Clothes in English
Do more with this exercise
Learn 23 words for clothes in English: tops and dresses, clothes for your legs and feet, and accessories like a hat, a bag and glasses. Some clothes have a British word and an American word, for example trousers and pants. Listen to each word, read the example, and then do the exercises. To talk about clothes now, we say: What are you wearing? I'm wearing jeans and a T-shirt.
Tops, dresses and coats
T-shirt
He's wearing a white T-shirt.
shirta top with buttons at the front
My dad wears a shirt to work.
dress
She's wearing a red dress.
skirtlike the bottom part of a dress, for girls and women
Is your sister wearing a skirt today?
jacketa short coat
I've got a new black jacket.
coat
It's cold. I'm wearing my coat.
For your legs and feet
jeans
My jeans are blue.
shorts
In summer, I wear shorts.
socks
Where are my socks?
shoes
I like your new shoes!
boots
She wears boots in winter.
Accessories
hat
The woman is wearing a big hat.
cap
My brother always wears a cap.
scarf
It's cold, so I'm wearing a scarf.
gloves
Are you wearing gloves? It's very cold.
bag
My phone is in my bag.
glasses
My grandmother wears glasses.
British and American words
trousersclothes for your two legs, from the middle of your body to your feet (British English)
He's wearing black trousers.
pantstrousers (American English)
His pants are black.
jumpera warm top for cold days (British English)
I'm wearing a warm jumper today.
sweatera jumper (American and British English)
This sweater is very warm.
trainers
Are these your trainers?
sneakers
She's wearing white sneakers.
Practice exercises
Match the Clothes
Match each word with its picture.
Choose a word on the left, then its match on the right.
Choose the Correct Word
Choose the correct word for each sentence.
9.It's very cold. She's wearing a ___ and gloves.
10.We wear ___ on our feet.
11.Trainers is a British word. The American word is ___.
12.What ___ you wearing today?
13.My ___ are new. They're blue.
14.A ___ is like the bottom part of a dress.
Write the Word
Look at the picture or the hint and write the missing word.
True or False
Decide if each statement is true or false.
21.Jeans is a plural word, so we say 'My jeans are new.'
22.'She is wear a red dress' is correct.
23.Gloves are for your hands.
24.In British English, 'pants' and 'trousers' are the same.
Clothes in English: What Are You Wearing?
Clothes words are useful every day. You use them in a shop, to talk about the weather and to talk about people: She's wearing a red dress. This page has 23 of them: tops and dresses, clothes for your legs and feet, accessories, and some British and American words.
To talk about clothes now, use the present continuous: I'm wearing jeans. He's wearing a cap. What are you wearing? To talk about clothes you wear often, use the present simple: I wear a coat in winter. My grandmother wears glasses.
Some clothes words are always plural: jeans, trousers, pants, shorts and glasses. Say My jeans are new, not My jeans is new. Shoes, socks, boots and gloves are plural too, because we wear two: a pair of shoes, a pair of socks.
British and American English have some different words for clothes. Trousers are pants in American English, a jumper is a sweater, and trainers are sneakers. In the exercises, both words are correct, but some questions ask for the British word or the American word.
The present continuous exercises page has more practice with I'm wearing and What are you wearing? The exercises above help you learn the words: match each word with its picture, choose the right word, and write it.
Frequently asked questions
What are the British and American words for clothes?
Some clothes have two names. Trousers (British) are pants (American). A jumper (British) is a sweater (American), and people in the UK say sweater too. Trainers (British) are sneakers (American). Both words are correct English, and people understand both.
Why do we say 'my jeans are', not 'my jeans is'?
Some clothes have two legs or two parts, so the word is plural: jeans, trousers, pants, shorts and glasses. Say My jeans are blue and Where are my glasses? You can also say a pair of jeans or a pair of glasses.
How do I ask what someone is wearing?
Use the present continuous: What are you wearing? I'm wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans. For clothes you wear every day or often, use the present simple: My dad wears a shirt to work. She always wears a cap.
What is the difference between a hat and a cap?
Both are for your head. A cap is a small, soft hat for sport or for the sun, often with one part at the front. Hat is the general word: a big hat, a warm hat, a hat for the sun.
Is 'pants' a good word to use in the UK?
Be careful. In American English, pants are trousers. In British English, pants are the clothes under your trousers. In the UK, say trousers for the clothes on your legs.
Answer key
1. T-shirt
Answer: 👕
👕 is a T-shirt.
2. dress
Answer: 👗
👗 is a dress.
3. coat
Answer: 🧥
🧥 is a coat. We wear it when it's cold.
4. socks
Answer: 🧦
🧦 are socks. We wear them on our feet, under our shoes.
5. cap
Answer: 🧢
🧢 is a cap. We wear it on our head.
6. scarf
Answer: 🧣
🧣 is a scarf. We wear it when it's cold.
7. gloves
Answer: 🧤
🧤 are gloves. We wear them on our hands.
8. jeans
Answer: 👖
👖 are jeans. Jeans is a plural word: my jeans are blue.
9. It's very cold. She's wearing a ___ and gloves.
Answer: scarf
It's cold, so she's wearing a scarf with her gloves. A T-shirt and a skirt are not for cold days.
10. We wear ___ on our feet.
Answer: socks
Socks are for your feet. Gloves are for your hands, and glasses are for your eyes.
11. Trainers is a British word. The American word is ___.
Answer: sneakers
Trainers is British English, and sneakers is American English. Both are 👟.
12. What ___ you wearing today?
Answer: are
This is the present continuous: are + you + wearing. We use it for clothes on your body now.
13. My ___ are new. They're blue.
Answer: jeans
Jeans is a plural word, so we say my jeans are. A dress and a hat are one thing: my dress is, my hat is.
14. A ___ is like the bottom part of a dress.
Answer: skirt
A skirt is like the bottom part of a dress. A shirt and a jacket are tops.
15. In the UK, it's a jumper. In the US, it's a ___.
Answer: sweater
Jumper is British English. In American English, it's a sweater. People in the UK say sweater too.
16. In the US, people say pants. In the UK, they say ___.
Answer: trousers
Pants is American English, and trousers is British English. In the UK, pants are clothes under your trousers.
17. He's wearing a red ___ on his head.
Answer: cap
🧢 is a cap. A cap is a small hat for sport or for the sun.
18. She's wearing white ___ for sport.
Answer: trainers
👟 are trainers in British English and sneakers in American English. Both answers are correct.
19. It's cold. Are you wearing ___ on your hands?
Answer: gloves
🧤 are gloves. We wear them on our hands when it's cold.
20. She ___ a long blue dress today.
Answer: is wearing
For clothes on her body now, we use the present continuous: she is wearing, or she's wearing.
21. Jeans is a plural word, so we say 'My jeans are new.'
Answer: True
Jeans, trousers, shorts and glasses are plural words: my jeans are, my glasses are.
22. 'She is wear a red dress' is correct.
Answer: False
In the present continuous, the verb needs -ing: She is wearing a red dress.
23. Gloves are for your hands.
Answer: True
Yes, we wear gloves on our hands. Socks are for our feet.
24. In British English, 'pants' and 'trousers' are the same.
Answer: False
In British English, pants are the clothes under your trousers. In American English, pants and trousers are the same.