Most of us know that the word pants means different things depending on where you are. The word Americans use for the bottom half of a suit, refers to undergarments in Britain. Mixing them up can be pretty embarrassing. It doesn’t stop there, English is littered with names or spellings of clothes that are different on each side of the Atlantic. Pyjamas or pajamas? Vest or Waistcoat? And what is a jumper in England?
It’s not just UK or US English either. There’s Canada to consider. They generally align with the US, but with clothing vocab, they use a bit of a hybrid. Australia and New Zealand too, although they lean a little more towards the UK. What about Ireland? They generally use British English, but some Americanisms have crept in there too.
Sometimes there are even differences within a country. Sweater vs sweatshirt? Jumper vs jersey? What’s a pullover? Maybe they’re all just the same. Our guide will break down all the differences for you, to help whether you’re selling to people around the world, or just curious.
Joggers vs Sweatpants
We’ll start at the start. Some words are different depending on which country you come from. Thanks to time and globalization, more of these are now recognized everywhere, but it’s still worth knowing the differences.
Pants in the US and Canada is the general term for the exterior clothing for your legs. It’s the same in Australia and New Zealand. The word trousers exists there, but is reserved for more formal wear. In the UK and Ireland, trousers can mean the same, but is also the umbrella term.
For the casual version you lounge around the house or go running in, the Americans use sweatpants, while the British use joggers or trackies (shortened from jogging/tracksuit bottoms). Canada and Australia use a mix.
To complicate matters further, they also have the word daks in Australia (trakkie daks, underdaks etc.), but now we’re getting into slang, which would turn this article into a book.
| Type |
US  & Canada 
|
UK  & Ireland 
|
Australia  & New Zealand 
|
|---|---|---|---|
| General | Pants | Trousers | Pants |
| Casual |
Sweatpants Jogging pants (Canada) |
Joggers Tracksuit bottoms Trackies |
Trackpants Joggers |
| Formal |
Pants Slacks |
Trousers | Trousers |
| Short |
Short pants Shorts |
Shorts | Shorts |
| Interior | Underpants |
Pants Underwear |
Underpants Underwear |
For the short version, the word shorts has spread around, and is now used throughout the English-speaking world. They are still often called short pants in the US though.
Pants means interior clothing in the UK. To avoid confusion, in North America and Oceania they are called underpants. Underwear is widely used, but rarely in the US. There is also a lot of slang for these garments, but we won’t get into that now.
Beware…
One thing to watch out for. A thong is an undergarment in all of the English-speaking world except for Australia, where it refers to flip-flops. Another one that can make you look fairly silly if you get it wrong.
Sweater vs Sweatshirt
On to the top half, while t-shirt is used all over, the long-sleeved version often has multiple names within the same country, just to make it extra complicated.
Sweater and sweatshirt are the main ones for the US and Canada. People tend to use them interchangeably, and are rarely even aware of the difference between them. There is one, but it’s not very interesting: A sweater is made by knitting pieces to the right size and shape, and then putting them together. The pieces on a sweatshirt are cut from larger pieces of fabric, which means you get an overlap, and the seams are different (told you).
What is a jumper? A person that jumps of course. In England, the rest of the British Isles, and Australia/New Zealand, it’s also what they call sweaters. The word sweater is also used, along with jersey (the common name in South Africa), but less often.
Since hooded sweatshirts were shortened to hoodies, the word has been used worldwide, so that one’s easier. I know we’re avoiding slang, but we should mention the Canadian word for hoodie- bunnyhug, just because it’s cute.
Pullover is another term that can be used all over, but rarely is. These days it sounds a bit posh, but can help differentiate from a cardigan, in that it doesn’t open.
| Type |
US & Canada
|
UK & Ireland
|
Australia & New Zealand
|
|---|---|---|---|
| General |
Sweater Sweatshirt |
Jumper Sweater Jersey |
Jumper Sweater Jersey |
|
Sleeveless Interior |
Undershirt | Vest | Singlet |
|
Sleeveless Exterior |
Vest Body warmer |
Waistcoat Gilet |
Vest Body warmer |
|
Pyjamas vs Pajamas |
Pajamas (US) Pyjamas (Canada) |
Pyjamas | Pyjamas |
There are also vests to consider, which, like pants, mean one thing or another depending where you are. They are always sleeveless, but in the UK and Ireland they are a sleeveless t-shirt (undershirt in the US, singlet in Australia).
Elsewhere, they go over other clothes, the formal version that goes with a suit is called a waistcoat in the UK and Ireland, they also use the French word gilet for the one that keeps you warm- the body warmer.
Pyjamas vs Pajamas
Different spelling, rather than a different word. Pajamas is the preferred spelling in the US, Canada is split down the middle, but slightly favors pyjamas, which is used everywhere else.
Other Differences
There are plenty more to keep an eye out for. With footwear, you have sneakers in the US and Australia, but trainers in the UK. Runners is used in Australia and Ireland. Rain boots are called wellies in the UK, and gumboots in Australia. Gym shoes are plimsolls in Britain, and sand shoes in Australia, although nowadays they’re normally just called sneakers. Confused yet?
|
US & Canada
|
UK & Ireland
|
Australia & New Zealand
|
|---|---|---|
| Sneakers |
Trainers Runners (Ireland) |
Sneakers Runners |
| Rain boots | Wellies | Gumboots |
| Gym shoes | Plimsolls |
Sand Shoes Sneakers |
| Raincoat |
Mac Raincoat |
Mac Raincoat |
| Robe | Dressing Gown |
Robe Dressing Gown |
|
Suspenders (exterior) Garters (interior) |
Braces (exterior) Suspenders (interior) |
Braces (exterior) Suspenders (interior) |
| Diaper | Nappy | Nappy |
Other clothes include a raincoat, known as a Mac (short for Macintosh) in the UK and Oceania. A dressing gown in the UK is known as a robe in the US. Suspenders exist in both, but they hold up your pants in the US (braces in the UK), and your stockings elsewhere (garters in the US). Finally, for our younger readers, a diaper in the US and Canada is a nappy in the other countries.
We hope that helps to settle any doubts you have, and make sure you always end up with the right item of clothing. Speaking of which, at Wordans, you can always find the right item of clothing, so come to us for your joggers, sweatpants, sweaters and jumpers. For the latest tips and trends, follow our Instagram @wearewordans.
