List of Nouns
Using a list of nouns when children are beginning to read is helpful in making teaching easier. Nouns are one of the first parts of speech that children learn when they begin to read. Use the following list of nouns for each age group to help your child learn about the ideas things, people and places that surround them. Scroll down for lists by grade level and age.
Kinds of Nouns in the English Language
Nouns have different types or classes. There are proper and common nouns, noncount and count nounts, collective nouns, and concrete and abstract nouns.
Even though there are different kinds of nouns, a noun can fall into more than one class.
An example of this would be: Kathleen dated three different Davids in college. Davids in that sentence would fall into the classes of proper, count and concrete.
To further explain the kinds of nouns, you can use this guide and remember that the lists of nouns below contain all of these types :
KINDS OF NOUNS
Proper Nouns and Common Nouns
Proper nouns are nouns that represent a unique entity (like a specific person or a specific place).
Common nouns which describe an entire group of entities (examples would be the nouns village or women).
Proper nouns as a general rule are capitalized in the English language. Common nouns as a general rule are not capitalized.
Sometimes the same word can function as both a common noun and a proper noun, where one such entity is special. For example the common noun god refers to all deities, while the proper noun God specifically refers to the monotheistic God.
Countable and Uncountable or Noncount Nouns
Countable nouns are common nouns that can become a plural. They can combine with exact numbers (even one, as a singular) or indefinite numbers (like “a” or “an”).
Uncountable (or noncount) nouns are different from by the simple fact that they can’t become plural or combine with number words. Examples from English include “indigestion” and “furniture”.
Collective Nouns
Collective nouns name groups consisting of more than one individual or entity. The group is a single unit, but it has more than one member. Examples include “family”, “committee”, “corporation”,”faculty”, “army”, and “school”.
Concrete Nouns and Abstract Nouns
Concrete nouns refer to their ability to register on your five senses. If you can see, hear, smell, taste, or feel the item, it’s a concrete noun.
Abstract nouns on the other hand refer to abstract objects such as ideas or concepts, like the nouns “politeness” or “hatefulness”.
Possessive Nouns
A possessive noun is a noun that names who or what has something. The possessive form is used with nouns referring to people, groups of people, countries, and animals.
It also refers to where someone works or plays or spends their time.
Add an apostrophe and s (‘s) to form the possessive of most singular nouns (ex. Bob’s jacket, the cat’s tail, Steven King’s books).
Add an apostrophe (‘) to form the possessive of plural nouns that end with s (ex. retailers’ stores, soldiers’ weapons, Americans’ banks).
Add an apostrophe and s (‘s) to form the possessive of plural nouns that do not end with s (ex. geese’s nest, children’s toys, women’s dresses).
Common Nouns by Grade Level
| Kindergarten
ball |
1st Grade
apple |
2nd Grade
alarm |
3rd Grade
actor |
4th Grade
advice |
5th Grade
able |
List of Common Nouns for All Ages
| A
account achiever acoustics act action activity actor addition adjustment advertisement advice aftermath afternoon afterthought agreement air airplane airport alarm amount amusement anger angle animal answer ant ants apparatus apparel apple apples appliance approval arch argument arithmetic arm army art attack attempt attention attraction aunt authority |
B
babies baby back badge bag bait balance ball balloon balls banana band base baseball basin basket basketball bat bath battle bead beam bean bear bears beast bed bedroom beds bee beef beetle beggar beginner behavior belief believe bell bells berry bike bikes bird birds birth birthday bit bite blade blood blow board boat boats body bomb bone book books boot border bottle boundary box boy boys brain brake branch brass bread breakfast breath brick bridge brother brothers brush bubble bucket building bulb bun burn burst bushes business butter button |
C cabbage cable cactus cake cakes calculator calendar camera camp can cannon canvas cap caption car card care carpenter carriage cars cart cast cat cats cattle cause cave celery cellar cemetery cent chain chair chairs chalk chance change channel cheese cherries cherry chess chicken chickens children chin church circle clam class clock clocks cloth cloud clouds clover club coach coal coast coat cobweb coil collar color comb comfort committee company comparison competition condition connection control cook copper copy cord cork corn cough country cover cow cows crack cracker crate crayon cream creator creature credit crib crime crook crow crowd crown crush cry cub cup current curtain curve cushion |
