Patterns are written in shorthand, and US and UK use the same letters for different stitches. Here is every common abbreviation, both systems side by side, so a pattern never trips you up again.
By Susi, founder of Crochets · left-handed since day one · updated September 2026
Crochet abbreviations are the shorthand used in written patterns: sc is single crochet, dc is double crochet, ch is chain, sl st is slip stitch, and st means stitch. The catch is that US and UK patterns use the same abbreviations for different stitches — a UK "dc" is a US "sc". Always check which system a pattern uses before you start. The full table is below, US and UK side by side.
| Abbreviation | Stitch / term |
|---|---|
| ch | chain |
| sl st | slip stitch |
| sc | single crochet |
| hdc | half double crochet |
| dc | double crochet |
| tr | treble (triple) crochet |
| dtr | double treble |
| st / sts | stitch / stitches |
| sk | skip |
| sp | space |
| yo | yarn over |
| rep | repeat |
| rnd | round |
| beg | beginning |
| inc | increase |
| dec | decrease |
| tog | together |
| blo / flo | back loop only / front loop only |
| RS / WS | right side / wrong side |
| tch | turning chain |
| MC / CC | main colour / contrast colour |
This is where patterns go wrong. The names are offset by one: every UK stitch name is one step "taller" than the US name for the exact same stitch.
| US term | UK term |
|---|---|
| single crochet (sc) | double crochet (dc) |
| half double crochet (hdc) | half treble (htr) |
| double crochet (dc) | treble (tr) |
| treble (tr) | double treble (dtr) |
| gauge | tension |
| skip | miss |
| yarn over (yo) | yarn over hook (yoh) |
Paste any pattern into the free US to UK converter and it swaps the terms for you, or read the full US vs UK guide.
Three quick tells. If it uses the term single crochet, it is US — that name does not exist in UK patterns. If it uses half treble or says miss instead of skip, it is UK. And if the pattern lists yarn in yards and hooks in letter sizes (H, I, J) it is almost certainly US; metres and millimetre hooks lean UK. When in doubt, work a small swatch and compare the height.
An abbreviation only helps once you can make the stitch. Every one in the table above has a worked video (right and left handed) in the Crochets stitch dictionary: start with chain, single crochet, half double and double crochet and you can already follow most beginner patterns.
In US patterns sc means single crochet, the short, dense basic stitch. In UK patterns the same short stitch is written dc (double crochet). They are the identical stitch under two names.
In US terms single crochet (sc) is short and dense; double crochet (dc) is about twice as tall and worked with an extra yarn over, so the fabric grows faster and is more open.
The letters are the same but they point to different stitches. A UK dc is a US sc, a UK tr is a US dc. Always check which system a pattern uses first.
st means stitch and sts means stitches, usually in a stitch count at the end of a row or round, for example (12 sts).
yo means yarn over: wrapping the yarn over your hook before you pull through. In UK patterns it is written yoh, yarn over hook.
Crochets shows every stitch in your terms, US or UK, and reads patterns to you row by row.
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