A bedroom in a house that is kept for visitors or friends to sleep in. It is not used by the people who live in the house every day. Sometimes also called a “spare room.”
spare room
An extra bedroom in a house that is currently not being used by a permanent resident. May be used as a “guest room.”
master bedroom
The largest bedroom in a house, usually designed for the heads of the household, such as the parents.
nursery
A bedroom specifically designed and decorated for a baby or a very young child.
walk-in closet
A closet that is large enough for a person to enter and walk around inside.
playroom
A room in a house that is used specifically for children to play in.
study
A quiet room in a house used for reading, writing or professional work. Also called an “office.”
family room
An informal, all-purpose room in a house where the family gathers to relax, play and watch TV together.
laundry room
A room in a house where clothes are washed and dried.
storage room
A room or dedicated space used for keeping items that are not needed every day.
utility room
A room in a house where large pieces of equipment and appliances are kept. It is a space designed for tasks like washing clothes or storing tools.
home gym
A room or a specific area in a house that is equipped with fitness machines and weights for exercising.
sunroom
solarium
A room with many large windows (and sometimes a glass roof) designed to let in as much natural sunlight as possible. Also called a “sunroom.”
cellar
An underground room used specifically for storage. It is usually cool, dark and damp, making it perfect for keeping food and drinks.
mudroom
A small room or entryway area where you take off your shoes, boots and coats before entering the main part of the house.
entryway
The area or space just inside the front door of a house or apartment.
hall
A long, narrow passage that leads from the entrance to the rest of the building.
foyer
A large, open entrance area or hall in a building.
Advanced Parts of a Home Vocabulary
doorknob
Round handle that you turn to open or close a door.
door handle
A lever-style piece of hardware used to open or close a door.
door lock
A mechanical device used to keep a door closed and secure so that it cannot be opened without a key.
doorway
The entrance or passage that a door occupies, the area you walk through.
door frame
The structure attached to the wall that the door fits into.
threshold
The piece of wood, metal or stone that lies on the floor at the bottom of a doorway. It is the part you step over as you move from one room to another or from outside to inside.
doorstep
A step or flat stone outside a main door that leads into a house or building.
windowsill
The flat, shelf-like piece at the bottom of a window frame.
windowpane
The individual sheet of glass within a window frame.
window screen
A mesh made of wire or plastic that covers a window.
shutter
A pair of wooden or plastic covers attached to the outside of a window.
dormer window
A vertical window that sticks out from a sloping roof. It has its own small roof above it.
skylight
A window installed on a roof or ceiling to let in natural light.
front door
The main entrance of a house or building, usually facing the street.
back door
A secondary entrance located at the rear of a house, usually leading to a backyard, garden or alleyway.
carport
A covered structure used to offer limited protection to vehicles, primarily cars, from rain and snow.
staircase
A set of steps and its surrounding structure (like the railing) that connects one floor of a building to another.
waterspout
A vertical pipe that carries rainwater and melted snow from the gutters down to the ground or into a drain. Sometimes also called a “downspout.”
Advanced Outside of Home Vocabulary
tree house
A small house or platform built among the branches of a tree.
greenhouse
A building with walls and a roof made mostly of glass or plastic in which plants are grown.
bush
A woody plant that is smaller than a tree and has several branches. Also called a “shrub.”
shrub
A woody plant that is smaller than a tree and has several branches. Also called a “bush.”
hedge
A fence or boundary formed by a row of shrubs or low trees planted close together.
flowerbed
A piece of ground in a garden or yard where flowers are grown. It is usually distinguished from the lawn by a clear border or edge.
clothesline
A rope, wire or cord stretched between two points (such as poles or trees) used for hanging wet clothes to dry after they have been washed.
gate
A movable barrier, usually swinging or sliding, used to close an opening in a fence, wall or hedge.
Advanced Types of Home Vocabulary
apartment
A set of rooms for living in, usually on one floor, situated within a building that contains other similar sets of rooms.
apartment building
A large building containing several individual apartments.
condominium
An individual housing unit within a larger building or complex that is owned by the resident rather than rented from a landlord.
condo
Short for “condominium.”
bungalow
A low-profile house that typically has one main storey and a sloped roof.
cottage
A two-storey detached house, usually with bedrooms on the second floor.
mansion
A very large, impressive and expensive house.
town house
A tall, narrow residential building that shares at least one side wall with a neighboring house.
semi-detached house
A single residential building that is divided vertically to form two separate homes.
duplex
A single building containing two separate living units
split-level
A house where the living spaces are separated by short flights of stairs (usually 3 to 6 steps) rather than full storeys.
mobile home
A large house trailer that is built in a factory on a permanent chassis and then moved to a piece of land to be used as a permanent residence.