100+ Spooky Halloween Vocabulary Words for Kids
This autumn, make vocabulary fun by incorporating word exercises into your children's Halloween celebrations. The words in these lists can be used in charades, story-writing, word searches, and other fun activities to introduce an educational twist to this year's Halloween.
Over 100 Halloween-related words are included in these vocabulary lists. Topics include trick or treating, monsters, scary sounds, gross materials, body parts, mad science, magic, and more! Spanish and French Halloween vocabulary is included as well.
Vocabulary Terms and Phrases for Halloween
All Hallows' Eve
| Lantern
| Prank
|
|---|---|---|
Costume
| Make-believe
| Sweets
|
Darkness
| Monster
| Shadows
|
Decorations
| Moonlight
| Spiderweb
|
Disguise
| Night
| Supernatural
|
Dress-up
| October
| Superstition
|
Holiday
| Orange
| Thirty-first
|
Jack-o'-lantern
| Party
| Trick or treat
|
These are some basic Halloween words for a variety of reading levels.
How do you mend a broken jack-o'-lantern?
With a pumpkin patch!
Fall/Autumn Vocabulary Words
Acorn
| Gourd
| Pumpkin
|
|---|---|---|
Autumn
| Harvest
| Scarecrow
|
Cornmaze
| Hayride
| Squash
|
Crop
| Leaves
| Squirrel
|
Crow
| Plow
| Turkey
|
These words relate to the fall season and harvest time.
Creepy Creatures That Love Halloween
Bat
| Hound
| Raccoon
|
|---|---|---|
Bug
| Owl
| Spider
|
Cat
| Rat
| Tarantula
|
Crow
| Snake
| Worm
|
Some of these words are good for younger children who are just learning how to spell. A few are a little more advanced.
Costume Idea Vocabulary Words
Animal
| Orc
| Queen
|
|---|---|---|
Cartoon character
| Pirate
| Superhero
|
Fairy
| Pixie
| Vampire
|
King
| Prince
| Warlock
|
Ninja
| Princess
| Werewolf
|
These words relate to popular Halloween costumes. Write each one on a flashcard and see if your child can match them to images of the costumes.
What do the birds sing on Halloween?
Twick or Tweet!
Trick-or-Treat Vocabulary Words
Apple
| Fangs
| Mask
|
|---|---|---|
Candy
| Flashlight
| Nighttime
|
Cloak
| Goodies
| Safety
|
Costume
| Gown
| Treat bag
|
Doorbell
| Hat
| Wig
|
Face paint
| Makeup
| Yummy
|
This list includes words that have to do with trick-or-treating. They range from short and easy to longer and more difficult.
Monsters and Creatures From Horror Movies
Alien
| Giant
| Vampire
|
|---|---|---|
Boogeyman
| Goblin
| Villain
|
Cyclops
| Mummy
| Warlock
|
Extraterrestrial
| Mutant
| Werewolf
|
Ghost
| Shapeshifter
| Witch
|
Ghoul
| Troll
| Zombie
|
These are some of the most well-known monsters and scary creatures related to Halloween. Some may not be appropriate for younger children.
Why did Dracula take cold medicine?
To stop his coffin!
Famous Halloween Characters
Addams Family
| Frankenstein
| Maleficent
|
|---|---|---|
Beetlejuice
| Great Pumpkin
| Scooby Doo
|
Casper
| Harry Potter
| Spookley, the Square Pumpkin
|
Cruella de Vil
| Headless Horseman
| Ursula
|
Dracula
| Jack Skellington
| Voldemort
|
These are famous, kid-friendly creatures that are not necessarily horror film characters. Younger children may not recognize some of these character names.
Scary Vocabulary Word List
Alarming
| Fear
| Scary
|
|---|---|---|
Bloodcurdling
| Frighten
| Shocking
|
Boo
| Goosebumps
| Spine-chilling
|
Chilling
| Hair-rising
| Spooky
|
Creepy
| Horrify
| Startling
|
Eek
| Nightmare
| Unnerving
|
Eerie
| Petrified
| Wicked
|
Halloween can be a scary time. These are words that describe fear. Many of these words are great for older children to learn. Use these words as a way to introduce the concept of synonyms.
Gross Vocabulary Words
Boogers
| Mucus
| Revolting
|
|---|---|---|
Goo
| Ooze
| Rotten
|
Gory
| Pus
| Slimy
|
Icky
| Repulsive
| Snot
|
Children like talking about and playing with gross things. Have your children list as many gross or disgusting words they can think of for a bit of Halloween fun.
Why can't skeletons play music in church?
Because they don't have organs!
Body Part Vocabulary Words
Blood
| Eyeballs
| Heart
|
|---|---|---|
Bones
| Femur
| Lungs
|
Brain
| Fingernails
| Skeleton
|
Cadaver
| Guts
| Skull
|
Body parts are another fun thing to talk about at Halloween. Teach your kids the body parts and how to spell them. Older kids can learn the names of all the bones in the skeleton.
Ghostly Vocabulary Words
Apparition
| Ectoplasm
| Phantom
|
|---|---|---|
Cemetery
| Ghastly
| Poltergeist
|
Coffin
| Ghoul
| Reanimated
|
Corpse
| Graveyard
| Spectral
|
Crypt
| Haunted house
| Spirit
|
Dead
| Other-wordly
| Tombstone
|
These are words about ghosts, graveyards, and spirits. They may be best for older children.
