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A comprehensive list of English road vocabulary

If you get lost when traveling abroad and need directions but don’t know how to ask locals, what will you do? Rely on Google Translate? Although that's a good way, it can be a bit time-consuming, don't you think? Instead of hesitation, why not immediately bookmark the most precise collection of over 100 terms of English road vocabulary for any situation? This compilation is directly offered below by PREP. Let's explore it together!

I. Common English road vocabulary

In the below tables, PREP has collected and compiled a list of English road vocabulary as well as the meanings, word class and examples so that everyone can better understand the meaning of these words!

1. English road vocabulary: General words

Let’s discover common road vocabulary for giving/asking for direction together!

Road vocabulary	Word class	Meaning	Example
Continue /kənˈtɪnjuː/	Verb	to keep happening, existing, or doing something, or to cause something or someone to do this	Continue straight on until you reach the traffic lights.
Follow /ˈfɒloʊ/	Verb	to go in the same direction as a road, path, etc	Follow the signs for the city center.
Stop /stɒp/	Noun	a place where a bus or train stops regularly for passengers to get on or off	Please stop at the red traffic light.
Dual carriageway /ˌduːəl ˈkærɪdʒweɪ/	Noun	a road with a narrow piece of land in the middle that divides the lines of traffic moving in opposite directions	The highway ahead turns into a dual carriageway.
T – junction /ˌtiː ˈdʒʌŋkʃən/	Noun	a place where one road joins another but does not cross it, so that the roads form the shape of the letter T	Turn left at the T-junction.
Roundabout /ˈraʊndəbaʊt/	Noun	a place where two or more roads meet, forming a circle that all traffic must go around in the same direction	Take the third exit at the roundabout.
Pavement /ˈpeɪvmənt/	Noun	a flat part at the side of a road for people to walk on	Walk on the pavement to stay safe.
Curve /kɜːrv/	Noun	a line or surface that bends gradually; a smooth bend	Be cautious when driving around the sharp curve.
Traffic light /ˈtræfɪk laɪt/	Noun	a set of lights that controls the traffic on a road.	Wait for the green light at the traffic light before crossing the road.
Pedestrian subway /pəˈdɛstriən ˈsʌbweɪ/	Noun	The subways when constructed to enable people to cross an ordinary city street	You can cross the road using the pedestrian subway.
Roadway narrows /ˈroʊdweɪ ˈnɛroʊz/	Noun	signs indicate that the road ahead will not be as wide as the road you're currently on.	Be aware that the roadway narrows ahead.
Cross the bridge /krɒs ðə brɪdʒ/	Phrase	Go through the bridge	We need to cross the bridge to reach the other side of the river.
Cross the crosswalk /krɒs ðə ˈkrɒswɔːk/	Phrase	Reach to the other side of the road in the designated lane for walker	Make sure to cross the crosswalk only at the designated crosswalk.
Cross the road /krɒs ðə roʊd/	Phrase	Reach to the other side of the road	Look both ways before you cross the road.
Go around/ over/ under sth /ɡoʊ əˈraʊnd/ /ˈoʊvər/ /ˈʌndər/ /sʌmθɪŋ/	Phrase	to turn round in a circle	We need to go around the construction site to reach our destination.
Go down the hill /ɡoʊ daʊn ðə hɪl/	Phrase		Carefully ride your bike down the hill.
Go down there /ɡoʊ daʊn ðeər/	Phrase		If you go down there, you’ll find a small park.
Go past /ɡoʊ pæst/	Phrase		Keep going straight and you’ll go past the supermarket.
Go straight on/ ahead /ɡoʊ streɪt ɒn/ /əˈhɛd/	Phrase		At the intersection, go straight on two blocks.
Go towards /ɡoʊ təˈwɔːrdz/	Phrase		Walk in the direction towards the train station.
Go up the hill /ɡoʊ ʌp ðə hɪl/	Phrase		It’s a challenging hike to go up the hill, but the view is worth it.
Take a right/left /teɪk ə raɪt/ /lɛft/	Phrase		Take a left at the next junction.
Take the first/second… on the left /teɪk ðə fɜːrst/ /ˈsɛkənd/ … ɒn ðə lɛft/	Phrase		Take the first road on the left to reach the museum.
Take the first/second… on the right /teɪk ðə fɜːrst/ /ˈsɛkənd/ … ɒn ðə raɪt/	Phrase		Take the second road on the right to reach the market.
Take the first turning on the right /teɪk ðə fɜːrst ˈtɜrnɪŋ ɒn ðə raɪt/	Phrase		Take the second road turning on the right to reach the museum.
Take the second turning on the right /teɪk ðə ˈsɛkənd ɒn ðə raɪt/	Phrase		Take the second street on the right to find the restaurant.
Take this road /teɪk ðɪs roʊd/	Phrase		Take this road and you’ll reach the beach in no time.
Turn left/ right /tɜrn lɛft/ /raɪt/	Phrase		Turn right at the next corner.
Turn right at the crossroads /tɜrn raɪt æt ðə ˈkrɒsroʊdz/	Phrase		When you reach the crossroads, turn right.
Make a left/ right turn /meɪk ə lɛft/ /raɪt	Phrase		Make a left turn at the traffic lights.
Walk along/ walk straight down /wɔːk əˈlɔŋ/ /wɔːk streɪt daʊn/	Phrase		Walk straight down the street until you see the bank on your left.
Head to /hɛd tuː/	Phrase		Head to the main entrance of the building.
Keep going for another…… /kiːp ˈɡoʊɪŋ fɔːr əˈnʌðər/	Phrase		Keep going for another two miles and you’ll see a gas station on your right.
Straight ahead of you /streɪt əˈhɛd əv juː/	Phrase		The grocery store is straight ahead of you.

