Words We Use

Who this is for: any parent who meets an Arabic word, a school stage or a baby word in an MPL guide and wants to check it fast. What you’ll get: plain meanings of Islamic terms, a list of everyday words that change by country, and school stages by age.

Part 1: Arabic and Islamic terms

Where families say it differently, you will see “also said as.”

‎ﷺ: “Peace and blessings be upon him.” We write it after the Prophet Muhammad’s name.

Hadith: A report of what the Prophet ﷺ said, did or approved. Most of ours come from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.

Sunnah: The Prophet’s ﷺ example, as passed down in the hadith.

Fiqh: Scholars’ work of understanding what the texts mean for daily life.

Madhhab: A school of fiqh. Sunni communities mostly follow one of four: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i or Hanbali. Shia communities have their own schools.

Mustahab: Recommended, but not required.

Rukhsa: A concession. Allah’s ease for people in hard situations.

Istihalah: Transformation. Scholars use it when they discuss whether a substance changes into something else, as in the gelatine debate.

Tarbiyah: Raising a child toward good. Care for body, heart and character together.

Du’a: Asking Allah, in your own words or in set words. Also said as: doa.

Dhikr: Remembering Allah, often with short repeated phrases.

Salah: The five daily prayers. Also said as: namaz, solat.

Wudu: The washing done before prayer.

Sujood: Prostration in prayer, with forehead on the ground.

Adhan: The call to prayer. Many families also say it in a newborn’s ear. Scholars discuss how strong the report is.

Iqamah: The second call, just before prayer begins. Some families say it in the baby’s other ear.

Tahnik: Rubbing a softened date on a newborn’s palate. It is done with a date. Never use honey before 12 months.

Aqiqah: The seventh-day celebration after a birth: naming, shaving the baby’s head and sharing meat. Scholars differ on how strong it is.

Sabr: Patient steadiness. It is never a stick to beat a tired parent with.

Tawakkul: Trusting Allah after you have done what you can. It sits beside seeing a doctor, never in place of it.

Rahmah: Mercy and tenderness.

Niyyah: Intention. The purpose you hold in your heart.

Fidya: Feeding a poor person in place of a missed fast, for someone who cannot fast (Qur’an 2:184, checked on quran.com). Scholars differ on who owes it and when.

Qadha: Making up. A qadha fast is a missed fast you make up later.

Ruqyah: Reciting Qur’an and protective words over someone. It is paired with medicine, never used instead of it. It must not involve shirk (associating others with Allah).

Najasa: Ritual impurity, such as urine, that is washed off the body or clothes for prayer. Schools differ on how to treat a baby’s urine.

Khayr: Good. Goodness, benefit and blessing.

Jannah: Paradise, the garden.

Eid: The two festivals of the Muslim year: one at the end of Ramadan, one at the time of Hajj. Also said as: Hari Raya.

Part 2: Words that change by country

Order: US · UK · Canada · Australia · New Zealand. We use US words first and give the others at first mention.

• Diaper

  • US: diaper

  • UK: nappy

  • Canada: diaper

  • Australia: nappy

  • New Zealand: nappy

• Fever and pain medicine

  • US: acetaminophen †

  • UK: paracetamol

  • Canada: acetaminophen

  • Australia: paracetamol

  • New Zealand: paracetamol †

• Baby’s bed

  • US: crib

  • UK: cot

  • Canada: crib

  • Australia: cot

  • New Zealand: cot

• Pacifier

  • US: pacifier

  • UK: dummy

  • Canada: soother or pacifier

  • Australia: dummy

  • New Zealand: dummy

• Stroller

  • US: stroller

  • UK: pram

  • Canada: stroller

  • Australia: pram

  • New Zealand: pram or pushchair †

• Mom

  • US: mom †

  • UK: mum †

  • Canada: mom †

  • Australia: mum †

  • New Zealand: mum †

• Emergency room

  • US: ER

  • UK: A&E

  • Canada: ER or emergency department †

  • Australia: emergency department (ED) †

  • New Zealand: emergency department (ED) †

• Child’s doctor

  • US: pediatrician or family doctor †

  • UK: GP

  • Canada: family doctor or pediatrician †

  • Australia: GP

  • New Zealand: GP †

• Nurse who checks on babies

  • US: the pediatrician’s office

  • UK: health visitor

  • Canada: public-health nurse †

  • Australia: Maternal and Child Health nurse (Victoria)

  • New Zealand: Well Child Tamariki Ora nurse (Plunket is best known)

• Care before school

  • US: daycare, preschool, Pre-K †

  • UK: nursery, childminder †

  • Canada: daycare, child care (Québec: CPE, garderie) †

  • Australia: long day care, childcare, “kindy” in some states †

  • New Zealand: early childhood education (ECE), kindergarten, kōhanga reo †

• School breaks

  • US: vacation †

  • UK: school holidays †

  • Canada: holiday or vacation †

  • Australia: school holidays †

  • New Zealand: school holidays †

† marks a cell our research lists as [unverified]: usual word choice, not yet checked on an official page.

