Vocabulary listA1Travel and transport

Transportation Vocabulary in English: Words, Examples and Quiz

Cars, buses, trains, planes and ferries: the words you need to talk about how you get around, buy a ticket and take public transportation, with pronunciation, simple definitions, Turkish translations and example sentences.

51 words · By LearnLingo Team · Updated October 14, 2026

Tap to hear a word. Pronunciation is American English. Levels follow the CEFR scale. Turkish translations are given as a quick check.

On the road

Vehicles that use roads. American English says transportation; British English usually says transport. Both are correct.

Word	Meaning and example	Turkish
car ⁄kɑːr⁄ · noun A1	a vehicle with four wheels and an engine for a small number of people We go to the beach by car.	araba
bus ⁄bʌs⁄ · noun A1	a big vehicle that carries many people and stops at fixed places The number 12 bus goes to the hospital.	otobüs
taxi ⁄ˈtæksi⁄ · noun A1	a car with a driver that you pay to take you somewhere; Americans also say cab It's late. Let's take a taxi home.	taksi
bike ⁄baɪk⁄ · noun A1	a bicycle: a vehicle with two wheels that you move with your feet I ride my bike to work when it's sunny.	bisiklet
motorcycle ⁄ˈmoʊtɚˌsaɪkəl⁄ · noun A2	a heavy vehicle with two wheels and an engine; British speakers also say motorbike He rides a motorcycle in the summer.	motosiklet
scooter ⁄ˈskuːtɚ⁄ · noun B1	a small motorcycle, or a board with two wheels and a handle that you stand on Lots of people use electric scooters in the city center.	scooter
truck ⁄trʌk⁄ · noun A2	a big vehicle for carrying heavy things; in British English, a lorry A big truck was blocking the road.	kamyon
van ⁄væn⁄ · noun A2	a vehicle bigger than a car, used for carrying things or a group of people The delivery van comes every morning.	kamyonet, minibüs
coach ⁄koʊtʃ⁄ · noun B1	in British English, a comfortable bus for long trips between cities; Americans just say bus We took the coach from London to Oxford.	şehirlerarası otobüs

Rail, water and air

Transportation on rails, on the water and in the sky. Big cities name their underground trains differently: the subway in New York, the Tube in London and the metro in many other cities.

Word	Meaning and example	Turkish
train ⁄treɪn⁄ · noun A1	a long vehicle that travels on rails and carries many people or things The train to Ankara leaves at nine.	tren
subway ⁄ˈsʌbweɪ⁄ · noun A2	a train system under a city; in British English, the underground; many cities call it the metro The subway is the fastest way to get downtown.	metro
tram ⁄træm⁄ · noun A2	an electric vehicle that runs on rails in the street; in American English, a streetcar You can take the tram along the coast.	tramvay
plane ⁄pleɪn⁄ · noun A1	a vehicle with wings that flies; Americans also say airplane, British speakers aeroplane The plane landed on time.	uçak
helicopter ⁄ˈhelɪkɑːptɚ⁄ · noun A2	an aircraft with long blades on top that turn around A helicopter took the injured man to the hospital.	helikopter
boat ⁄boʊt⁄ · noun A1	a small vehicle for traveling on water We went out in a small boat to go fishing.	tekne, kayık
ship ⁄ʃɪp⁄ · noun A1	a very big boat that carries people or things across the sea The ship sails from the port every Friday.	gemi
ferry ⁄ˈferi⁄ · noun A2	a boat that carries people and often cars across water on a regular route I take the ferry across the bay every morning.	vapur, feribot

Places and people

Where you wait, who works there and who travels.