2. English road vocabulary: Directions

When studying English road vocabulary, it's crucial not to overlook key directional words. Let's delve into the road vocabulary indicating directions together with PREP below!

Road vocabulary	Word class	Meaning	Example
North /nɔːrθ/	Noun	the direction that is on your left when you watch the sun rise	The compass needle points to the north.
South /saʊθ/	Noun	the direction that is on your right when you watch the sun rise	Our hotel is located to the south of the city.
East /iːst/	Noun	the direction that you look towards to see the sun rise	The sun rises in the east.
West /wɛst/	Noun	the direction that you look towards to see the sun go down	The beach is to the west of the town.
Northeast /ˌnɔːrθˈiːst/	Noun	the direction or region at an equal distance between north and east	The storm is coming from the northeast.
Northwest /ˌnɔːrθˈwɛst/	Noun	the direction or region at an equal distance between north and west	The hiking trail leads to the northwest.
Southeast /ˌsaʊθˈiːst/	Noun	the direction or region at an equal distance between south and east	The restaurant is situated in the southeast corner of the shopping mall.
Southwest /ˌsaʊθˈwɛst/	Noun	the direction or region at an equal distance between south and west	The park is located in the southwest part of town.
Up /ʌp/	Adverb	towards or in a higher position	The elevator will take you up to the rooftop.
Down /daʊn/	Adverb	to or at a lower place or position	Please be careful when going down the stairs.
Forward /ˈfɔːrwərd/	Adverb	towards a place or position that is in front	The car accelerated forward on the highway.
Backward /ˈbækwərd/	Adverb	towards a place or position that is behind	He stumbled backward after tripping over a rock.
Left /lɛft/	Adverb	on the side of your body that is towards the west when you are facing north	Turn left at the traffic light.
Right /raɪt/	Adverb	Not the left	The store is on the right side of the street.
Ahead /əˈhɛd/	Adverb	further forward in space or time; in front	The museum is just ahead, on the left.
Behind /bɪˈhaɪnd/	Adverb	at or towards the back of somebody/something; further back	The dog followed closely behind its owner.
On top of /ɒn tɒp ɒv/	Adverb	in addition to something, especially something unpleasant	The cat likes to sit on top of the bookshelf.
Underneath /ʌndərˈniːθ/	Adverb	under or below something else, especially when it is hidden or covered by the thing on top	The keys were hidden underneath the doormat.
Inside /ɪnˈsaɪd/	Adverb	in or into a room, building, container, or something similar	Please come inside and make yourself comfortable.
Outside /ˌaʊtˈsaɪd/	Adverb	not inside a building	The children were playing outside in the garden.

3. English road vocabulary: Common prepositions to indicate directions

In the below table, PREP has compiled commonly used prepositions for asking for or giving directions in English. Students can read the attached examples to gain a deeper understanding of this topic.

