The scone is a small British quickbread (or cake if recipe includes sugar) of Scottish origin. Scones are especially popular in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and Canada, but are eaten in many other countries. They are usually made of wheat, barley or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent.

The scone is a basic component of the cream tea or Devonshire tea. The pronunciation of the word across the United Kingdom varies. According to one academic study, nearly two thirds of the British population and 99% of the Scottish population pronounce it as /skɒn/, to rhyme with "con" and "John." The rest pronounce it /skəʊn/, to rhyme with "cone" and "Joan." British dictionaries usually show the "con" form as the preferred pronunciation, while recognizing that the "cone" form also exists.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, scone derives perhaps from the Middle Dutch schoonbrood (fine white bread), from schoon (pure, clean) and brood (bread). The word is attested in the Scots language long before it was in more general use in the English language. The first mention of the word was by a Scottish poet in 1513.

The original scone was round and flat, usually the size of a small plate. It was made with unleavened oats and baked on a griddle (or girdle, in the Scots language), then cut into triangle-like quadrants for serving. Today, many would call the large round cake a bannock, and call the quadrants scones.

In Scotland, the words are often used interchangeably.

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