Have you ever wondered why a male goose is called a gander, while a female goose is simply called a goose? These 100 examples of masculine and feminine words will help you learn gender nouns, male and female names, family terms, professions, animals, and royal titles in simple English.
List of 100 Masculine and Feminine Word Pairs
Common Masculine and Feminine Nouns
No. | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
1 | man | woman |
2 | boy | girl |
3 | gentleman | lady |
4 | bachelor | bachelorette |
5 | bridegroom | bride |
6 | widower | widow |
7 | monk | nun |
8 | hero | heroine |
9 | wizard | witch |
10 | god | goddess |
11 | sir | madam |
12 | lad | lass |
13 | master | mistress |
14 | heir | heiress |
15 | landlord | landlady |
Masculine and Feminine Family Words
No. | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
16 | father | mother |
17 | son | daughter |
18 | brother | sister |
19 | husband | wife |
20 | uncle | aunt |
21 | nephew | niece |
22 | grandfather | grandmother |
23 | grandson | granddaughter |
24 | father-in-law | mother-in-law |
25 | son-in-law | daughter-in-law |
26 | brother-in-law | sister-in-law |
27 | stepfather | stepmother |
28 | stepson | stepdaughter |
29 | stepbrother | stepsister |
30 | half-brother | half-sister |
31 | godfather | godmother |
32 | godson | goddaughter |
33 | great-grandfather | great-grandmother |
34 | great-grandson | great-granddaughter |
35 | patriarch | matriarch |
Masculine and Feminine Profession Names
No. | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
36 | actor | actress |
37 | waiter | waitress |
38 | host | hostess |
39 | steward | stewardess |
40 | chairman | chairwoman |
41 | salesman | saleswoman |
42 | policeman | policewoman |
43 | businessman | businesswoman |
44 | spokesman | spokeswoman |
45 | headmaster | headmistress |
46 | schoolmaster | schoolmistress |
47 | cameraman | camerawoman |
48 | fireman | firewoman |
49 | fisherman | fisherwoman |
50 | sportsman | sportswoman |
51 | congressman | congresswoman |
52 | councilman | councilwoman |
53 | barman | barmaid |
54 | tailor | seamstress |
55 | priest | priestess |
Masculine and Feminine Animal Names
No. | Animal | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|---|
56 | Cattle | bull | cow |
57 | Horse | stallion | mare |
58 | Young horse | colt | filly |
59 | Sheep | ram | ewe |
60 | Pig | boar | sow |
61 | Deer | buck | doe |
62 | Dog | dog | bitch |
63 | Cat | tom | queen |
64 | Lion | lion | lioness |
65 | Tiger | tiger | tigress |
66 | Fox | fox | vixen |
67 | Goat | billy goat | nanny goat |
68 | Donkey | jack | jenny |
69 | Duck | drake | duck |
70 | Goose | gander | goose |
71 | Chicken | rooster | hen |
72 | Peafowl | peacock | peahen |
73 | Swan | cob | pen |
74 | Turkey | tom | hen |
75 | Pigeon | cock | hen |
76 | Elephant | bull | cow |
77 | Whale | bull | cow |
78 | Camel | bull | cow |
79 | Bear | boar | sow |
80 | Rabbit | buck | doe |
Masculine and Feminine Royal Titles
No. | Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|---|
81 | king | queen |
82 | prince | princess |
83 | emperor | empress |
84 | duke | duchess |
85 | count | countess |
86 | earl | countess |
87 | marquess | marchioness |
88 | viscount | viscountess |
89 | baron | baroness |
90 | lord | lady |
91 | sultan | sultana |
92 | czar | czarina |
93 | rajah | rani |
94 | maharaja | maharani |
95 | archduke | archduchess |
96 | grand duke | grand duchess |
97 | crown prince | crown princess |
98 | knight | dame |
99 | abbot | abbess |
100 | nawab | begum |

Masculine and Feminine Words with Completely Different Forms
These pairs use different words for males and females.
Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
man | woman |
boy | girl |
father | mother |
son | daughter |
brother | sister |
husband | wife |
uncle | aunt |
nephew | niece |
monk | nun |
king | queen |
bull | cow |
ram | ewe |
stallion | mare |
gander | goose |
drake | duck |
rooster | hen |
jack | jenny |
lord | lady |
Masculine and Feminine Words Ending in “-ess”
Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
actor | actress |
waiter | waitress |
host | hostess |
steward | stewardess |
heir | heiress |
god | goddess |
lion | lioness |
tiger | tigress |
prince | princess |
emperor | empress |
duke | duchess |
count | countess |
baron | baroness |
abbot | abbess |
Some “-ess” forms remain common, while others are now replaced by gender-neutral words.
Words Formed with Man, Woman, Male, and Female
Masculine | Feminine |
|---|---|
businessman | businesswoman |
chairman | chairwoman |
salesman | saleswoman |
policeman | policewoman |
spokesman | spokeswoman |
cameraman | camerawoman |
fireman | firewoman |
fisherman | fisherwoman |
sportsman | sportswoman |
congressman | congresswoman |
councilman | councilwoman |
male teacher | female teacher |
male doctor | female doctor |
male singer | female singer |
male cousin | female cousin |
Common-Gender and Gender-Neutral Words
Common-gender words can describe people of any gender.
