Wednesday, May 23, 2012

British English vs. American English


British and American terms

British and American English often spell the same word differently, for example: labour/laborenthrall/enthral, orcentre/center. You can find out more about these differences here. 


There are also many cases in which the two varieties of English use different terms to describe the same thing. Here’s a list of various British words and expressions together with their American equivalents.

British English
American English
accommodation
accommodations
action replay
instant replay
aeroplane
airplane
anticlockwise
counterclockwise
asymmetric bars
uneven bars
aubergine
eggplant
bank holiday
legal holiday
beetroot
beet(s)
bill
check
biscuit
cookie; cracker
blanket bath
sponge bath
blind
(window) shade
block of flats
apartment building
bonnet (of a car)
hood
boot (of a car)
trunk
braces
suspenders
breakdown van
tow truck
bridging loan
bridge loan
candyfloss
cotton candy
car park
parking lot
casualty
emergency room
chemist
drugstore
chips
French fries
cinema
movie theater; the movies
cornflour
cornstarch
cotton wool
absorbent cotton
crisps
chips; potato chips
crocodile clip
alligator clip
current account
checking account
danger money
hazard pay
dialling tone
dial tone
diamante
rhinestone
double cream
heavy cream
dressing gown
robe; bathrobe
drinks party
cocktail party
driving licence
driver’s license
dummy (for a baby)
pacifier
dust sheet
drop cloth
dustbin
garbage can
earth (electrical)
ground
engaged (of a phone)
busy
fire brigade/service
fire company/department
first floor
second floor
flannel
washcloth
flat
apartment
flyover
overpass
football
soccer
full stop (punctuation)
period
garden
yard; lawn
goods train
freight train
ground floor
first floor
hoarding
billboard
holdall
carryall
holiday
vacation
holidaymaker
vacationer
in hospital
in the hospital
hot flush
hot flash
housing estate
housing development
ice lolly
Popsicle (trademark)
icing sugar
confectioners’ sugar
indicator (on a car)
turn signal
jelly babies
jelly beans
Joe Bloggs
Joe Blow
jumper
sweater
junior school
elementary school
kennel
doghouse
ladybird
ladybug
lift
elevator
loo (toilet)
john
lorry
truck
loudhailer
bullhorn
low loader
flatbed truck
lucky dip
grab bag
luggage van
baggage car
maize
corn
maths
math
mobile phone
cell phone
motorway
expressway; highway
mum/mummy
mom/mommy
nappy
diaper
newsreader
newscaster
noughts and crosses
tic-tac-toe
number plate
license plate
paracetamol
acetaminophen
parting (in hair)
part
patience
solitaire
pavement
sidewalk
pay packet
pay envelope
pedestrian crossing
crosswalk
petrol
gas; gasoline
plain chocolate
dark chocolate
plain flour
all-purpose flour
polo neck
turtleneck
postbox
mailbox
postcode
zip code
press-up
pushup
private soldier
GI
public school
private school
public transport
public transportation
punchbag
punching bag
pushchair
stroller
queue
line
racing car
race car
railway
railroad
real tennis
court tennis
registration plate
license plate
roundabout (at a fair)
carousel
sandwich cake
layer cake
sanitary towel
sanitary napkin
shopping trolley
shopping cart
snakes and ladders
chutes and ladders
solicitor
lawyer
spring onion
green onion
stag night
bachelor party
Stanley knife
utility knife
starter
appetizer
sweet(s)
candy
terrace house
row house
tick
check mark
tights
pantyhose
timber
lumber
trade union
labor union
trainers
sneakers
tram
streetcar; cable car
trolley
shopping cart
underground
subway
vest
undershirt
wagon (on a train)
car
zip
zipper

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