Animals word list

A large semiaquatic reptile with a broad snout, related to crocodiles.

“When alligator appeared, the animal round got noticeably louder.”

A sea animal related to corals and jellyfish, with tentacles surrounding its mouth.

“Someone mentioned anemone during the animal round, and the conversation took a turn.”

An extinct feathered dinosaur-like animal important to the study of bird evolution.

“Archaeopteryx was the one word everyone remembered after the animal round.”

A small to medium mammal with a protective shell of bony plates.

“Someone used armadillo correctly during the animal round, then immediately second-guessed the spelling.”

A Mexican salamander that usually keeps its larval aquatic features into adulthood.

“At the animal round, axolotl came up and everyone immediately had an opinion.”

A long predatory tropical fish with sharp teeth.

“Nobody in the animal round questioned the meaning of barracuda; the letters were the problem.”

A large flightless bird from New Guinea and Australia with a helmet-like casque.

“The cassowary moved through the forest on powerful legs.”

A small domesticated feline commonly kept as a pet.

“The animal round somehow ended with everyone talking about cat.”

A lizard known for independently moving eyes and, in many species, color-changing skin.

“The group had heard chameleon before the animal round, but nobody trusted the spelling.”

A slender spotted African cat and the fastest land animal.

“Nobody expected cheetah to become the most memorable word of the animal round.”

A domesticated bird raised for eggs and meat.

“The host repeated chicken twice in the animal round before anyone wanted to go first.”

A very small dog breed originating in Mexico.

“The host repeated chihuahua twice in the animal round before anyone wanted to go first.”

A highly intelligent great ape native to central and western Africa.

“By the end of the animal round, chimpanzee was still the word people were debating.”

A small South American rodent with exceptionally dense, soft fur.

“The animal round table recognized chinchilla instantly and still could not agree on the spelling.”

A freshwater fish from a large, diverse family common in tropical regions.

“One person at the animal round swore they knew cichlid; the spelling attempt said otherwise.”

A small Australian parrot with a pointed crest.

“The word cockatiel sparked the longest debate of the animal round.”

A parrot with a prominent movable crest, native mainly to Australia and nearby regions.

“Nobody in the animal round questioned the meaning of cockatoo; the letters were the problem.”

A rare deep-sea fish from an ancient lineage once thought extinct.

“As soon as coelacanth appeared in the animal round, everyone started silently counting letters.”

An adult female of cattle.

“As soon as cow appeared in the animal round, everyone started silently counting letters.”

A large semiaquatic reptile with a long snout and powerful jaws.

“When crocodile appeared, the animal round got noticeably louder.”

A domesticated canine commonly kept as a pet or working animal.

“When dog appeared, the animal round got noticeably louder.”

An intelligent marine mammal with a streamlined body and beak-like snout.

“One person at the animal round swore they knew dolphin; the spelling attempt said otherwise.”

A waterbird with webbed feet and a broad bill.

“The host repeated duck twice in the animal round before anyone wanted to go first.”

A large bird of prey with strong talons and excellent eyesight.

“The animal round somehow ended with everyone talking about eagle.”

An egg-laying spiny mammal native to Australia and New Guinea.

“Nobody expected echidna to become the most memorable word of the animal round.”

A very large land mammal with a trunk, tusks, and broad ears.

“Someone mentioned elephant during the animal round, and the conversation took a turn.”

A tall pink wading bird with long legs and a curved bill.

“The animal round moved on, but people were still whispering the letters in flamingo.”

A tailless amphibian with long hind legs adapted for jumping.

“When frog appeared, the animal round got noticeably louder.”

A very tall African mammal with a long neck and spotted coat.

“The host read out giraffe during the animal round, and half the room asked to hear it again.”

A horned hoofed mammal often raised for milk, meat, or fiber.

“The room knew exactly what goat meant during the animal round and still hesitated on the spelling.”

A large waterbird related to ducks and swans.

“Goose turned the animal round into an unexpectedly competitive spelling moment.”

A large, powerful great ape native to central Africa.

“The animal round somehow ended with everyone talking about gorilla.”

A small burrowing rodent commonly kept as a pet.

“Hamster was the one word everyone remembered after the animal round.”

A small mammal covered in stiff spines that can curl into a ball.

“When hedgehog appeared, the animal round got noticeably louder.”

A massive semiaquatic African mammal with a broad mouth and barrel-shaped body.

“By the end of the animal round, hippopotamus was still the word people were debating.”

A large domesticated hoofed mammal used for riding, racing, and work.

“Someone mentioned horse during the animal round, and the conversation took a turn.”

A tiny bird able to hover by rapidly beating its wings.

“Hummingbird sounded easy in the animal round until somebody had to spell it without autocorrect.”

A term used for certain mongooses and for a large family of parasitic wasps.

“As soon as ichneumon appeared in the animal round, everyone started silently counting letters.”

A large tropical lizard, often green, with a row of spines along its back.

“The animal round group recognized iguana, then started arguing about which letters came next.”

A soft-bodied marine animal with a bell-shaped body and trailing tentacles.

“A jellyfish drifted past the dock with its tentacles trailing behind.”

