CELPIP vocabulary: health and wellness

A set time to see someone.

CELPIP tip Pattern: book, make, reschedule or cancel an appointment with someone. "An appointment at 3 p.m." uses "at", not "on".

Your regular doctor.

CELPIP tip A common Canadian concern; it often appears in Reading Part 3 texts about the shortage of family doctors.

A clinic you can visit without booking.

CELPIP tip A good piece of advice in Speaking Task 1: suggest a walk-in clinic for minor problems instead of the emergency room.

A doctor's order for medicine.

CELPIP tip Pattern: fill a prescription, refill a prescription, get a prescription for something. Don't confuse it with "description".

A person who prepares and explains medicine.

CELPIP tip In Canada the shop is a "pharmacy" or "drugstore"; the person is the pharmacist. Pharmacists can give advice on minor illnesses.

Signs of an illness.

CELPIP tip Usually plural. Pattern: symptoms of something, cold or flu symptoms, mild or severe symptoms.

A routine health examination.

CELPIP tip The noun has a hyphen (check-up); the verb is two words: "The doctor checked up on me."

Treatment with exercises for injuries.

CELPIP tip Canadians often shorten it to "physio": "I go to physio twice a week." Long words like this reward careful stress practice.

Physical harm to the body.

CELPIP tip Pattern: suffer or recover from an injury. The verb is "injure", and the adjective "injured", as in "an injured player".

A bad reaction to something.

CELPIP tip Pattern: an allergy to something; the adjective is "allergic to". Mention guest allergies when planning food in Writing Task 1.

The hospital area for urgent care.

CELPIP tip Canadians say "the ER" in conversation. Long ER wait times are a frequent topic in Listening and Reading texts.

A list of people waiting for something.

CELPIP tip Pattern: be on a waiting list, put someone on the waiting list. "Waitlist" is also common in Canada, even as a verb.

The card for public health coverage.

CELPIP tip Provinces issue health cards, so refer to "my provincial health card" for accuracy in Reading and Writing tasks.

Insurance that pays for dental care.

CELPIP tip Workplace benefits come up in Writing Task 2 job topics; list dental coverage as a reason to prefer one employer.

Emotional and psychological well-being.

CELPIP tip Usually takes no article: "good for your mental health", not "a mental health". Pairs well with "physical health" for balance.

Pressure or worry.

CELPIP tip Collocations: under stress, reduce stress, cause stress. The adjective forms are "stressful" (situation) and "stressed" (person).

Exhaustion from too much work.

CELPIP tip One word as a noun; the verb is "burn out". A strong word for Writing Task 2 answers about workload or overtime.

Time for both work and personal life.

CELPIP tip Hyphenate "work-life". It is a classic supporting reason for flexible hours or remote work in Writing Task 2.

A usual way of doing things.

CELPIP tip Pattern: a daily routine, stick to a routine, part of my routine. Also an adjective: "a routine check-up".

The food your body needs.

CELPIP tip Usually uncountable. The adjective "nutritious" (healthy to eat) is a great word for school lunch survey answers.

Paid access to a gym.

CELPIP tip Common verbs: buy, renew, cancel or freeze a gym membership. Good for comparing costs in Speaking Task 5.

Your regular times for sleeping.

CELPIP tip Pattern: keep, stick to or disrupt a sleep schedule. Useful when giving health advice in Speaking Task 1.

An unwanted result of a medicine.

CELPIP tip Often plural: "possible side effects". Can describe non-medical results too: "Less traffic is a nice side effect."

To get better after an illness.

CELPIP tip Pattern: recover from + noun. The noun "recovery" helps in Speaking Task 1: "A full recovery takes time."

Involving a lot of sitting and little physical activity.

CELPIP tip Formal and precise; "a sedentary lifestyle" is the most common pairing. Using it well can lift a Writing Task 2 vocabulary score.