Word	Meaning and example	Turkish
station ⁄ˈsteɪʃən⁄ · noun A1	a building where trains or buses stop for people Meet me at the station at six.	istasyon
airport ⁄ˈerpɔːrt⁄ · noun A1	a place where planes take off and land Please be at the airport two hours before your flight.	havalimanı
platform ⁄ˈplætfɔːrm⁄ · noun A2	the area next to the rails where you wait for a train The train to Boston leaves from platform 4.	peron
ticket office ⁄ˈtɪkɪt ˌɔːfɪs⁄ · noun A2	the place in a station where you buy tickets The ticket office is closed, so use the machine.	bilet gişesi
driver ⁄ˈdraɪvɚ⁄ · noun A1	a person who drives a car, bus, taxi or truck Ask the driver where to get off.	sürücü, şoför
passenger ⁄ˈpæsɪndʒɚ⁄ · noun A2	a person who travels in a vehicle but is not driving it The bus was full of passengers.	yolcu
pilot ⁄ˈpaɪlət⁄ · noun A2	a person who flies a plane The pilot said we will land in twenty minutes.	pilot
seat ⁄siːt⁄ · noun A1	a place where you sit in a vehicle Is this seat free?	koltuk, yer
seat belt ⁄ˈsiːt belt⁄ · noun B1	a strap that holds you in your seat in a car or plane Please fasten your seat belt.	emniyet kemeri
schedule ⁄ˈskedʒuːl⁄ · noun A2	a list of times when buses or trains leave and arrive; in British English, a timetable Check the bus schedule on the app.	sefer saatleri, tarife

Tickets and trips

Words for buying tickets and talking about the trip itself. For full sentences at the station, see public transport phrases.

Word	Meaning and example	Turkish
ticket ⁄ˈtɪkɪt⁄ · noun A1	a piece of paper or a code on your phone that shows you paid to travel Can I buy a ticket on the bus?	bilet
one-way ticket ⁄ˌwʌn weɪ ˈtɪkɪt⁄ · noun A2	a ticket to go to a place but not come back; in British English, a single A one-way ticket to Chicago, please.	tek yön bileti
round-trip ticket ⁄ˌraʊnd trɪp ˈtɪkɪt⁄ · noun A2	a ticket to go to a place and come back; in British English, a return A round-trip ticket is cheaper than two one-way tickets.	gidiş-dönüş bileti
fare ⁄fer⁄ · noun B1	the money you pay to travel on a bus, train, plane or taxi The bus fare went up this year.	yol ücreti
trip ⁄trɪp⁄ · noun A1	a visit to a place and back again, or the time you spend traveling there The trip to the airport takes forty minutes.	yolculuk, gezi
traffic jam ⁄ˈtræfɪk dʒæm⁄ · noun A2	a long line of cars that cannot move or move very slowly Sorry I'm late. I was stuck in a traffic jam.	trafik sıkışıklığı
rush hour ⁄ˈrʌʃ ˌaʊɚ⁄ · noun B1	the busy time when many people travel to or from work The subway is very crowded at rush hour.	yoğun saat
delay ⁄dɪˈleɪ⁄ · noun B1	a time when something is later than planned There's a thirty-minute delay because of the snow.	rötar, gecikme
on time ⁄ɑːn ˈtaɪm⁄ · phrase A2	at the planned time, not early or late The trains here are almost always on time.	zamanında
on foot ⁄ɑːn ˈfʊt⁄ · phrase A2	walking, not using a vehicle The museum is close, so we went on foot.	yürüyerek

Transportation verbs

We drive cars, buses and trucks, but we ride bikes, motorcycles and horses. Get on and get off are for buses, trains and planes; get in and get out of are for cars and taxis. See everyday phrasal verbs for more.

Word	Meaning and example	Turkish
drive ⁄draɪv⁄ · verb A1	control a car, bus or truck and make it move My dad drives to work every day.	(araba) sürmek
ride ⁄raɪd⁄ · verb A1	sit on a bike, motorcycle or horse and control it; also travel as a passenger Can you ride a bike?	(bisiklet, at) sürmek, binmek
fly ⁄flaɪ⁄ · verb A1	travel by plane We're flying to Rome next week.	uçakla gitmek
walk ⁄wɔːk⁄ · verb A1	move on foot I walk to school with my friends.	yürümek
take ⁄teɪk⁄ · verb A1	use a bus, train, taxi or other transportation to go somewhere I usually take the subway to work.	(otobüs, tren) ile gitmek
catch ⁄kætʃ⁄ · verb A2	get on a bus, train or plane in time before it leaves We ran and caught the last bus.	yetişmek
miss ⁄mɪs⁄ · verb A2	be too late for a bus, train or plane Hurry up, or we'll miss the train.	kaçırmak
get on ⁄ˌɡet ˈɑːn⁄ · phrasal verb A2	go into a bus, train or plane Get on the bus at the front door.	(otobüse, trene) binmek
get off ⁄ˌɡet ˈɔːf⁄ · phrasal verb A2	leave a bus, train or plane Get off at the third stop.	(otobüsten, trenden) inmek
get in ⁄ˌɡet ˈɪn⁄ · phrasal verb A2	go into a car or taxi Get in the car. We're late.	(arabaya) binmek
get out of ⁄ˌɡet ˈaʊt əv⁄ · phrasal verb A2	leave a car or taxi She got out of the taxi and paid the driver.	(arabadan) inmek
change ⁄tʃeɪndʒ⁄ · verb A2	get off one train or bus and get on another to finish your trip Change trains at Central Station.	aktarma yapmak
park ⁄pɑːrk⁄ · verb A2	stop a car and leave it somewhere You can't park here. It's a bus stop.	park etmek
commute ⁄kəˈmjuːt⁄ · verb B1	travel the same way to work or school and back every day She commutes to the city by train.	işe gidip gelmek

