Sweetener tablet or sweetener pill?

Sweetener tablet or sweetener pill? Which one sounds more natural

I am talking about the substance in pill form that is used as a substitute for sugar.

Idk2222 said:

Sweetener tablet or sweetener pill? Which one sounds more natural?

I am talking about the substance in pill form that is used as a substitute for sugar.

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Note that I have, again, improved your thread title and moved your question to the main body of your post. Your question should not appear in the title. A complete sentence that you want us to look at should be the title.

In the UK, they're called "sweetener tablets" (according to various online supermarket listings that I just looked at). I've never seen them called pills. That word is usually reserved for medicines and nutritional supplements. Also, does it really matter? Most people would say "I'm going to add [a] sweetener to my tea/coffee".

I don't think they've very common in the US. Some googling shows they apparently exist for sale, but I don't think I've ever encountered them. Maybe that's just because so I'm not on the lookout for them as I don't use them.

In the US, sugar tablets refer to those large chewable glucose wafers used by diabetics to quickly raise blood sugar. The only context I've heard 'sugar pills' in is when referring to a placebo for drug studies.

There are of course sugar cubes, which is cane sugar compressed into small ( roughly 1/2") cubes. I do keep some of them on hand for making the occasional old fashioned.

I think the OP is referring to brands such as Sweetex, Equal, Canderel and Splenda (those were the first four that came up when I Googled "sweetener tablets in America"). They come in little click-packs, so you can carry them round with you to sweeten tea/coffee when you're at a café or restaurant. I'm quite surprised you've never seen anyone using them!

Skrej said:

I don't think they've very common in the US. Some googling shows they apparently exist for sale, but I don't think I've ever encountered them. Maybe that's just because so I'm not on the lookout for them as I don't use them.

In the US, sugar tablets refer to those large chewable glucose wafers used by diabetics to quickly raise blood sugar. The only context I've heard 'sugar pills' in is when referring to a placebo for drug studies.

There are of course sugar cubes, which is cane sugar compressed into small ( roughly 1/2") cubes. I do keep some of them on hand for making the occasional old fashioned.

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I am talking about artificial sweeteners.

emsr2d2 said:

I think the OP is referring to brands such as Sweetex, Equal, Canderel and Splenda (those were the first four that came up when I Googled "sweetener tablets in America"). They come in little click-packs, so you can carry them round with you to sweeten tea/coffee when you're at a café or restaurant. I'm quite surprised you've never seen anyone using them!

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But what are they called then?

Idk2222 said:

But what are they called then?

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Well, seeing as what I Googled was "sweetener tablets", that should answer your question! I already said they were called that in the UK.

Idk2222 said:

I am talking about artificial sweeteners.

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That was clear to me in post #1 when you said "as a substitute for sugar".

emsr2d2 said:

I think the OP is referring to brands such as Sweetex, Equal, Canderel and Splenda (those were the first four that came up when I Googled "sweetener tablets in America"). They come in little click-packs, so you can carry them round with you to sweeten tea/coffee when you're at a café or restaurant. I'm quite surprised you've never seen anyone using them!

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The small packets of powdered sweeteners used to be commonplace in any restaurant. There were typically three or four colors- white for sugar, blue for Equal (aspartame) pink for Sweet 'N Low (saccharine), and later yellow for Spenda (sucralose), along with some dairy and non-dairy creamers.

Nowadays though, you never see them on tables. The server asks if you want any creamer or sweetener, and brings it upon request. I suppose it cuts down on the work servers had to do restocking all the tables. Only someone adamant about a particular product would carry their own in the US - otherwise we'd just use whatever the restaurant provides.

Like I said, I don't use them, so I don't know what they might bring nowadays. I take my coffee and tea (both hot and cold) unsweetened. If I want something sweet I'll have juice or pop. On rare occasion I might add some honey (never sugar) to a cup of herbal tea.

Also, for a while there was a lot of backlash in the US during the 80-s and 90's against artificial sweeteners, especially saccharine, which was semi-banned until the early 2000's. Maybe that also hindered the popularity of sweetener tablets here?

In the UK, you still get small packets of granulated sugar and sugar substitutes in a small bowl on the table of cafes etc. I don't think they've ever provided the little packs of tablets. People had to buy those themselves. My father always had a packet with him, going back as far as the late 1970s.

Although I can't access the actual report, this came up on Google when I searched "sugar substitute market share in usa 2023":



I wouldn't say that sweeteners are exactly unpopular!

Most of those who use them simply call them 'sweeteners'. (tablets/pills)

Artificial sweeteners aside, here is an addendum just for fun. In current usage pill and tablet are synonymous, but a century ago pills were spherical and tablets were as they are today. I happen to know this odd little fact because my great-grandfather's occupation was pill-roller. The pharmacist (chemist in BrE) would choose and measure out the ingredients and great-grandad would roll them into spherical pills by hand.