International English Test Editorial Team·28 Dec 2023·1 min read
Our daily meals encompass a variety of foods, each with formal names as well as common, everyday names.
I’ve previously discussed variations between American English and British English words. Today, we’ll explore entertaining differences in food-related terms, highlighting how the same food is referred to by distinct names in US English and UK English. Get ready for some surprising discoveries!
What is your English level?
Find out your A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2 level of English with our online test and receive your English certificate.
In British English a popsicle is called an ice lolly. The two words describe the same frozen treat on a stick, but Americans say popsicle while people in the UK say ice lolly. This is one of many food terms where US and UK English use completely different vocabulary for an identical item.
Yes, what Americans call a cookie is usually called a biscuit in the UK. The British word biscuit covers the sweet baked treat that Americans label a cookie. Keep in mind the word maps differently across the Atlantic, so a UK biscuit is not the soft bread roll that the term suggests in American English.
In British English sausages are commonly nicknamed bangers, the everyday informal term for the same food. The post lists sausages as the American word and bangers as its British equivalent. You will hear bangers most often in casual UK speech, such as in the dish bangers and mash, rather than in formal writing.
The British word for cotton candy is candy floss. Both names refer to the same spun sugar treat, but Americans say cotton candy while British speakers say candy floss. It sits alongside other US and UK food differences such as soda versus fizzy drink and cookie versus biscuit covered in this list.
British English calls American potato chips potato crisps. The thin bagged snack that Americans call chips is known as crisps in the UK, while the British word chips refers to thicker fried potatoes that Americans would call fries. This swap is one of the most confusing differences between US and UK food vocabulary.
In British English pudding often means dessert in general, not just the creamy American dish. The post pairs the American word dessert with the British term pudding, so a British speaker asking what is for pudding is simply asking about the sweet course after a meal. It can refer to almost any dessert, not one specific recipe.
White coffee is the British way of describing what Americans call coffee with cream. The term white coffee refers to coffee that has milk or cream added, lightening its colour. Americans rarely use white coffee for this and instead specify coffee with cream or milk, making it another small but useful US and UK distinction.
International English Test Editorial Team
ALTE Associate Member · UK English assessment provider · Est. 2023
