Difference between scones and biscuit?

• Scones (UK usage) are a quick bread, usually moderately sweet. They are baked on a sheet pan, sometimes sliced into wedges,sometimes cut into rounds or other shapes. They are similar to, but sweeter than American style biscuits.

• Biscuits (UK usage) or cookies (US usage) are very small, flat cake-like confections, usually rich in butter and sugar. They are also baked on sheet pans, in individual portions typically only a couple of inches across (although sizes vary widely). They come in a myriad varieties and flavors.

  

  Typical flavorings are vanilla, chocolate, nuts, citrus. Some of the simpler varieties allow the butter flavor to come through.

• Biscuit (US usage) or tea biscuit (UK usage, one variant) are a type of quick bread charactarized by flat, flaky layers. They are typically cut in rounds a couple of inches across, and tend to be about an inch tall. They are usually only very lightly sweetened if sweetened at all.

  

• Tea biscuit (UK usage, another variant) or teacake are biscuits or cookies traditionally served with tea. They tend to be fairly neutral in flavor.

  

• Muffins (UK usage) or English muffins (US usage) are small yeast-raised breads which are griddled in rings, rather than baked in an oven. They tend to be a couple of inches across, and about half an inch tall. They are often split and served toasted.

  

• Muffins (US usage) or American Muffins (UK usage) are a quick bread, usually moderately sweet, baked in single serving portions in muffin tins (the same pans used for cupcakes).

  

Why add to the nightmare by dragging in Muffins. Scones, Tea biscuits and American biscuits all had the same origin it seems.

Scones are a tad denser than tea biscuits I think, with Scones being the mother of all of them.

Tea biscuits and American biscuits (Southern style), are similar. American biscuits (Southern style), due to influence of commercialization (Fast food places), became more lighter and fluffier (and unhealthier), and are eaten at lunch and dinner, instead of breakfast.

In Canada (Ontario) we have both Scones and Tea biscuits, but no southern type biscuits, you have to go to Popeye's to get that. Sometimes the tea biscuit also looks like scones, a with raisins or baked with cheese in the batter. In Canada, scones are generally triangular, and that's how you tell the difference. New England and Canada still have/ make the original tea biscuit.