Reading Labels, Prices and Packaging
How to read a price tag, a shop label or a food package in English without knowing every word on it.
A label is the easiest kind of English to read, because it is written to be understood fast. You only need a handful of words and the numbers.
Prices
- £3.99 each — three pounds ninety-nine for one item.
- 2 for £5 — two items together cost five pounds. One alone costs more.
- 50% off — half price.
- Was £10, now £6 — the old price and the new price.
- BUY 1 GET 1 FREE — pay for one, take two.
If you see two numbers, the smaller one is almost always what you pay today.
Words on food packages
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| USE BY | Do not eat after this date |
| BEST BEFORE | Still safe after this date, but less good |
| KEEP REFRIGERATED | Store it in the fridge |
| SERVES 4 | Enough food for four people |
| CONTAINS NUTS | There are nuts inside |
USE BY and BEST BEFORE are not the same. Use by is about safety. Best before is about quality.
Clothing labels
- MACHINE WASH 30 — wash in a machine at 30 degrees.
- DO NOT TUMBLE DRY — no drying machine.
- 100% COTTON — what the fabric is made of.
- S / M / L — small, medium, large.
What to do with a word you don't know
Ask yourself what the label is for before you translate anything. A price tag tells you a price. A food package tells you what is inside and when to eat it. Once you know the purpose, you usually only need one or two words from it.
ORANGE JUICE 1 litre — £2.20 BEST BEFORE: 14/09 KEEP REFRIGERATED once opened
You can answer every practical question here — what is it, how much, how long, where to store it — without reading the small print.
Test yourself
The quiz below uses real labels. Look for the number or the key word, not for every word.