Vegetables

English Vocabulary

A vegetable is the edible part of a plant that is used in cooking or can be eaten raw. They are different from fruit in that vegetables don't have seeds. Vegetables are often consumed as salads or cooked as part of a side dish or main meal.

A person who does not eat meat is considered a Vegetarian because they often only eat vegetables (and fruit).

The informal word for vegetables is veggies.

Chart with Vegetables and their names in English

List of Vegetables in English

[C] = Countable Noun - [U] = Uncountable Noun

• artichoke [C]
• asparagus [U]
• aubergine [C] and [U] - (called eggplant in United States)
• beet [C] - (called beetroot in British English)
• beetroot [C] and [U] - (called beet in United States)
• bell pepper * [C] - (Just called pepper in British English or with its color beforehand just as red pepper or green pepper. In Australia and New Zealand it is known as capsicum)
• broccoli [U] - (broccoli is an uncountable noun so there is no plural of broccoli)
• Brussels sprout [C]
• cabbage [C] and [U]
• carrot [C]
• cauliflower [C] and [U]
• celery [U]
• corn ** [U]
• courgette * [C] - (called zucchini in United States)
• cucumber * [C] and [U]
• eggplant * [C] and [U] - (called aubergine in British English)
• green bean * [C] - (sometimes called French bean in the UK)
• green onion [C] - (called spring onion in the British English)
• leek [C]
• lettuce [C] and [U]
• mushroom *** [C]
• onion [C] and [U]
• pea [C]
• pepper [C] - (called bell pepper in British English. In Australia and New Zealand it is known as capsicum)
• potato [C] and [U] - (the plural of potato is potatoes - potato is sometimes uncountable as in mashed potato)
• pumpkin * [C] and [U]
• radish [C] - (the plural of radish is radishes)
• spring onion [C] - (called green onion or scallion in United States)
• squash * [C] and [U]
• sweet potato [C] - (kumara in New Zealand)
• tomato * [C] - (the plural of tomato is tomatoes)
• zucchini * [C] - (called courgette in British English)

Are they Fruit or Vegetables?

* The following are Fruits in a botanical sense, though are commonly thought of as vegetables due to their culinary uses:

• avocado, cucumber, eggplant, green beans, peppers, pumpkin, squash, tomato, zucchini

** corn is a cereal grain and is also a type of fruit.

*** mushrooms – biologically a mushroom is not a plant so technically it isn't a vegetable. However most English speakers would consider the mushroom as a vegetable because of its use in cooking.

Frutas y Verduras en inglés (for Spanish Speakers)

Next Activity

Try our interactive game about Vegetables in English. In this game there is a chart with photos of different vegetables and you have to choose the correct name for each one.

See our List of Fruit in English (with some additional notes)

Or try this video quiz about the names of vegetables in English:

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