What kind of mistakes do ghosts make?
Boo boos!
Halloween Action Words
Battling
| Creeping
| Pretending
|
|---|---|---|
Bobbing
| Dancing
| Raking
|
Breaking
| Decorating
| Scaring
|
Bulging
| Partying
| Slithering
|
Bursting
| Dribbling
| Sneaking
|
Carving
| Fluttering
| Sparkling
|
Crawling
| Grinning
| Tricking
|
These words are about ghosts, graveyards, and spirits. They may be best for older children.
Why did the vampires cancel their baseball game?
They couldn't find their bats!
Scary Halloween Sounds
Bellowing
| Creaking
| Screaming
|
|---|---|---|
Bubbling
| Hooting
| Yelling
|
Bumping
| Howling
| Thumping
|
Cackling
| Rattling
| Whooshing
|
This is a spooky sound list for Halloween. Words like these are great for going over tenses with the kids (e.g. howl, howling, howled).
What do goblins and ghosts drink when they are thirsty?
Ghoul-Aid!
Spanish Halloween Vocabulary Words
La araña (spider)
| El cráneo (skull)
| El fantasma (ghost)
|
|---|---|---|
La bruja (witch)
| La noche de brujas or el Halloween (Halloween)
| La fiesta (party)
|
La calabaza (pumpkin)
| El dia de los muertes (Day of the Dead)
| El gato negro (black cat)
|
La calabaza iluminada or la jack-o'-lantern (jack-o'-lantern)
| El diablo (devil)
| El hombre lobo (werewolf)
|
Los caramelos (candy)
| El disfraz (costume)
| La enmascarar (mask)
|
La casa embrujada (haunted house)
| El esqueleto (skeleton)
| El maquillaje (makeup)
|
El murciélago (bat)
| El monstruo (monster)
| La momia (mummy)
|
La peluca (wig)
| El/la superhéroe (superhero)
| Truco o trato or queremos Halloween (trick or treat)
|
Learning words in Spanish and other languages is a great way to teach your children about the similarities and differences between the various languages we use.
What does a child monster call his parents?
Mummy and Deady
French Halloween Vocabulary Words
La araignée (spider)
| L'épouvantail (scarecrow)
| Le monstre (monster)
|
|---|---|---|
Les bonbons (candy)
| Le fantôme (ghost)
| La sorcière (witch)
|
Le chat noir (black cat)
| Le feu follet (jack-o'-lantern)
| Le squelette (skeleton)
|
Le chauve-souris (bat)
| Friandises ou betise (trick or treat)
| Toile d'araignée (web)
|
Le cimetière (cemetery)
| L'Halloween (Halloween)
| Le vampire (vampire)
|
Le citrouille (pumpkin)
| Le loup-garou (werewolf)
| Toussaint (All Saints' Day from October 31 to November 2)
|
Le déguisement (costume)
| La maison hantée (haunted house)
| Le zombi (zombie)
|
Le diable (devil)
| Le masque (mask)
| —
|
These are some basic french Halloween words and phrases.
Can you tell twin witches apart?
No, you can't tell which witch is which!
Magical Vocabulary Words
Brew
| Hocus pocus
| Spell book
|
|---|---|---|
Broom
| Ingredients
| Toad
|
Cackle
| Magic wand
| Warlock
|
Cauldron
| Potion
| Wicked
|
Enchant
| Spell
| Wizardry
|
Halloween is a time when magic seems real. The words on this list are all magic-related.
Mad Science Vocabulary Words
Beaker
| Flask
| Petri dish
|
|---|---|---|
Boiling
| Goggles
| Test tube
|
Bunsen burner
| Graduated cylinder
| Thermometer
|
Experiment
| Lab coat
| Wires
|
Mad scientists love Halloween. These terms are scientific, spooky, and educational.
What streets do zombies like best?
Dead ends!
Halloween Party Food Vocabulary Words
Candy Corn
| Cupcakes
| Pie
|
|---|---|---|
Candied apple
| Deviled eggs
| Popcorn
|
Cotton candy
| Gummy Worms
| Punch
|
These vocab words are all popular Halloween snacks and treats.
What is a mummy's favorite type of music?
Wrap music!
Learning vocabulary words can be boring for kids. Here are some fun ideas you can use to spice up the learning process and entertain your children this fall.
Fun Halloween Vocabulary Activities for Kids
- Incorporate the vocabulary words above into word searches and bingo games to make them more interesting.
- Create scavenger hunts for some of the items listed above.
- Play games of Jeopardy or Halloween Pictionary—the children will be so entertained that they won't even realize they are learning.
- Use jokes and puns to put a fun spin on vocabulary and keep the kids laughing.
- Encourage your kids to write their own Halloween stories using at least 10 of the above vocabulary words.
Who knew learning vocabulary could be so much fun?
Halloween Costume Poll
What will your Halloween costume be this year?
Questions & Answers
Comments
i needed a website for a french Halloween
story tyyyy
thx so much for these words they are coming to use for my spookey halloween story !!!!
Thanku so much I needed them for my project
Thank you for the many Halloween words. I may use them on our donuts.
Thanks for the words.I really needed it.
- AUTHOR
@donnetted: Thanks so much!
Absolutely delighted to find so many vocab "groups" here, so beautifully presented. Thank you. Liked, Bookmarked and Blessed x
I really enjoyed all of these list in one place. Thanks for compiling them. Very interesting. Happy Halloween to you and yours.
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