What is the basic differences between espresso, cappuccino, and latte? I'm just getting into the coffee world, and I'm assaulted with words such as latte, espresso, etc. What are the basic differences between coffee preparations like espresso, cappuccino, and latte? Is the difference a matter of coffee-to-milk ratio or are there other aspects involved such as bitterness, acidity, caffeine amount, and serving size?
I'm going to assume that you've had an espresso. It's a small-cup of coffee extracted under very high pressure. It's delicious by itself and some like to add sugar. 

So, what is a latte?
Take a shot of espresso and add steamed milk 

What is a cappuccino?
Take a shot of espresso and add steam milk.

So, what's the difference between a latte and a cappuccino? Are they the same thing?

No. (Unless you're in a really bad diner in which case you shouldn't be ordering lattes there.)

There are several differences between a latte and a cappuccino.

One is the ratio of milk to espresso. A cappuccino is 1-1 milk to espresso and the latte is 2-1 milk to espresso. 

Another difference is that the milk is treated differently. In a latte the milk is heated as opposed to being frothed. In a cappuccino the milk is frothed (converted into a microfoam) to about double it's original volume. (If you've ever heated or foamed milk you'll have noticed how the milk changes state as it's being heated.) 

Finally the way the milk and espresso are combined is different. In a latte the heated milk and espresso are poured together into a serving cup. Whatever microfoam might have been created while heating the milk is then poured over the top. In a cappuccino the frothed microfoam is poured over the espresso.

It gets more involved than this but I'll let others answer those questions.