Two cautions:

• “Nursery” and “kindergarten” change meaning by country. See Part 3.

• New Zealand guides use some te reo Māori: pēpi (baby), whānau (family), wahakura and pēpi-pod (safe baby sleep spaces).

Part 3: School stages by age

Find your child’s age, then your country. A birthday cut-off can move a child up or down by a year. Check your local school.

• Under 3

  • US: daycare †

  • UK (England): nursery or childminder †

  • Canada (Ontario): child care †

  • Australia: long day care, family day care †

  • New Zealand: early childhood education (ECE) †

• 3–4

  • US: preschool or Pre-K †

  • UK (England): nursery or pre-school (free early education for 3–4s)

  • Canada (Ontario): preschool †

  • Australia: preschool or kindergarten (name varies by state)

  • New Zealand: ECE or kindergarten

• 4–5

  • US: Pre-K †

  • UK (England): Reception

  • Canada (Ontario): Junior Kindergarten

  • Australia: preschool or kindergarten (the year before school)

  • New Zealand: ECE until the 5th birthday

• 5–6

  • US: Kindergarten

  • UK (England): Year 1

  • Canada (Ontario): Senior Kindergarten

  • Australia: Foundation year (state names below)

  • New Zealand: Year 1, starting on or after the 5th birthday

• 6–7

  • US: 1st grade †

  • UK (England): Year 2 †

  • Canada (Ontario): Grade 1

  • Australia: Year 1 †

  • New Zealand: Year 2 †

• 7–8

  • US: 2nd grade †

  • UK (England): Year 3 †

  • Canada (Ontario): Grade 2 †

  • Australia: Year 2 †

  • New Zealand: Year 3 †

• 8–9

  • US: 3rd grade †

  • UK (England): Year 4 †

  • Canada (Ontario): Grade 3 †

  • Australia: Year 3 †

  • New Zealand: Year 4 †

† marks a stage name our research lists as [unverified]: standard usage, not yet confirmed on an official page.

Other parts of the UK and Canada

• Scotland: Primary school starts in August, usually at age 4½ to 5½. The first year is called P1 †, then P2 and so on.

• Wales: Reception, then Year 1. (Checked for one council only; other councils may differ.) †

• Northern Ireland: Primary 1 starts in the September after the 4th birthday. The first year is called P1 †, then P2 and so on.

• Québec: maternelle, if the child turns 5 by 30 September.

Australia: the first school year has five names. Kindergarten (NSW, ACT) · Prep (Victoria, where it is officially Foundation; Queensland; Tasmania) · Reception (South Australia) · Pre-primary (Western Australia) · Transition (Northern Territory). “Kindergarten” is the first school year in NSW and the ACT. In Western Australia and Tasmania it is the optional year before school. Each name was checked with the state or territory education department (Oct 2026). Age cut-offs differ by state, so check with your local school.

Compulsory school age also varies. In the US it is 5, 6, 7 or 8, depending on the state. In New Zealand it is 6 to 16.

One more thing

Every du’a in our guides is written in Arabic first, then in simple phonetics, then in English.

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Last checked: October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Reply or leave a comment and we’ll fix it.

Sources

• gov.uk school starting age

• nidirect pre-school education places

• Carmarthenshire County Council, “At what age can children start school?”, admissions 2025–26

• mygov.scot, “Choosing a school for your child”

• NCES State Education Practices Table 1.3, kindergarten entrance and attendance by state

• NCES Table 5.1, compulsory attendance laws

• ontario.ca Kindergarten

• Québec.ca, “Dérogation et admissibilité exceptionnelle à l’école”

• Ministry of Education Education Circular 2020/08, eligibility to enrol

• Ministry of Education parents hub

• BestSchools, “Australian School Year Levels by State”

• NHS nappy changing

• RCH nappy rash

• KidsHealth NZ nappy rash

• NHS paracetamol for children

• AAP acetaminophen dosing tables

• KidsHealth NZ safe use of paracetamol

• Healthdirect paracetamol

• NHS ibuprofen for children

• NSW Department of Education, Primary school enrolment (Kindergarten)

• ACT Government, Enrol in a public school (”kindergarten is the first year of primary school”)

• Victorian Government, Starting primary school in Victoria (”Foundation (Prep)”)

• Queensland Department of Education, About Prep

• Tasmania Department for Education, Children and Young People, School starting and leaving ages (optional Kindergarten at 4, then Prep)

• South Australia Department for Education, Starting school (”The first year of primary school is known as reception”)

• WA Department of Education, Starting school (Pre-primary, “the first year of compulsory schooling”)

• WA Government, Find out when your child can start school (Kindergarten, then compulsory Pre-primary)

• NT Government, Age your child attends school (transition class at 5)