Gendered Words | Gender-Neutral Word |
|---|---|
father or mother | parent |
son or daughter | child |
brother or sister | sibling |
husband or wife | spouse |
grandfather or grandmother | grandparent |
grandson or granddaughter | grandchild |
actor or actress | actor |
waiter or waitress | server |
chairman or chairwoman | chairperson |
policeman or policewoman | police officer |
businessman or businesswoman | businessperson |
spokesman or spokeswoman | spokesperson |
fireman or firewoman | firefighter |
salesman or saleswoman | salesperson |
steward or stewardess | flight attendant |
Other gender-neutral words include:
- teacher
- doctor
- student
- friend
- cousin
- manager
- artist
- writer
- lawyer
- engineer
Traditional vs Modern Gender Terms
Traditional Terms | Preferred Modern Term |
|---|---|
actor and actress | actor |
waiter and waitress | server |
steward and stewardess | flight attendant |
chairman and chairwoman | chair or chairperson |
policeman and policewoman | police officer |
salesman and saleswoman | salesperson |
businessman and businesswoman | businessperson |
spokesman and spokeswoman | spokesperson |
cameraman and camerawoman | camera operator |
fireman and firewoman | firefighter |
fisherman and fisherwoman | fisher |
sportsman and sportswoman | athlete |
headmaster and headmistress | principal or headteacher |
landlord and landlady | landlord or property owner |
Sentence Examples Using Gender Words
- The man opened the door for the woman.
- The boy played football with the girl.
- The gentleman greeted the lady politely.
- The bridegroom waited for the bride.
- The widower spoke to the widow.
- The monk visited the nun.
- The hero saved the heroine.
- The story included a wizard and a witch.
- The father prepared dinner for the mother.
- Their son studies with their daughter.
- My brother helped my sister.
- Her husband works with his wife.
- My uncle lives near my aunt.
- Their nephew visited his niece.
- My grandfather called my grandmother.
- Their grandson played with their granddaughter.
- My father-in-law greeted my mother-in-law.
- Her stepson studies with her stepdaughter.
- My godfather spoke to my godmother.
- The family respected its patriarch and matriarch.
- The actor performed with the actress.
- A waiter and a waitress served the guests.
- The host welcomed the hostess.
- The chairman consulted the chairwoman.
- The salesman spoke with the saleswoman.
Commonly Confused Masculine and Feminine Words
Peacock and Peafowl
A peacock is male, and a peahen is female. Peafowl is the general name.
Duck and Drake
A drake is a male duck. A female is called a duck or hen.
Goose and Gander
A gander is male, while a female is called a goose.
Horse, Stallion, and Mare
A horse is the general name. A male is a stallion, and a female is a mare.
Colt and Filly
A colt is a young male horse. A filly is a young female horse.
Nephew and Niece
A nephew is male, while a niece is female.
Bachelor and Widower
A bachelor is an unmarried man. A widower is a man whose spouse has died.
Bride and Bridegroom
A bride is a woman getting married. A bridegroom or groom is a man getting married.
Queen as a Royal and Animal Term
A queen may mean a female ruler or an adult female breeding cat.
Actor and Actress
Actress is the traditional feminine form, but actor is now commonly used for all genders.
Printable Worksheet and Quiz
Complete the Pairs
- Father — __________
- Brother — __________
- Uncle — __________
- Nephew — __________
- King — __________
- Prince — __________
- Bull — __________
- Stallion — __________
- Rooster — __________
- Gander — __________
Write the Masculine Form
- Woman — __________
- Daughter — __________
- Wife — __________
- Niece — __________
- Queen — __________
- Mare — __________
- Ewe — __________
- Hen — __________
- Lioness — __________
- Actress — __________
Choose the Correct Answer
- A female deer is called a:
- mare
- doe
- ewe
- A male duck is called a:
- drake
- gander
- cob
- A female swan is called a:
- pen
- hen
- queen
- The feminine form of “duke” is:
- duchess
- countess
- dame
- The gender-neutral form of “policeman” is:
- police officer
- police person
- police worker
Answers
- mother
- sister
- aunt
- niece
- queen
- princess
- cow
- mare
- hen
- goose
- man
- son
- husband
- nephew
- king
- stallion
- ram
- rooster
- lion
- actor
- doe
- drake
- pen
- duchess
- police officer
Frequently Asked Questions
Masculine words refer to males, while feminine words refer to females, such as man and woman or father and mother.
Examples include man–woman, boy–girl, father–mother, son–daughter, brother–sister, husband–wife, uncle–aunt, king–queen, bull–cow, and rooster–hen.
An adult female horse is called a mare. An adult male horse is called a stallion.
The feminine form of fox is vixen.
Conclusion
These 100 examples of masculine and feminine words include common nouns, family names, professions, animals, and royal titles. Important pairs include man and woman, father and mother, brother and sister, bull and cow, and king and queen. Modern English also uses gender-neutral words such as parent, sibling, actor, server, and police officer.
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