ESL Supermarket Vocabulary

There is a lot of ESL supermarket vocabulary on this page for you to learn and use when you need to go shopping. Everyone needs to go shopping, and it is often most convenient to go shopping at a supermarket, so you will need to know words and vocabulary about using a supermarket.

This page has two parts. The first part is about learning the vocabulary and the second part is about testing your knowledge of the vocabulary. The page starts with the ESL supermarket vocabulary list. This has lots of useful words with definitions. You can either use this list now to learn the words or in the future as a reference source when you find a word you do not know, and you can look it up. There are also flashcards of the vocabulary for you to download and a recording of the vocabulary being spoken by a native English speaker so you can hear the pronunciation.

Then the second part contains the following three exercises for you to do to test how much of the ESL supermarket vocabulary you can remember: 

• Selecting a definition that goes with a word.
• Selecting a word that goes with a definition.
• Selecting a word that matches a picture.

ESL Supermarket Vocabulary List with Definitions

This part of the page has the ESL supermarket vocabulary list with definitions. You will need to know all of these words if you are going to be able to understand shopping in a supermarket. After the word list there are flashcards that you can download and then a recording of the vocabulary being spoken and pronounced correctly. 

Aisle: A passage between the rows of shelves in a supermarket. (noun)
Alcoholic drink: Intoxicating liquids that people consume. (noun)
Apple: Fruit of the apple tree. (noun)
Assistant: A person who helps other people (the shoppers). (noun)
Automatic doors: The entrance to a shop or building that opens without a person having to push. (noun)
Banana: A yellow fruit that grows in bunches. (noun)
Basket: A container for holding goods. (noun)
Batteries: Electric cells for storing electricity. (noun)
Bedding: The covers used for warmth on bed. (noun)
Beef: The meat from cows. (noun)
Beer: An alcoholic drink made from hops and barley. (noun)
Biscuits: Small savoury or sweet thin dry cakes. (noun)
Bottled water: A clear natural drink in a bottle. (noun)
Bread: Food baked and made from flour and yeast. (noun)
Bunch: A group of things fastened together. (noun)
Butter: An oily substance to spread on bread. (noun)
Cafe: A seating area where food and drinks are served. (noun)
Cake: A sweet soft food made from eggs, sugar, flour and fat. (noun)
Car Park: An area for leaving cars and other vehicles. (noun)
Carrier bag: A plastic container used to carry shopping home. (noun)
Carrot: A long orange root vegetable. (noun)
Cart: A large basket on wheels for carrying shopping (US English, same as trolley). (noun)
Cashier: The person who works at a check-out and takes the money (same as check-out operator). (noun)
Cat food: The products made especially for cats to eat. (noun)
Celery: A long crisp green vegetable. (noun)
Cereal: A breakfast food made from grain. (noun)
Check-out operator: The person who works at a check-out and takes the money (same as cashier). (noun)
Check-out: An exit where payment is made for the products bought. (noun)
Cheese: A dairy product made from milk. (noun)
Chicken: A bird from which eggs are obtained, and which can be eaten. (noun)
Chocolate: A sweet made from the cocoa bean. (noun)
Cigarettes: A stick made from tobacco that is smoked and cause people to become ill. (noun)
Cigars: A thick stick made from dried tobacco leaves that is smoked. (noun)
Citrus fruit: A group of fruits that contains lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruits. (noun)
Cling-film: A transparent wrapping sheet for covering food. (noun)
Clothing: Items to cover the body. (noun)
Coffee: A drink made from the coffee bean. (noun)
Coupon: A piece of paper that can be used to get a discount on the price of a product. (noun)
Cushions: Small soft pillows. (noun)
Cutlery: Knives, forks and spoons to use when eating. (noun)
Dairy section: The area where milk based products are sold. (noun)