D dad daughter day death debt decision deer degree design desire desk destruction detail development digestion dime dinner dinosaurs direction dirt discovery discussion disease disgust distance distribution division dock doctor dog dogs doll dolls donkey door downtown drain drawer dress drink driving drop drug drum duck ducks dust |
E ear earth earthquake edge education effect egg eggnog eggs elbow end engine error event example exchange existence expansion experience expert eye eyes |
| F face fact fairies fall family fan fang farm farmer father father faucet fear feast feather feeling feet fiction field fifth fight finger finger fire fireman fish flag flame flavor flesh flight flock floor flower flowers fly fog fold food foot force fork form fowl frame friction friend friends frog frogs front fruit fuel furniture |
G alley game garden gate geese ghost giants giraffe girl girls glass glove glue goat gold goldfish good-bye goose government governor grade grain grandfather grandmother grape grass grip ground group growth guide guitar gun |
H hair haircut hall hammer hand hands harbor harmony hat hate head health hearing heart heat help hen hill history hobbies hole holiday home honey hook hope horn horse horses hose hospital hot hour house houses humor hydrant |
I ice icicle idea impulse income increase industry ink insect instrument insurance interest invention iron island |
J jail jam jar jeans jelly jellyfish jewel join joke journey judge juice jump |
| K kettle key kick kiss kite kitten kittens kitty knee knife knot knowledge |
L laborer lace ladybug lake lamp land language laugh lawyer lead leaf learning leather leg legs letter letters lettuce level library lift light limit line linen lip liquid list lizards loaf lock locket look loss love low lumber lunch lunchroom |
M machine magic maid mailbox man manager map marble mark market mask mass match meal measure meat meeting memory men metal mice middle milk mind mine minister mint minute mist mitten mom money monkey month moon morning mother motion mountain mouth move muscle music |
N nail name nation neck need needle nerve nest net news night noise north nose note notebook number nut |
O oatmeal observation ocean offer office oil operation opinion orange oranges order organization ornament oven owl owner |
| P page pail pain paint pan pancake paper parcel parent park part partner party passenger paste patch payment peace pear pen pencil person pest pet pets pickle picture pie pies pig pigs pin pipe pizzas place plane planes plant plantation plants plastic plate play playground pleasure plot plough point poison police polish pollution popcorn porter position pot potato powder power price prison process produce profit property prose protest pull pump punishment purpose push |
Q quarter quartz queen question quicksand quiet quill quilt quince quiver |
R rabbit rabbits rail railway rain rainstorm rake range rat rate ray reaction reading reason receipt recess record regret relation religion representative request respect rest reward rhythm rice riddle rifle ring rings river road robin rock rod roll roof room root rose route rub rule run |
S sack sail salt sand scale scarecrow scarf scene scent school science scissors screw sea seashore seat secretary seed selection self sense servant shade shake shame shape sheep sheet shelf ship shirt shock shoe shoes shop show side sidewalk sign silk silver sink sister sisters size skate skin skirt sky slave sleep sleet slip slope smash smell smile smoke snail snails snake snakes sneeze snow soap society sock soda sofa son song songs sort sound soup space spade spark spiders sponge spoon spot spring spy square squirrel stage stamp star start statement station steam steel stem step stew stick sticks stitch stocking stomach stone stop store story stove stranger straw stream street stretch string structure substance sugar suggestion suit summer sun support surprise sweater swim swing system |
T table tail talk tank taste tax teaching team teeth temper tendency tent territory test texture theory thing things thought thread thrill throat throne thumb thunder ticket tiger time tin title toad toe toes tomatoes tongue tooth toothbrush toothpaste top touch town toy toys trade trail train trains tramp transport tray treatment tree trees trick trip trouble trousers truck trucks tub turkey turn twig twist |
| U
umbrella |
V
vacation |
W walk wall war wash waste watch water wave waves wax way wealth weather week weight wheel whip whistle wilderness wind window wine wing winter wire wish woman women wood wool word work worm wound wren wrench wrist writer writing |
Y yak yam yard yarn year yoke |
Z zebra zephyr zinc zipper zoo |
List of Adverbs