An Australian marsupial with powerful hind legs and a large tail.

“The room knew exactly what kangaroo meant during the animal round and still hesitated on the spelling.”

A young cat.

“As soon as kitten appeared in the animal round, everyone started silently counting letters.”

An Australian tree-dwelling marsupial that feeds mainly on eucalyptus leaves.

“Everyone in the animal round knew koala, but spelling it aloud was another story.”

A large spotted cat native to Africa and Asia.

“Leopard sounded easy in the animal round until somebody had to spell it without autocorrect.”

A large social cat native mainly to Africa, with males often having manes.

“The animal round table recognized lion instantly and still could not agree on the spelling.”

A reptile with a long body, tail, and usually four legs.

“When lizard appeared, the animal round got noticeably louder.”

A medium-sized Old World monkey found across parts of Asia and North Africa.

“At the animal round, macaque came up and everyone immediately had an opinion.”

A large slow-moving aquatic mammal sometimes called a sea cow.

“Nobody expected manatee to become the most memorable word of the animal round.”

A primate generally characterized by a flexible body and, in many species, a tail.

“One person at the animal round swore they knew monkey; the spelling attempt said otherwise.”

An Arctic whale known for the long spiral tusk found on many males.

“The narwhal surfaced with its long spiral tusk clearly visible.”

A soft-bodied marine animal with eight arms and high problem-solving ability.

“Octopus was the one word everyone remembered after the animal round.”

A large red-haired great ape native to Borneo and Sumatra.

“As soon as orangutan appeared in the animal round, everyone started silently counting letters.”

A large flightless African bird and the fastest-running bird.

“The group had heard ostrich before the animal round, but nobody trusted the spelling.”

A mostly nocturnal bird of prey with large forward-facing eyes.

“Someone mentioned owl during the animal round, and the conversation took a turn.”

A black-and-white bear native to China that feeds mainly on bamboo.

“Someone confidently said panda in the animal round and immediately got challenged on the spelling.”

A scaly insect-eating mammal that can curl into a protective ball.

“The animal round somehow ended with everyone talking about pangolin.”

A male peafowl known for its large colorful tail display.

“Nobody in the animal round questioned the meaning of peacock; the letters were the problem.”

A large waterbird with a long bill and expandable throat pouch.

“Everyone in the animal round knew pelican, but spelling it aloud was another story.”

A flightless seabird adapted for swimming, found mainly in the Southern Hemisphere.

“The word penguin sparked the longest debate of the animal round.”

A domesticated hoofed mammal raised for meat and other products.

“The room knew exactly what pig meant during the animal round and still hesitated on the spelling.”

A South American freshwater fish known for sharp teeth.

“The animal round somehow ended with everyone talking about piranha.”

An egg-laying Australian mammal with a duck-like bill and webbed feet.

“When platypus appeared, the animal round got noticeably louder.”

A rodent covered with sharp defensive quills.

“When porcupine appeared, the animal round got noticeably louder.”

A young dog.

“Puppy was the one word everyone remembered after the animal round.”

A brightly colored tropical American bird with iridescent green plumage.

“A bright green quetzal flashed through the canopy.”

A small long-eared mammal with powerful hind legs.

“At the animal round, rabbit came up and everyone immediately had an opinion.”

A North American mammal with a masked face and ringed tail.

“The group had heard raccoon before the animal round, but nobody trusted the spelling.”

A large thick-skinned mammal with one or two horns on its snout.

“The group had heard rhinoceros before the animal round, but nobody trusted the spelling.”

A dog breed known for its wiry coat, beard, and bushy eyebrows.

“Everyone in the animal round knew schnauzer, but spelling it aloud was another story.”

A common informal name for gulls, coastal and inland birds with long wings and webbed feet.

“Seagull was the one word everyone remembered after the animal round.”

A small marine fish with an upright posture and horse-shaped head.

“The group had heard seahorse before the animal round, but nobody trusted the spelling.”

A cartilaginous fish with multiple rows of teeth and a streamlined body.

“The animal round group recognized shark, then started arguing about which letters came next.”

A domesticated wool-bearing hoofed mammal.

“The animal round somehow ended with everyone talking about sheep.”

A long limbless reptile with a flexible body.

“The animal round somehow ended with everyone talking about snake.”

A bushy-tailed tree rodent.

“A squirrel has a whole apartment in our roof.”

A large striped cat native to Asia.

“Someone confidently said tiger in the animal round and immediately got challenged on the spelling.”

A large ground-dwelling bird native to North America.

“By the end of the animal round, turkey was still the word people were debating.”

A reptile with a protective shell covering its body.

“The animal round group recognized turtle, then started arguing about which letters came next.”

A large marine mammal that breathes air through a blowhole.

“Everyone in the animal round knew whale, but spelling it aloud was another story.”

A bird adapted for pecking into wood with a strong bill.

“The animal round moved on, but people were still whispering the letters in woodpecker.”

A mostly hairless dog breed native to Mexico, also called the Xolo.

“The animal round moved on, but people were still whispering the letters in xoloitzcuintli.”

An African wild horse known for its black-and-white stripes.

“Nobody in the animal round questioned the meaning of zebra; the letters were the problem.”