Deli: The area where pre-cooked and pre-prepared foods are sold. (noun)
Diesel: A type of fuel for cars and lorries. (noun)
Display: An arrangement of products so customer can see them. (noun)
Dog food: The products made especially for dogs to eat. (noun)
Dried spices: Plants that enhance the flavour of food. (noun)
Duvet: A warm bed covering. (noun)
Eggs: The reproductive means of chickens that have a hard shell and are eaten as food. (noun)
Exit: A way out. (noun)
Express check-out: A check-out for people who are only buying a small amount of shopping. (noun)
Fish: An animal that lives in water, and some of which can be eaten. (noun)
Flour: A soft food made from grain, usually wheat. (noun)
Flowers: The reproductive organs of plants that have a scent and coloured petals. (noun)
Freezers: Large display areas that keep food below 0oC. (noun)
Fruit juice: A drink made from squeezing fruit. (noun)
Fruit: A type of sweet food that often comes from trees and can be eaten without cooking. (noun)
Frying pan: A kitchen tool used in cooking. (noun)
Gas: A type of fuel for cars (US English, same as petrol). (noun)
Grapefruit: A sour citrus fruit. (noun)
Grapes: The fruit of the vine. (noun)
Greeter: A person who stands at the door of a supermarket and says hello to the customers. (noun)
Greetings cards: A way of celebrating special events, such as birthdays and anniversary. (noun)
Hair spray: A sticky substance to keep hair in place. (noun)
Ham: The cooked meat of pigs. (noun)
Herbs: Dried plants to give flavour to food. (noun)
Kettle: A container for boiling water. (noun)
Kitchen roll/towel: Disposable paper that is used for mopping mess in a kitchen. (noun)
Lamb: The meat that comes from young sheep. (noun)
Lamps: An electric fitting to give light. (noun)
Lettuce: A green plant that has its leaves used in salads. (noun)
Lottery ticket: A form of gambling to try to win money. (noun)
Manager: The person who is in-charge of the supermarket. (noun)
Margarine: A butter-like spread, which is made from oil, used on bread and in cooking. (noun)
Meat: The flesh of animals that has been prepared so it can be eaten. (noun)
Medicines: Products to treat or prevent diseases or illness. (noun)
Mushroom: An edible fungus. (noun)
Mutton: The meat that comes from old sheep. (noun)
Newspaper: Paper printed with information. (noun)
Orange: A citrus fruit that is sweet and orange in colour. (noun)
Petrol: A type of fuel for cars (UK English, same as gas). (noun)
Pilchards: A type of fish. (noun)
Plums: A sweet fruit that are normally a purple colour. (noun)
Pork: The meat from a pig. (noun)
Postage stamps: The means of paying to send a letter to someone. (noun)
Potato: A plant with edible tubers that grow in soil. (noun)
Prawn: A small shrimp-like creature of the sea. (noun)
Queue: A line of people who are waiting for something. (noun)
Ready-meals: A pre-made meal that just needs to be heated up at home before it can be eaten. (noun)
Receipt: The list of the items bought at a shop. (noun)
Salt: A food enhancement. (noun)
Security guard: A person in charge of shop safety. (noun)
Self-service: A system designed for serving yourself. (noun)
Shelf stacker: A person who places the products on to the shelves of the supermarket so customers can buy them. (noun)
Soap: A cleaning substance. (noun)
Soup: A liquid made from vegetables that is eaten. (noun)
Spirits: Alcoholic drinks that have a high alcohol content. (noun)
Supermarket: A large retail outlet where you can buy food and goods for the home. (noun)
Sweets: Small sugary treats. (noun)
Tea: A drink made from dried tea leaves. (noun)
Toothpaste: A tooth cleaning paste. (noun)
Trolley: A large basket on wheels for carrying shopping (UK English, same as cart). (noun)
Vegetables: The edible parts of plants that people eat. (noun)
Wine: An alcoholic drink made from grapes. (noun)
Yogurt: A semi-liquid food made from fermented milk. (noun)

Vocabulary Flashcards for Supermarket Words

You can download and use the following ESL supermarket vocabulary flashcards by either clicking on the picture or the link. You can then use them when you are not able to connect to the Internet.