Road vocabulary	Word class	Example
To /tuː/	Preposition	I’m going to the park.
From….to /frɒm…tuː/	Preposition	He walked from his house to the bus stop.
Along /əˈlɒŋ/	Preposition	We rode our bikes along the river.
Across /əˈkrɒs/	Preposition	She swam across the lake to reach the other side.
Through /θruː/	Preposition	The car drove through the tunnel.
Over /ˈoʊvər/	Preposition	They climbed over the fence to enter the garden.
Under /ˈʌndər/	Preposition	The cat hid under the table.
Around /əˈraʊnd/	Preposition	We walked around the city to explore its attractions.
Towards /təˈwɔːrdz/	Preposition	They walked towards the mountains in search of adventure.
Away from /əˈweɪ frɒm/	Preposition	He moved away from the crowded city to live in the countryside.
Up /ʌp/	Preposition	The hiker climbed up the steep mountain trail.
Down /daʊn/	Preposition	The ball rolled down the hill.
Into /ˈɪntuː/	Preposition	She jumped into the pool to cool off.
Out of /aʊt əv/	Preposition	The cat jumped out of the window.
Onto /ˈɒntuː/	Preposition	He stepped onto the platform to board the train.
Off /ɒf/	Preposition	They got off the bus at the next stop.
Towards /təˈwɔːrdz/	Preposition	They walked towards the mountains in search of adventure.
Near /nɪər/	Preposition	There is a café near the library.
Far from /fɑːr frɒm/	Preposition	The beach is far from here.
Between /bɪˈtwiːn/	Preposition	The restaurant is located between the bank and the post office.

4. English road vocabulary: Common places along the roads

While traveling on the road, we often come across familiar addresses. To feel confident when asking for directions and giving directions, here is a list of familiar locations on the streets. Read the road vocabulary section below carefully!

Road vocabulary	Word class	Meaning	Example
Bookstore /ˈbʊk.stɔːr/	Noun	a store or website where books are sold	I love spending my weekends browsing books at the local bookstore.
Church /tʃɜːtʃ/	Noun	a building for Christian religious activities	The church bells ring every Sunday morning.
Fire station /faɪər steɪ.ʃən/	Noun	a building where fire engines are kept and where firefighters work and stay in the hours they are working	The fire station is located just a few blocks away from here.
Grocery store /ˈɡroʊ·sə·ri stɔr/	Noun	a shop that sells food and small things that are often needed in the home	Let’s stop by the grocery store to pick up some fresh produce.
Hospital /ˈhɒs.pɪ.təl/	Noun	a place where people who are ill or injured are treated and taken care of by doctors and nurses	The hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art medical facilities.
Hotel /həʊˈtel/	Noun	a building where you pay to have a room to sleep in, and where you can sometimes eat meals	We booked a room at the luxurious hotel for our vacation.
Mausoleum /ˌmɔː.zəˈliː.əm/	Noun	a building in which the bodies of dead people are buried	The mausoleum houses the remains of a famous historical figure.
Museum /mjuːˈziː.əm/	Noun	a building where objects of historical, scientific, or artistic interest are kept	The museum exhibits a vast collection of ancient artifacts.
Pagoda /pəˈɡəʊ.də/	Noun	a tall religious building in Asia with many levels, each of which has a curved roof	The pagoda’s architecture is breathtakingly beautiful.
Park /pɑːk/	Noun	an area of public land in a town or a city where people go to walk, play and relax	Families gather at the park to have picnics and enjoy outdoor activities.
Petrol station /ˈpet.rəl steɪ.ʃən/	Noun	a place at the side of a road where you take your car to buy petrol, oil, etc.	I need to fill up my car’s tank at the petrol station before the road trip.
Post office /ˈpəʊst ˌɒf.ɪs/	Noun	a place where you can buy stamps, send letters, etc.	I’m going to the post office to mail a package to my friend.
Restaurant /ˈres.tər.ɒnt/	Noun	a place where you can buy and eat a meal	The restaurant serves delicious cuisine from around the world.
Shopping mall /ˈʃɒp.ɪŋ ˌmɔːl/	Noun	a large building or covered area that has many shops, restaurants, etc. inside it	The shopping mall has a wide variety of stores and entertainment options.
Square /skweər/	Noun	an open area in a town, usually with four sides, surrounded by buildings	People gather in the square to celebrate festivals and events.
Temple /ˈtem.pəl/	Noun	a building used for religious worship, especially in religions other than Christianity	The temple is a peaceful place for meditation and prayer.
The beach /ðiː biːtʃ/	Noun	an area of sand or small stones (called shingle), next to the sea or a lake	Let’s go to the beach and soak up some sun.
The bus station /ðiː ˈbʌs ˌsteɪ.ʃən/	Noun	the place in a town or city where buses leave and arrive, especially to and from other towns	The bus station is the starting point for many long-distance journeys.
Zoo /zuː/	Noun	a place where many kinds of wild animals are kept for the public to see and where they are studied, bred (= kept in order to produce young) and protected	The zoo is home to a diverse range of animals from different continents.
This address /ðɪs əˈdres/	Noun	details of where somebody lives or works and where letters, etc. can be sent	Please send the package to this address: 123 Main Street.
That place /ðætpleɪs/	Noun	a particular position, point or area	Have you been to that place with the stunning view of the mountains?

