Everyday English · Clothing & Getting Dressed
Getting Dressed: 16 Everyday English Words
Recognize common clothing, footwear and cold-weather words children hear when getting dressed, packing for school, shopping and following everyday instructions.
What to do
Getting dressed uses a small set of words again and again: clothes for warm or cold weather, shoes and boots, and the parts you zip, button or pull on.
The goal is broad recognition. Picture the item, hear the word, understand a normal sentence, then move on. You do not need to memorize fashion vocabulary or tiny style differences.
Core everyday words
T-shirt
noun · TEE-shirtA casual shirt with short sleeves and no collar.
Example: He wore a T-shirt under his hoodie.
pants
plural noun · PANTSClothing that covers the body from the waist down and has two leg sections.
Example: Put on your pants before school.
jeans
plural noun · JEENZStrong casual pants usually made from denim.
Example: Her jeans have two front pockets.
shorts
plural noun · SHORTSPants with short legs that usually end above the knee.
Example: He wore shorts on the hot day.
sweater
noun · SWET-erA warm knitted top worn over the upper body.
Example: Bring a sweater because the room may be cool.
hoodie
noun · HOOD-eeA casual sweatshirt or sweater with a hood.
Example: She zipped up her hoodie.
jacket
noun · JAK-itA short outer layer worn over other clothes.
Example: Take a light jacket for the evening.
coat
noun · KOHTA heavier outer garment, often worn in cold weather.
Example: He put on his winter coat.
underwear
noun · UN-der-wairClothing worn next to the skin under other clothes.
Example: Pack clean underwear for the trip.
socks
plural noun · SOKSSoft coverings worn on the feet inside shoes or boots.
Example: Put on dry socks before your boots.
shoes
plural noun · SHOOZFootwear that covers and protects the feet.
Example: Leave your wet shoes by the door.
boots
plural noun · BOOTSFootwear that covers the foot and part of the ankle or leg.
Example: Snow boots keep feet warmer outside.
hat
noun · HATA covering worn on the head.
Example: Wear a hat in the sun.
toque
noun · TOOKA warm knitted winter hat; this word is especially common in Canada.
Example: He pulled his toque over his ears.
gloves
plural noun · GLUVZHand coverings with separate sections for the fingers.
Example: Put on gloves before touching the cold railing.
scarf
noun · SKARFA long piece of cloth worn around the neck for warmth or style.
Example: She wrapped a scarf around her neck.
Quick Check
Quick Check
Recognize the core clothes from everyday descriptions.
1. Which word means a warm knitted winter hat commonly called this in Canada?
- toque
- shorts
- boots
- scarf
2. Which item is worn on the feet inside shoes?
- socks
- gloves
- coat
- hat
3. Which word names a casual top with a hood?
- hoodie
- jeans
- boots
- underwear
4. Which item is usually the heaviest outer layer in cold weather?
- coat
- T-shirt
- shorts
- socks
Context
Context
Choose the clothing word that fits a normal home or school sentence.
5. “Your feet are wet. Change into dry ______.”
6. “It is snowing. Put on your winter ______ before going outside.”
7. “It is sunny and hot, so I wore a T-shirt and ______.”
8. Which word names footwear that often reaches above the ankle and is useful in snow or rain?
- boots
- gloves
- scarf
- jeans
Quick-check answers
- 1. toque
Toque is a very common Canadian word for a warm knitted winter hat. - 2. socks
Socks cover the feet and are usually worn inside footwear. - 3. hoodie
A hoodie is a sweatshirt or sweater with a hood. - 4. coat
A coat is a heavier outer garment for colder conditions. - 5. socks
Dry socks are worn directly on the feet. - 6. coat
A winter coat is a common outer layer for cold weather. - 7. shorts
Shorts are common warm-weather clothing. - 8. boots
Boots cover the foot and usually part of the ankle or leg.