Useful phrases and collocations

by car, by bus, by train
It's quicker by train than by car.
take the bus
I take the bus to school every morning.
catch a train
We have to catch the 7:15 train.
miss the bus
I missed the bus, so I was late for work.
get on the subway
Get on the subway at Park Street.
get off at the next stop
Excuse me, I need to get off at the next stop.
get in a taxi
We got in a taxi outside the hotel.
buy a ticket
You can buy a ticket from the machine.
a long drive
It's a long drive, so let's leave early.
a bus ride
The airport is a short bus ride from here.
heavy traffic
There's heavy traffic on the bridge this morning.
public transportation
Public transportation in this city is cheap and fast.
the next train to
When is the next train to Izmir?

How to learn these words

Learn these words around your own trips. Think about how you get to work, school or the shops, and say it in full sentences: I walk to the bus stop, I take the number 5 bus, and I get off at the station. Then review the words the next day and a week later. Spaced reviews help words stay. See how to learn English vocabulary for an easy routine.

Use by with no article to say how you travel: by car, by bus, by plane, by bike. The one exception is on foot. When you talk about a specific vehicle, use a preposition and an article: on the bus, on the train, on a plane, but in a car and in a taxi. The rule is simple: if you can stand up and walk around inside, it's on; if you can't, it's in.

American and British English use different words: transportation and transport, subway and underground, truck and lorry, one-way and single ticket, round-trip and return ticket, schedule and timetable. For more on airports and travel days, read airport English and English for travel.

Use the words: speaking and writing tasks

Describe how you get to work or school in five sentences, using take, get on, get off and walk.
Say out loud which transportation you use for each trip: to the shops, to visit family, to go on holiday, to go to another country.
Write a short message to a friend explaining how to get from the airport to your home by public transportation.
Compare two kinds of transportation in your city. Which is faster, cheaper and more comfortable?
Role-play buying a train ticket: ask for a round-trip ticket, the platform and the time of the next train. Use public transport phrases for help.

Common mistakes

I go to work with the bus.

I go to work by bus.

To say how you travel, use by and no article: by bus, by car, by train. You can also say I take the bus.

I go to school by foot.

I go to school on foot.

Walking is the one exception to the by rule. Say on foot, or simply I walk to school.

I get down from the bus at the hospital.

I get off the bus at the hospital.

The phrasal verb for leaving a bus, train or plane is get off. For a car or taxi, say get out of.

My brother drives a bicycle to work.

My brother rides a bicycle to work.

Use ride for things you sit on, like bikes, motorcycles and horses. Use drive for cars, buses and trucks.

Hurry up, or we'll lose the train.

Hurry up, or we'll miss the train.

When you are too late for transportation, English uses miss. Lose is for things you cannot find, like your keys.

Practice quiz

10 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.

1. I usually go to work ___ train.
2. Choose the correct sentence.
3. We were too late and ___ the plane.
4. Excuse me, I want to ___ at the next stop.
5. What is the British English word for a truck?
6. Choose the correct sentence.
7. A ___ is a person who travels in a vehicle but does not drive it.
8. In London, the underground train system is often called ___.
9. The roads are very busy between eight and nine. It's ___.
10. Which ticket do you need to go to a city and come back?

0 of 10 answered

Show all answers

by
She came on foot.
missed
get off
lorry
Can you ride a bike?
passenger
the Tube
rush hour
a round-trip ticket

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