What are learners of English taught to call Coke, Sprite, etc.?

About 15 years back there was actually a lawsuit over HoJo's restaurant serving HoJoCola when someone asked for a Coke/Pepsi without telling them. HoJo lost.

Do Americans know the term "soft drink" and do they ever use it?

''soft drink'' is a term that's commonly used in U.S. fast food commercials.

So why don't Americans use "soft drink" commonly instead of "pop" or "soda" that non-Americans don't really know or confuse with other things.

I would say that it's because when people are speaking their own language in their own country they don't worry too much about whether or not people who are not from their country are confused. When Americans are not in the US, they would have to adapt and use the term that is used wherever they are.

My friend calls it pop and rarely soft drink. I say Coke or soft drink. When I'm ordering it at a restaurant I usually say Coke and if they don't have that specific brand, they usually bring whatever generic cola they've got or mention that they have another cola. Asking for Coke is kind of like asking for Kleenex or Vicks (vapor rub). The brand name became so popular that although you may not need that specific brand name, you'll ask for it by that name anyways.

Pokémon videogames use 'soda pop'. This might be because they sell the games everywhere, and they want to be understood with any of the two words, or maybe there's a place where 'soda pop' is used.

About the "perfect world" and the "real world": When I eat at KFC ad I ask for a Sprite, they tell me that they don't have, and they ask me if I'd want 7 Up instead.

I'm in California, and I say ''Soda''.

LOL...to me it would sound so funny if someone said "Hey, do you wanna go down to the gas station and get a soft drink" LOL Too funny.

"Pokémon videogames use 'soda pop'. This might be because they sell the games everywhere, and they want to be understood with any of the two words, or maybe there's a place where 'soda pop' is used. "

I believe that's an old term... I don't think I've ever heard it used in real life.

"Soda" and "pop" probably originated as shortened forms, and have now replaced it almost everywhere. Of course, I could be wrong about that.

"LOL...to me it would sound so funny if someone said "Hey, do you wanna go down to the gas station and get a soft drink" LOL Too funny."

Yes, that would sound a little odd. "Soft drink" sounds kind of formal to me, but I don't know about anyone else. "Soda" sounds more natural.

In the United States ''soft drink'' sounds a bit formal, but in Australia I think they use it in everyday speech.

What you call it depends on where you live. "Soda," "soda pop," and "pop" are common in the U.S., depending on the region. Names like Coca-Cola, Coke, and Sprite are all registered trademarks. The "official" generic term for fizzy drinks (and all non-alcoholic drinks) in the US is "soft drinks" (as opposed to "hard drinks" that contain alcohol).

Cola is a generic term for drinks that have a characteristic "cola" flavor. Ironically, this flavor has nothing to do with kola nuts, despite the name. Cola flavoring is actually nothing more than vanilla and cinnamon flavoring. Sprite is flavored mostly with lemon and lime.

Soft drinks do not cause teeth to rot, any more than any other type of food.

Of course they don't cause teeth to rot. The high concentration of sugar in soft drink is a myth, not to mention the acid! You must be on the same diet as me... drink a bottle with each meal while trying to touch your toes -- I mean knees.

Meh ;P

Are you talking about phosphoric acid?

Yeah, in Australia "soft drink" is the everyday term, neither formal nor informal, just normal.

Coke, lemonade, soft drink