‘Anxiety’ has been named Children’s Word of the Year by lexicographers at Oxford University Press.

More than one in five kids (21%) chose anxiety as their top word when asked about health and wellbeing and their experiences of lockdown.

The words ‘challenging’ and ‘isolate’ came in second (19%) and third (14%) following another year troubled by restrictions and school closures.

The results ‘aren’t surprising when you consider all the restrictions and changes children had to endure’, Joe Jenkins, executive director, social impact from The Children’s Society, has said.

Last year’s Children’s Word of the Year was ‘coronavirus’, while in 2019 it was ‘Brexit’.

Wellbeing was selected as the focus of the vocabulary research for 2021 amid growing awareness of children’s mental health.

More than 8,000 children across the UK, from Year Three to Year Nine, were represented in the survey.

It comes after a Good Childhood Report published in August found more than 300,000 UK children were estimated to be unhappy with their lives in 2018-19.

Mr Jenkins said: ‘Having conversations and using the right language is incredibly important when supporting children if they are feeling anxious, isolated or going through tough challenges, and it’s also crucial children are able to express how they are feeling.’

Teachers from the 85 schools involved were also questioned on the word they use most often when talking to pupils about health and wellbeing.

Resilience came in as their top choice (31%), with researchers saying this reflected the importance of providing pupils with positive direction.

Challenging was their second choice (19%) and wellbeing came in third (18%).

Experts in the Children’s Language department at the OUP will update their dictionaries and resources for schools to reflect changes in children’s vocabulary and self-expression.

Words like ‘bubble’ and ‘lockdown’ will appear, while phrases like ‘self-isolation’ have also been selected.

Helen Freeman, director of early childhood and home education at OUP, said: ‘The research highlights the vital role language plays for children when it comes to self-expression, learning and wellbeing.

‘It’s important now, more than ever, that we invest in supporting children’s language development at home and in school.

‘The findings demonstrate the role we all play in making sure children have the words they need to be able to express themselves and that, as adults, we are aware the language we use around children can significantly influence their learning and wellbeing.’

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