Sports & Free Time — A2 Essential Words
Ten essential A2 words (Free Time) with the complete apparatus: pronunciation, simple definitions, natural American examples, collocations, family, the common mistake and spoken usage — plus a 15-question practice quiz. Mark your status on every word.
soccer /ˈsɑː.kɚ/ noun A2 Free Time
Meaning: A team game where players kick a round ball into a goal. In the US it is called soccer; in most other countries it is called football.
Example: The kids play soccer at the park every Saturday.
Another example: Jack’s favorite soccer team is from Chicago.
Collocations: play soccer · a soccer game · soccer practice
Synonyms: football (outside the US)
Word family: soccer (n) · soccer player (n)
⚠ Common mistake: Use ’soccer’ in the United States. If you say ’football’ in the US, people think of American football — a different game with an oval ball. Say ’play soccer’ with no ’the’.
🗣 In spoken American English: Parents who drive kids to games are jokingly called ’soccer moms and dads’. Games for children are on Saturday mornings all over the US.
Register: neutral — the normal American word for this sport
basketball /ˈbæs.kɪt.bɔːl/ noun A2 Free Time
Meaning: A team game where players throw a ball through a high round net (the basket) to score points.
Example: We played basketball at the school gym after class.
Another example: He is very tall, so he’s great at basketball.
Collocations: play basketball · a basketball game · basketball team
Synonyms: hoops (informal name for the game)
Word family: basketball (n) · basketball player (n)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’play basketball’ with no article: not ’play the basketball’ and not ’play a basketball’ for the sport. The ball itself takes ’a’: ’Throw me a basketball!’
🗣 In spoken American English: In the US, ’hoops’ is a fun informal word for basketball: ’Let’s shoot some hoops!’ means let’s play a casual game.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
tennis /ˈten.ɪs/ noun A2 Free Time
Meaning: A game for two or four players who hit a small ball over a net with rackets on a court.
Example: Clara plays tennis with her sister on Sundays.
Another example: We watched a great tennis match on TV last night.
Collocations: play tennis · a tennis court · tennis shoes
Synonyms: a racket sport
Word family: tennis (n) · tennis player (n)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’play tennis’, not ’play the tennis’. A tennis game with one other person is a ’match’: ’a tennis match’.
🗣 In spoken American English: In the US, ’tennis shoes’ is also a general word for sports shoes (sneakers) in some regions, even when you don’t play tennis.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
swim /swɪm/ verb A2 Free Time
Meaning: To move your body through water using your arms and legs.
Example: Can you swim? The water here is deep.
Another example: We swam in the lake all afternoon.
Collocations: go swimming · swim in the ocean · learn to swim
Synonyms: go for a swim
Word family: swim (v) · swam (past form) · swimming (n) · swimmer (n)
⚠ Common mistake: The past form is ’swam’, not ’swimmed’ or ’swimmed yesterday’: ’We swam yesterday.’ Say ’go swimming’ for the activity: ’Let’s go swimming.’
🗣 In spoken American English: A ’swimming pool’ is often just ’the pool’. ’Take a dip’ is an informal way to say go for a short swim.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
dance /dæns/ verb and noun A2 Free Time
Meaning: Verb: to move your body to music in a happy, rhythmic way. Noun: the activity or a party where people do this.
Example: They danced all night at the wedding.
Another example: Would you like to dance, Emma?
Collocations: dance to music · a school dance · dancing class
Synonyms: move to the music
Word family: dance (v) · dance (n) · dancer (n) · dancing (n)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’dance to the music’ — with ’to’ — not ’dance with the music’ for the music itself. ’Dance with someone’ is for your partner.
🗣 In spoken American English: American high schools have famous ’school dances’, like ’prom’ for older students. ’Let’s dance!’ is a joyful invitation.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
music /ˈmjuː.zɪk/ noun A2 Free Time
Meaning: Sounds made by voices or instruments in a pleasing pattern; songs and tunes that people listen to for pleasure.
Example: I listen to music on the bus every morning.
Another example: What kind of music do you like, Tom?
Collocations: listen to music · live music · music class
Synonyms: songs, tunes
Word family: music (n) · musical (adj/n) · musician (n)
⚠ Common mistake: ’Music’ is uncountable: say ’some music’, not ’a music’ or ’musics’. One piece is ’a song’ or ’a piece of music’.
🗣 In spoken American English: ’Live music’ means real musicians are playing in the place. Restaurants and parks in Austin are famous for it.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
movie /ˈmuː.vi/ noun A2 Free Time
Meaning: A story shown on a screen with moving pictures and sound, usually lasting about two hours.
Example: Let’s watch a movie at home tonight.
Another example: The new action movie is very popular in New York.
Collocations: watch a movie · a movie theater · movie night
Synonyms: film
Word family: movie (n) · movie star (n) · movie theater (n)
⚠ Common mistake: In American English, ’movie’ is the everyday word; ’film’ sounds a bit formal or artistic. Say ’watch a movie’ — for a theater, ’go to the movies’ (with ’the’ and ’s’) means going out to watch one.
🗣 In spoken American English: ’The movies’ means the cinema experience: ’Let’s go to the movies on Friday!’ Popcorn is the classic movie food in the US.
Register: neutral — the normal American word
game /ɡeɪm/ noun A2 Free Time
Meaning: An activity with rules that you play for fun, like soccer or chess, or the single time you play it.
Example: The big game is on Saturday — our team plays Boston.
Another example: Chess is a quiet game for two players.
Collocations: a football game · play a game · win the game
Synonyms: match (for sports events), contest
Word family: game (n) · gamer (n) · game night (n)
⚠ Common mistake: For one sports event, both ’game’ (American) and ’match’ work. Don’t say ’a play’ for it — a ’play’ is theater. Also ’games’ on a phone are ’video games’.
🗣 In spoken American English: ’Game night’ is an evening when friends play board games together. ’The big game’ usually means an important match everyone watches.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
team /tiːm/ noun A2 Free Time
Meaning: A group of people who play a sport together against another group, or who work together on something.
Example: Our school team won the game last week.
Another example: She works on a team of five engineers.
Collocations: a soccer team · team player · on my team
Synonyms: group, side (in a game)
Word family: team (n) · teamwork (n) · teammate (n)
⚠ Common mistake: Say ’on a team’: ’He plays on our team.’ Don’t say ’in a team’ in American sports English. A ’teammate’ is one person on your team.
🗣 In spoken American English: Coaches say ’There’s no I in team’ — meaning work together, not alone. It is one of the most famous sports sayings in the US.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing
win /wɪn/ verb A2 Free Time
Meaning: To be the best in a game, race, or competition; to finish first or get more points than everyone else.
Example: Our team won the game by two points.
Another example: Who do you think will win the race tomorrow?
Collocations: win the game · win a prize · win by two points
Synonyms: beat (for defeating someone), come first
Antonyms: lose
Word family: win (v) · won (past form) · winner (n) · winning (adj)
⚠ Common mistake: You ’win’ a game or a prize, but you ’beat’ a person or team: ’We won the game’ and ’We beat Boston’. Don’t say ’We won Boston’ for the team. The past form is ’won’, not ’winned’.
🗣 In spoken American English: Winners say ’We won!’ and fans shout it too. The person who wins is the ’winner’; the prize money is the ’winnings’.
Register: neutral — fine in speech and writing