airport
IPA: /ˈɛəˌpɔːt/
a place where passenger planes arrive and depart
English vocabulary by topic
English vocabulary for the airport
Practical words for checking in, passing through security, finding your gate and understanding flight departure information.
Go to the wordsHow to find your way around an airport
At the airport, first find your airline’s check-in desk and have your passport ready. After check-in, you receive a boarding pass and your luggage is checked. Next, pass through security and find your gate.
On an information board, departure refers to a flight leaving and arrival to a flight reaching the airport. Delay means the flight is late. Flight appears in useful combinations such as flight number, flight time and delayed flight.
Vocabulary
Words in this topic
Use the speaker icon to hear each word in British English.
-
-
check-in
IPA: /ˈtʃɛkɪn/
the process of registering for a flight before departure
-
boarding pass
IPA: /ˈbɔːdɪŋpɑːs/
a document that allows a passenger to board a plane
-
flight
IPA: /flaɪt/
a journey through the air in an aircraft
-
airline
IPA: /ˈɛəˌlaɪn/
a company that carries passengers by plane
-
passport
IPA: /ˈpɑːspɔːt/
an official document used to travel between countries
-
luggage
IPA: /ˈlʌɡɪdʒ/
the bags and suitcases you take on a journey
-
security
IPA: /sɪˈkjʊərɪtɪ/
the airport checks passengers pass through before boarding
-
gate
IPA: /ɡeɪt/
the place where passengers wait to board their flight
-
departure
IPA: /dɪˈpɑːtʃə/
the act or time of leaving a place
-
arrival
IPA: /əˈraɪvəl/
the act or time of reaching a place
-
delay
IPA: /dɪˈleɪ/
a period of waiting when a flight leaves or arrives late
01
How to remember these words
- Talk through the route aloud: check-in, security, gate and boarding.
- Invent a flight number and ask where its departure gate is.
- Review departure — arrival and passport — boarding pass as pairs.
02
Useful phrases
Where is the check-in desk for this flight?
Here are my passport and boarding pass.
Which gate does the flight depart from?
Our flight is delayed by forty minutes.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between check-in and check in?
Check-in with a hyphen is a noun: airport check-in. Check in without a hyphen is a verb: We need to check in online.
What is the difference between a gate and a terminal?
A terminal is a large airport building or section containing many services and gates. A gate is the specific place where boarding begins.
Can I say a luggage?
No. Luggage is uncountable. Say some luggage or a piece of luggage. Baggage has the same meaning and is also normally uncountable.
Continue in Mnemonic Words
Words stick when you come back to them
Add words from “Airport” to the app and review them in small moments — at home, on the go or whenever you have a minute.
- Add only the words you want to learn
- Listen and say them out loud
- Review at a pace that suits you
Get Mnemonic Words
From the Mnemonic Words team
GoNative
Another language, whenever you’re ready
With GoNative, you can build a vocabulary list of your own and make steady progress at a pace that feels right.
German · French · Italian · Spanish · Portuguese · Polish
Try GoNative
Available for iPhone and Android