Parts of a Car in English

In this post, you will learn how to say different parts of a car in English!

Cars are an important part of our daily life. Even if you don’t own one, you are probably going around in cars regularly. For that, it is necessary to know how to say the different parts of a car.

You don’t need to be an expert or a mechanic to learn this! With this knowledge, you will be able to expand your vocabulary!

Photo by Alan Flack on Unsplash

The ideas of this post come from Mad English TV. This is a very helpful Youtube Channel that offers lots of videos to help you develop your English. In this channel, you will find speaking, grammar, and vocabulary videos!

Without further delay, let’s jump into learning the parts of a car!

Exterior / body

The outer part of the car is called “exterior” or “body.” Whenever you are talking about the outside, you can use any of these two words!

Chassis

The chassis is the frame or structure of the car. All the other parts sit on top of the chassis.

Pronunciation tip: the last “s” in “chassis” is not pronounced! It's pronounced like, chah-cey.

Hood

The hood is the part of the car that covers the engine.

This part of the car can be opened to look at the engine. We normally use the verb “pop” when we want to open the hood. For example, “Can you pop the hood?”

Trunk

The trunk is the part of the car where you store things.

In the trunk, you can store your luggage, your groceries, or any other thing you don’t want on the car seat. We also use the verb “pop” when referring to the trunk. For example, “Please pop the trunk to put my bags in.”

Wheel

Cars run on wheels, and most models have four of them.

Wheels are divided into two different parts. 

Tire

The tire is the rubber part of the wheel.

This part is normally black and is the one that has direct contact with the pavement. 

Rim

The rim is the plastic or metal frame inside the wheel.

Axle

This part of the car is responsible for the turning of the wheels. It is located between the wheels and connects them. 

It's pronounced ak-suhl.

Rear and front bumper

Cars have bumpers in the rear and the front to help protect the drivers and the structure of the car. In case of an accident, the bumpers take the first hit.

Muffler

In general terms, the muffler is the part of the car that helps reduce the noise of the engine. They are normally located at the rear bottom of the cars.

Taillights

These are the lights in the rear of the car. They are normally red.

Headlights

These are the lights at the front of the car.

The headlights have the characteristic that they can be bright or dim depending on the use you are giving to them. You can activate the bright lights when you are driving at night, for example.

Signal lights / blinkers

These are the lights you use to let other drivers know when you are going to take a turn. 

They are especially important to prevent any accident from happening. 

Side mirrors

These are the mirrors found on the exterior of the car. They can help you drive and look back without having to turn your head. 

Rear-view mirror

This is the mirror you have inside our car. This mirror serves the same function as the side mirrors.

Remember to adjust your mirrors correctly when driving!

Ignition

The ignition is the part of the car where you insert the key to turn the vehicle on. This word comes from the verb “ignite.”

Speedometer 

The speedometer measures how fast you are going at mph or kph. It is normally on the board of the car.

Odometer

The odometer measures the distance the car has run in its lifetime. 

Windshield 

The windshield is the big glass at the front of the car. When you are diving, you look through the windshield. 

Dash

The dash is the plastic piece that meets the windshield at the front of the car from the inside. 

Center console

The center console is the middle part of the car where you find the AC, heating, and music controls. 

Steering wheel

The steering wheel is what you use to drive the car. In many cases, you can refer to it as just  “wheel.”

Brake Pedal

The brake pedal is what you use to stop or slow down the car when you are driving. 

Accelerator 

The accelerator is normally to the right of the brake pedal. This is the pedal you use to accelerate the car. 

Clutch

If the car has a manual transmission, you will have a clutch pedal too. 

Gear Shifter

For manual transmission cars, a gear shifter is also needed. You use this part to shift speed. 

Vents

Next to the center console, there are the vents from which the AC or the heating blow hair. 

Glove compartment 

This is the compartment where you keep all the important documents of the car. In this compartment, you can keep the insurance papers, for example. 

That's all!

As you can see, there are many words you can learn how to use to talk about a car. With these new words, you will be able to communicate more effectively!

Thanks to Mad English TV for its helpful content. You can watch more videos on the Youtube Channel. Be sure to keep bettering your English with as many resources as possible!

 Start putting this new vocabulary into practice, and you will see great results!

Contributed by Juan Pedro