II. Sentences for asking and giving directions in English

In the above part, PREP has provided students with English road vocabulary and phrases related to roads. How should we use sample sentences and questions smoothly when giving directions as well as asking for directions? Let's take a look at the sample sentences and questions PREP provides below!

1. English road vocabulary: Ask for directions

Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to……?
Excuse me, can you show me the way to……, please?
Pardon me, can you tell me where…..?
Excuse me, do you know where the….is?
I’m looking for……
Please tell me the way to……
Are we on the right road for……?
Is this the right way for……?
Is this the train for……?
Do you have a map?
Can you show me…… On the map?
Where is the……, please?
Excuse me, where am I?
Will you please tell me where am I?
Where do I turn?

2. English road vocabulary: Sample sentences for giving directions

It’s this way.
It’s that way.
You’re going the wrong way.
You’re going in the wrong direction.
Take this road.
Take the first on the left
Take the second on the right.
Continue straight ahead for about……
Continue past…….
Here it is.
It’s over there.
Go straight/ahead.
Turn around, you’re going the wrong way.
Turn to the left.
Turn to the right.
Turn back.

III. Exercises on English road vocabulary & Detailed answers

Exercise: Rearrange the sentences below to form a conversation asking for directions in the most reasonable way:

Excuse me, can you give me directions to the nearest post office?	No, it’s only a five-minute walk from here. You can’t miss it.
That’s helpful to know. Thank you so much for your assistance!	To get to the train station, walk back to the main road and turn left. Keep walking for about ten minutes, and you’ll see the station on your right.
Perfect! Now, if I want to go to the train station, what’s the best way?	Yes, there’s a taxi stand right in front of the train station. You can easily find a taxi there.
Great! And if I want to go to the supermarket, how do I get there?	Sure! Just go straight down this road and take the first left. The post office will be on your right.
Thanks for the directions! One last question, is there a taxi stand nearby?	The supermarket is a bit further away. Continue walking straight, then turn right at the traffic lights. It’ll be on your left.
Thank you! Is it far from here?	You’re welcome! Have a safe journey and enjoy your day!

Answer keys:

A: Excuse me, can you give me directions to the nearest post office?
B: Sure! Just go straight down this road and take the first left. The post office will be on your right.
A: Thank you! Is it far from here?
B: No, it’s only a five-minute walk from here. You can’t miss it.
A: Great! And if I want to go to the supermarket, how do I get there?
B: The supermarket is a bit further away. Continue walking straight, then turn right at the traffic lights. It’ll be on your left.
A: Perfect! Now, if I want to go to the train station, what’s the best way?
B: To get to the train station, walk back to the main road and turn left. Keep walking for about ten minutes, and you’ll see the station on your right.
A: Thanks for the directions! One last question, is there a taxi stand nearby?
B: Yes, there’s a taxi stand right in front of the train station. You can easily find a taxi there.
A: That’s helpful to know. Thank you so much for your assistance!
B: You’re welcome! Have a safe journey and enjoy your day!

IV. Achieve Your Dream IELTS Band Score

Hopefully, English road vocabulary that PREP provides above will help you pick up many useful words, phrases, and sentence patterns, so you can use them when you want to ask for directions or give directions to someone. If you’re ready to boost your IELTS band score, check out our expert-led courses:

IELTS lessons online: Break Barriers, Achieve Band 7!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.