ESL supermarket vocabulary flashcards

Spoken Supermarket Vocabulary

This part has two recordings of the ESL supermarket vocabulary being spoken by a native English speaker. You can listen to the recordings as much as you need to so you can learn the correct pronunciation. For the first recording you can just listen to it, while for the second one you can watch a video of the flashcards while listening to the words.

ESL Supermarket Vocabulary Exercises

Exercise 1 – Correct Definition

For this first ESL supermarket vocabulary activity you need to decide which option (A-D) in each question is the definition that matches the given word. After you have answered all the questions you can use the get score button to see how well you did.

ESL Supermarket Vocabulary Definitions

Choose the correct definition for the supermarket vocabulary in this quiz.

1) What is the definition of Basket?

    A) Intoxicating liquids that people consume.
    B) The meat from cows.
    C) A container for holding goods.
    D) An area for leaving cars and other vehicles.

2) What is the definition of Carrier bag?

    A) A transparent wrapping sheet for covering food.
    B) The products made especially for cats to eat.
    C) Items to cover the body.
    D) A plastic container used to carry shopping home.

3) What is the definition of Dried spices?

    A) Plants that enhance the flavour of food.
    B) A sweet made from the cocoa bean.
    C) Small soft pillows.
    D) A warm bed covering.

4) What is the definition of Freezers?

    A) A sour citrus fruit.
    B) Large display areas that keep food below 0oC.
    C) A green plant that has its leaves used in salads.
    D) The cooked meat of pigs.

5) What is the definition of Shelf stacker?

    A) The means of paying to send a letter to someone.
    B) A person who places the products on to the shelves of the supermarket so customers can buy them.
    C) An edible fungus.
    D) A liquid made from vegetables that is eaten.

Score =

Correct answers:

Exercise 2 – Correct Meaning

In the next ESL supermarket vocabulary exercise you need to decide which of the words in the options (A-D) in each question matches the definition given. Again you can click the get score button to see how you did.

ESL Supermarket Vocabulary Identification of Meaning

Choose the word that matches the definition given in each of the five questions in this quiz.

1) What is the meaning of the following definition: The edible parts of plants that people eat?

    A) Soap
    B) Vegetables
    C) Yogurt
    D) Tea

2) What is the meaning of the following definition: A type of fuel for cars (UK English, same as gas)?

    A) Medicines
    B) Pork
    C) Ready-meals
    D) Petrol

3) What is the meaning of the following definition: A container for boiling water?

    A) Kettle
    B) Margarine
    C) Newspaper
    D) Fruit

4) What is the meaning of the following definition: A way out?

    A) Deli
    B) Display
    C) Exit
    D) Freezers

5) What is the meaning of the following definition: The person who works at a check-out and takes the money (same as check-out operator)?

    A) Cake
    B) Cushions
    C) Cashier
    D) Chicken

Score =

Correct answers:

Exercise 3 – Identify Picture

For the final ESL supermarket vocabulary task you need to look at the following pictures and then decide which option (A-D) in each question has the word that matches the picture. Then you can see the correct answers by using the get score button.

ESL Supermarket Vocabulary Picture Descriptions

Identify the best description for each of the images (A-E) given above that correspond to the five questions in this quiz.

1) Which description best describes picture A given above?

    A) Automatic doors
    B) Cafe
    C) Bedding
    D) Bunch

2) Which description best describes picture B given above?

    A) Carrot
    B) Butter
    C) Cheese
    D) Fruit

3) Which description best describes picture C given above?

    A) Diesel
    B) Citrus fruit
    C) Duvet
    D) Cutlery

4) Which description best describes picture D given above?

    A) Battery
    B) Hair spray
    C) Manager
    D) Fruit juice

5) Which description best describes picture E given above?

    A) Fish
    B) Coupon
    C) Prawn
    D) Salt

Score =

Correct answers:

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