This article is part of our English Vocabulary Guide — explore topic word lists with interactive exercises, including our first aid word list.
Accidents and emergencies can happen anywhere, and knowing the right English words can help you understand a situation, call for help and explain what is wrong. Words like first aider, sprain and bandage appear in safety notices, on medicine packets and during a 999 call, so they are well worth learning.
This guide walks through the key English first aid vocabulary by theme — the people and places involved, common injuries, symptoms, the items in a first-aid kit, and the actions used to treat someone. Each term comes with a definition and an example sentence, and everything uses standard British English.
This article teaches vocabulary only. It is not medical advice and does not qualify you to treat injuries. In a real emergency in the UK, call 999 straight away, and to learn the skills properly, take a certified first-aid course with an organisation such as the British Red Cross or St John Ambulance.
Key Takeaways
- In the UK you call 999 (or 112) for the emergency services, not 911.
- The hospital department for emergencies is A&E (Accident and Emergency), not the ER.
- A small cut is covered with a plaster; a larger wound is wrapped with a bandage.
- A sprain injures a ligament; a fracture is a broken bone.
- CPR and the recovery position are key skills — learn them on a certified course.
People and Places
First, the people who help in an emergency and the places where casualties are treated.
| Term | Definition | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| first aider | A person trained to give immediate basic help | The office first aider treated the cut on my hand. |
| paramedic | A trained professional who treats people in an ambulance | The paramedic checked his breathing and pulse. |
| ambulance | A vehicle that takes ill or injured people to hospital | We called an ambulance straight away. |
| A&E (Accident and Emergency) | The hospital department for serious injuries and emergencies | They were waiting in A&E for two hours. |
| casualty | An injured person; also another name for A&E | The casualty was conscious and breathing. |
| emergency services | The police, fire, ambulance and coastguard services | Dial 999 to reach the emergency services. |
In the UK you call 999 (the free number 112 also works), and the hospital emergency department is A&E. In the United States the emergency number is 911 and the department is the ER (Emergency Room). Use the British terms when you are in the UK.
Common Injuries
These nouns describe the most common injuries you might need to talk about or report.
| Term | Definition | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| cut | A wound where the skin is broken by something sharp | She got a deep cut while chopping vegetables. |
| graze | A minor injury where the top layer of skin is scraped off | He fell off his bike and grazed his knee. |
| bruise | A purple or blue mark under the skin from a knock | A bruise appeared where the ball hit her arm. |
| sprain | An injury to a ligament from twisting a joint | I sprained my ankle running down the stairs. |
| fracture / broken bone | A crack or break in a bone | The X-ray showed a fracture in his wrist. |
| burn | An injury caused by dry heat, such as fire | He got a burn from touching the hot iron. |
| scald | An injury caused by wet heat, such as boiling water | The child suffered a scald from spilt tea. |
| wound | A general word for an injury that breaks the skin | Keep the wound clean to prevent infection. |
| blister | A small bubble of fluid under the skin | New shoes gave her a blister on her heel. |
| dislocation | When a bone is pushed out of its joint | He suffered a dislocation of his shoulder. |
Conditions and Symptoms
These words describe how a casualty looks or feels, which is vital information when you call for help.
| Term | Definition | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| unconscious | Not awake and not responding | She was unconscious but still breathing. |
| to faint | To lose consciousness briefly | He fainted in the heat and fell over. |
| choking | Unable to breathe because something blocks the airway | The man was choking on a piece of food. |
| allergic reaction | A harmful response to something like a food or sting | She had an allergic reaction to a bee sting. |
| shock | A dangerous drop in blood flow around the body | Keep the casualty warm if they are in shock. |
| dizzy | Feeling as if everything is spinning | I felt dizzy and had to sit down. |
| breathless | Unable to breathe easily; short of breath | He was pale and breathless after the fall. |
| nosebleed | Bleeding from the nose | Lean forward and pinch the nose to stop a nosebleed. |
First-Aid Kit Items
A first-aid kit holds the supplies used to treat minor injuries. Here are the items you are most likely to meet.
| Term | Definition | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| bandage | A strip of material used to wrap or support an injury | She wrapped a bandage around his sprained ankle. |
| plaster | A small sticky strip for covering a minor cut | Put a plaster on that graze. |
| dressing | A pad placed directly on a wound to protect it | Apply a clean dressing and hold it in place. |
| gauze | Thin, woven material used in dressings | Cover the wound with a piece of gauze. |
| antiseptic | A liquid or cream that kills germs | Clean the cut with antiseptic first. |
| tweezers | A small tool for removing splinters or stings | Use tweezers to remove the splinter. |
| sling | A support that holds an injured arm against the body | His broken arm was in a sling. |
| ice pack | A cold pack used to reduce swelling and pain | Hold an ice pack on the bruise. |
| gloves | Disposable gloves worn to stay clean and safe | Put on gloves before treating the wound. |
Actions and Treatment
Finally, the verbs and phrases that describe what a first aider actually does.
