US vs UK crochet terms
The same words mean different stitches on either side of the Atlantic. This is the most common way a project goes wrong before the first row is finished — and the reason a lot of designers publish charts alongside their written patterns.
The one rule that covers all of it
UK stitch names sit one step up the ladder from US names. What the US calls a single crochet, the UK calls a double. What the US calls a double, the UK calls a treble. And so on, all the way up.
The reason is that the two systems count different things. US names roughly track the number of yarn overs; UK names track the number of loops worked off the hook. Neither is wrong — they just disagree.
The conversion chart
| Symbol | US term | UK term | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chain | Chain | Same in both | |
| Slip stitch | Slip stitch | Same in both | |
| Single crochet | Double crochet | One step up | |
| Half double crochet | Half treble | One step up | |
| Double crochet | Treble | One step up | |
| Treble crochet | Double treble | One step up | |
| Double treble | Triple treble | One step up |
Chain and slip stitch are the two that do not change. Everything else shifts by one.
How to tell which system a pattern uses
- The reliable tell: look for "single crochet". There is no such stitch in UK terminology. If a pattern mentions sc anywhere, the whole pattern is in US terms. This one check settles most cases.
- "Half treble" or "htr" means UK. US patterns never use that name.
- "trtr" (triple treble) means UK; a US pattern would write that stitch as dtr.
- Look at where it was published. Patterns from UK, Australian, New Zealand and South African sources usually use UK terms; US and Canadian sources usually use US terms. Usually — a lot of designers publish both versions now.
- Look at the hook size. A pattern quoting hooks in millimeters only leans UK; one quoting letter sizes (H, I, J) leans US. This is a hint, not proof.
The dangerous case: a pattern that uses only dc and tr and never says "single crochet" gives you nothing to go on. If the pattern includes a chart, read the chart — it is unambiguous. If it does not, work a small swatch and compare it to the photo; a fabric made of the wrong stitch is obviously too dense or too open within a few rows.
Why the abbreviation "dc" is the worst of it
Both systems use dc, and they mean different stitches by it. A UK dc is the short, dense stitch; a US dc is the tall workhorse of granny squares and doilies. Substituting one for the other changes the height of every row, which changes the gauge, which changes the finished size of everything.
It is not a subtle error, either. If you are working a US pattern with UK stitches, your fabric comes out roughly half as tall as it should and much stiffer than the photo.
Charts do not have this problem
A symbol chart is not written in English. A T with one slash is the same stitch whether the words beside it call it a double crochet or a treble — the symbol describes the shape of the stitch, not its name. That is why Japanese and Russian crochet books are usable by people who read neither language, and it is why the fastest way to check what a confusing written instruction really means is to look at its chart.
If you publish patterns, this is a practical argument for including a chart: it makes the pattern correct for readers in both systems at once, and it removes an entire category of support email.
Terms that do not change
- Chain (ch) — the same word and the same symbol in both.
- Slip stitch — the same stitch in both, though UK patterns often abbreviate it ss where US patterns write sl st.
- Magic ring, picot, cluster, shell and popcorn keep their names — but the stitches inside them change, so a US five-double-crochet shell is a UK five-treble shell. Same shape, same symbol, different word.
Common questions
What is US single crochet in UK terms?
UK double crochet (dc). US single crochet and UK double crochet are the same stitch. UK terminology has no stitch called single crochet at all.
What is US double crochet in UK terms?
UK treble (tr). And US treble crochet is UK double treble (dtr) — every name shifts one step up the ladder, except chain and slip stitch, which are the same in both.
How can I tell whether a crochet pattern is US or UK?
Look for the words "single crochet". That stitch does not exist in UK terminology, so any pattern that mentions it is in US terms. Conversely, "half treble" or "htr" only appears in UK patterns. If the pattern uses only dc and tr and neither tell is present, read its chart — the symbols are unambiguous.
Does the crochet chart symbol change between US and UK patterns?
No. The symbols describe the shape of the stitch rather than its name, so a T with one slash is the same stitch in both systems — a US double crochet and a UK treble. This is one reason designers publish charts alongside written instructions.