Freestyle (front crawl): Alternating overhand arm strokes with a flutter kick
Backstroke: Swimming on your back with alternating arm strokes
Breaststroke: Arms pull in a circle and legs make a frog kick
Butterfly: Both arms swing together over the water with a dolphin kick
Individual medley (IM): One swimmer swims all four strokes in order: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle
Medley relay order: Backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle
Sidestroke: Swimming on your side with a scissor kick
Dog paddle: A simple beginner stroke with arms paddling under the chin
Flutter kick: Small fast up-and-down kicks with straight legs
Frog kick: Legs bend and snap together like a frog
Dolphin kick: Both legs move together in a wave
Scissor kick: Legs open and close like scissors
Treading water: Staying afloat in place
Floating: Resting on the surface of the water
Back float: Floating face up
Bobbing: Moving up and down in the water while breathing
Blowing bubbles: Breathing out underwater
Rhythmic breathing: Turning your head to the side to breathe in a pattern
Stroke count: The number of strokes to swim a lap
Lap: One length of the pool
Length: One trip from one end to the other
Starting block: The platform swimmers dive from
Dive: Entering the water headfirst from the block
Flip turn: A somersault at the wall to turn around
Open turn: A turn where you touch the wall with a hand and push off
Streamline: A tight body position with arms stretched above the head
Lane: A section of the pool for one swimmer
Lane line: The floating rope between lanes
Kickboard: A float used for kick practice
Pull buoy: A float held between the legs to practice arms
Goggles: Eye protection for swimming
Swim cap: A cap that keeps hair out of the face and reduces drag
Fins: Flippers that help swimmers kick faster
Life jacket: A floating vest that helps keep people afloat
Lifeguard: Trained person who watches for danger in the water
Deep end: The deeper part of the pool
Shallow end: The shallow part of the pool
Olympic pool length: 50 meters
Short course pool: 25 yards or 25 meters
Disqualification (DQ): Being removed from a race for breaking a rule
False start: Leaving the block before the start signal
Touch the wall: Required to finish a race
Relay: A team race where each swimmer swims a leg
Heats: Preliminary races to decide who advances
Personal best (PB): Your fastest time in an event
Split: A time for part of a race
Taper: Reduced training before a big meet
Warm-up: Easy swimming before racing
Cool-down: Easy swimming after racing
Swim meet: A competition between swim teams
Michael Phelps: American swimmer with 23 Olympic gold medals
Katie Ledecky: American distance swimmer with many Olympic golds and world records
Simone Manuel: American sprinter who won Olympic gold in 2016
Water safety rule: Never swim alone
Reach, throw, don't go: Rescue idea: reach with something or throw a float
Water wings: Inflatable arm bands that are not a substitute for a life jacket
Sinking vs floating: Body fat and air in the lungs help you float
Chlorine: A chemical used to keep pool water clean
Showering before swimming: Keeps the pool cleaner
Cramps: If you get one, stop and rest
Wait after eating: A short rest is fine; there's no strict 30-minute rule
Sunscreen at the pool: Apply before swimming and reapply
Diving rule: Check the depth before diving and never dive in shallow water

Free flashcards from Peabody at peabody.kids/flashcards/sports-swimming-terms