| Term | Definition | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| apply pressure | To press firmly on a wound to slow bleeding | Apply pressure to stop the bleeding. |
| clean the wound | To wash an injury to remove dirt and germs | Clean the wound under running water. |
| to bandage / dress a wound | To cover and protect an injury | The nurse bandaged his hand carefully. |
| to elevate | To raise an injured part above the heart | Elevate the leg to reduce the swelling. |
| recovery position | A safe on-the-side position for an unconscious casualty | Place the casualty in the recovery position. |
| CPR | Cardiopulmonary resuscitation; chest compressions and breaths | The first aider started CPR immediately. |
| abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich) | Sharp inward pushes to clear a blocked airway | She used abdominal thrusts on the choking man. |
| call an ambulance | To telephone 999 for emergency medical help | Call an ambulance if the casualty is unconscious. |
| to treat | To give medical care to an injured person | They treated her burn under cool water. |
Useful Phrases in an Emergency
Vocabulary is most useful inside real phrases. Here are natural sentences for calling for help and for comforting a casualty.
On a 999 call
- I need an ambulance, please.
- There has been an accident.
- The address is… / We are at…
- He is unconscious but breathing.
- She is not breathing — please hurry.
Reassuring a casualty
- Try to stay calm — help is on the way.
- Can you tell me your name?
- Where does it hurt?
- Stay still and don’t move.
- I’m going to put pressure on the wound.
Put a plaster on the small cut and a bandage on the larger wound.
If the casualty is unconscious but breathing, place them in the recovery position.
Cool a burn or scald under running water and call an ambulance if it is serious.
Learn words in their natural partners: you call an ambulance, apply pressure to a wound, clean the wound, dress a wound, put on a plaster, and place someone in the recovery position. Memorising these phrases is faster than learning each word alone.
Practise First Aid Vocabulary
Review the key emergency words with flash cards and lock them into your memory.
Study with Flash CardsExercises to Practise on LexFizz
- Flash Cards — review first aid terms with spaced repetition
- Quiz — multiple-choice questions on emergency vocabulary
- Match Up — match each term to its definition
- Complete the Sentence — fill the gap with the correct first aid word
- Cloze Dropdown — choose the right term from a dropdown
Related Articles
Frequently Asked Questions
In the United Kingdom you dial 999 for the emergency services — ambulance, police, fire or coastguard. The free number 112 also works across the UK and the rest of Europe. For urgent but non-life-threatening medical advice in England, you can call 111 (NHS 111) instead. Remember that 911 is the American emergency number and does not work in the UK.
They mean the same kind of place, but the words differ by country. In British English, the hospital department for serious injuries and emergencies is A&E, which stands for Accident and Emergency (sometimes called Casualty). In American English, the same department is the ER, or Emergency Room. So a British speaker would say, ‘We took him to A&E,’ while an American would say, ‘We took him to the ER.’
A plaster is a small, sticky strip used to cover a minor cut or graze; in American English it is called a Band-Aid or adhesive bandage. A bandage is a longer strip of material, often rolled, used to wrap and support a larger wound, sprain or dressing. In short, you put a plaster on a small cut and wrap a bandage around a bigger injury.
The recovery position is a safe position you place an unconscious but breathing casualty in, lying on their side with the head tilted slightly back. It helps keep the airway open and allows fluids to drain from the mouth so the person does not choke. It is one of the most important first-aid skills, but you should learn it properly on a certified course rather than from a single description.
CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It is an emergency procedure that combines chest compressions with rescue breaths to keep blood and oxygen moving around the body when someone’s heart has stopped. CPR can save a life while you wait for an ambulance, but it must be performed correctly, so it is essential to learn it on a hands-on certified first-aid course.
A sprain is an injury to a ligament (the tissue that connects bones) caused by twisting or stretching a joint, often the ankle or wrist. A fracture is a broken bone. A sprain usually causes pain, swelling and bruising but the bone is intact, whereas a fracture means the bone itself is cracked or broken. Severe pain, an odd shape or being unable to use the limb may suggest a fracture, which needs medical assessment.
Both damage the skin with heat, but the cause differs. A burn is caused by dry heat, such as fire, a hot iron or the sun. A scald is caused by wet heat, such as boiling water, hot tea or steam. The first aid is similar: cool the area under cool running water for at least twenty minutes and do not apply creams or ice. Seek medical help for large or deep burns and scalds.
A first aider is a person trained to give immediate, basic help to someone who is injured or suddenly unwell, until professional medical help arrives. Many workplaces are required to have a qualified first aider on site. A first aider is not a doctor or paramedic, but their early actions — such as stopping bleeding or placing a casualty in the recovery position — can make a real difference.
Stay calm and tell the operator which service you need (say ‘ambulance’ for a medical emergency). Then give the exact location or address, explain what has happened, and describe the casualty’s condition — for example whether they are conscious and breathing. Useful sentences include, ‘I need an ambulance,’ ‘There has been an accident,’ and ‘He is not breathing.’ Do not hang up until the operator tells you to.
Practise by: (1) Grouping words by theme — people, injuries, symptoms, kit and treatment — so they are easier to remember. (2) Writing example sentences such as ‘Apply pressure to stop the bleeding.’ (3) Labelling the items in a real first-aid kit with their English names. (4) Role-playing a 999 call with a partner. (5) Using LexFizz’s Flash Cards and Quiz games to review the key terms with instant feedback.
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