the body’s fluid and salt balance |
| Small intestine | Abdomen, after the stomach | Absorbs most of the nutrients from digested food |
| Large intestine | Abdomen, after the small intestine | Absorbs water and salts and stores waste in the rectum; it is about 1.5 meters long |
Sources for the table: Wikipedia’s articles on the organ, brain, heart, lung, stomach, liver, kidney and large intestine, accessed September 2026.
What Are the Names of the Five Fingers?
The five digits of the hand are called the thumb, the index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger and the little finger, which is also called the pinkie. In English, only the digits of the hand are called fingers; the digits of the foot are toes. For pictures of each one, see our guide to the five fingers’ names in English.
Human Body Facts in Numbers
- Bones: around 270 at birth, falling to around 206 by adulthood as some bones fuse together (Wikipedia, Human skeleton).
- Teeth: 20 primary (baby or milk) teeth and 32 permanent adult teeth (Wikipedia, Human tooth).
- Enamel: the layer covering the crown of a tooth is the hardest and most highly mineralized substance in the body.
- Lungs: the right lung has three lobes and the left lung has two.
- Kidneys: each adult kidney is about 12 centimeters (4.5 inches) long.
Common English Idioms With Body Parts
Body-part idioms are common in everyday English. The meanings below follow Wiktionary’s definitions.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cost an arm and a leg | Be very expensive | That new phone cost an arm and a leg. |
| Break a leg | Good luck (said before a performance) | Break a leg in the school play tonight! |
| Give someone the cold shoulder | Ignore someone or treat them in an unfriendly way | After the argument, she gave him the cold shoulder. |
| Be all ears | Listen carefully and with full attention | Tell me what happened; I am all ears. |
| Keep an eye on | Watch something or someone in case of trouble | Can you keep an eye on my bag for a minute? |
| Learn by heart | Memorize fully, so you can recall it without help | She learned the poem by heart. |
How to Describe Where It Hurts in English
Doctors and pharmacists usually ask where the problem is, what it feels like and how long it has lasted. These sentence patterns use the body-part words above:
- Location: “I have a pain in my lower back.” / “My left knee hurts.”
- Type of pain: sharp, dull, burning or throbbing, as in “I have a sharp pain in my chest.”
- “-ache” words: headache, toothache, stomachache, backache and earache name pain in one part of the body.
- Injuries: use “I cut / broke / twisted / sprained my …”, as in “I twisted my ankle.”
- Duration: “It started two days ago.” / “It has hurt since Monday.”
This section is a language guide only. For any pain or injury, speak to a qualified health professional.
Tips for Learning Body Parts Vocabulary
- Learn in groups: study one section (head, arms, trunk, legs) at a time, as this guide does.
- Point and say: touch each part of your own body and say its English name aloud.
- Watch the plurals: tooth/teeth and foot/feet are irregular; most others just add -s (eyes, hands, knees).
- Use the example sentences: copy each one, then write a new sentence of your own with the same word.
- Add describing words: pair body parts with adjectives from our list of descriptive words in English, such as “long hair” or “broad shoulders.”
For a shorter picture-based list, see body parts names in English with pictures. You can also build vocabulary with pet animal names in English, or read our guide to learning English online.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main parts of the human body?
The main external parts of the human body are the head, neck, trunk (or torso), arms, hands, legs and feet. Each is made of smaller parts; the head, for example, includes the forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, mouth and chin.
How many bones are in the human body?
An adult human skeleton has around 206 bones. A newborn has around 270, and the number falls as some bones fuse together during growth.
What is the plural of tooth and foot?
The plural of tooth is teeth, and the plural of foot is feet. Most other body-part words form the plural by adding -s, such as eye/eyes and hand/hands.
What is the difference between the stomach and the abdomen?
The stomach is a single organ that breaks down food. The abdomen is the whole region of the body between the diaphragm and the pelvis, and it contains the stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys and other organs.
What is the pinkie finger?
The pinkie is another name for the little finger, the smallest finger on the hand, next to the ring finger.
