British English and American English

British people and American people can always

understand each other – but there are a few notable
differences between British English and American
EnglishGrammarAmericans use the present
perfect tense less than speakers of British English
and a British teacher might mark wrong some things
that an American teacher would say are correct.
• US Did you do your homework yet?
• Brit. Have you done your homework yet?

• US I already ate.
• Brit. I’ve already eaten.

In British English, ‘have got’ is often used for the

possessive sense of ‘have’ and ‘have got to’ is
informally used for ‘have to’. This is much less
common in American English.
• Brit. I’ve got two sisters.
• US I have two sisters.

• Brit. I’ve got to go now.

• US I have to go now.

There are a number of other minor grammatical

differences.VocabularyThere are a lot of examples
of different words being used in British and
American English. Here are a few of the most
common.
British English American English
anti-clockwise counter-clockwise
articulated lorry trailer truck
autumn autumn, fall
barrister attorney
bill (restaurant) bill, check
biscuit cookie
block of flats apartment building
bonnet (clothing) hat
bonnet (car) hood
boot trunk
caravan trailer
car park parking lot
chemist's shop drugstore, pharmacy
dresser, chest of
chest of drawers
drawers, bureau
chips fries, French fries
the cinema the movies
clothes peg clothespin
coffin coffin, casket
crisps potato chips
intersection;
crossroads
crossroads (rural)
cupboard (in kitchen);
cupboard
closet (for clothes etc)
diversion detour
drawing-pin thumbtack
drink-driving drunk driving
driving licence driver's license
dual carriageway freeway, highway
dummy (for baby) pacifier
dustbin garbage can, trash can
dustman garbage collector
engine engine, motor
estate agent real estate agent
estate car station wagon
film movie
flat apartment, studio
flat tyre flat tire
flyover overpass
gearbox (car) transmission
gear-lever gearshift
Girl Guide Girl Scout
ground floor ground/first floor
handbag, purse,
handbag
shoulder bag
high street main street
holiday vacation
hood (car) convertible top
jam jam, preserves
jug jug, pitcher
juggernaut 18-wheeler
lift elevator
lorry truck, semi, tractor
mad crazy, insane
main road highway
maize corn
maths math
motorbike motorcycle
motorway freeway, expressway
motorway highway, freeway,
expressway, interstate
 highway, interstate
nappy diaper
naughts and crosses tic-tack-toe
pants, underpants underpants, drawers
pavement sidewalk
pet hate pet peeve
petrol gas, gasoline
The Plough Big Dipper
pocket money allowance
post mail
postbox mailbox
postcode zip code
mailman, mail carrier,
postman
letter carrier
pub bar
rest room, public
public toilet
bathroom
railway railroad
return (ticket) round-trip
reverse charge collect call
ring road beltway,
 freeway/highway loop
road surface pavement, blacktop
traffic circle,
roundabout
roundabout
rubber eraser
rubbish garbage, trash
rubbish-bin garbage can, trashcan
saloon (car) sedan
shop shop, store
silencer (car) muffler
single (ticket) one-way
solicitor lawyer, attorney
spanner wrench
sweets candy
taxi taxi, taxi cab
tea towel dish towel
telly (informal), TV television, TV
third-party insurance liability insurance
timetable schedule
tin can
toll motorway toll road, turnpike
torch flashlight
trousers pants, trousers
tube (train) subway
underground (train) subway
vest undershirt
waistcoat vest
wallet wallet, billfold
rubber boots, rain
wellington boots
boots
whisky whisky/whiskey
windscreen windshield
zip zipper

There are British words which many Americans will

not understand and vice versa. There are also words
which exist in both British and American English but
have very different meanings.SpellingThere are
also a number of different spelling rules between
British English and American English.1 Some words
that end in ‘-tre’ in British English end in ‘-ter’ in
American English.
• US theater, center
• Brit. theatre, centre

2 Some words that end in ‘-our’ in British English

end in ‘-or’ in American English.
• US color, labor
• Brit. colour, labour

3 Some words are shorter in American English than

in British English.
• US catalog, program
• Brit. catalogue, programme

There are other minor spelling differences between

British and American English.

Exercise 1.
Here is a list of British English words - find the
correct American English expression:
Use the following words!
elevator - potato chips - baggage - notebook - garbage
can - subway - railroad - vacation - movies - flashlight -
truck - automobile - restroom - candies - pants -
sneakers - purse - French fries - cookies - airplane - cell
phone - fall - student - cab - gas station - mail box -
eraser - drugstore

British English American English

lavatory
chemist's
lorry
lift
biscuits
luggage
car
post box
trousers
cinema
chips
crisps
rubbish bin
petrol station
handbag
pupil
mobile phone
trainers
sweets
aeroplane
torch
autumn
holiday
taxi
railway
underground train
rubber
exercise book

Exercise 2.
Decide whether these sentences were said by
an American or British person:
1. I already took the trash out.
a. US
b. Brit
2. I've got to put some petrol in the car.
a. US
b. Brit
3. I just spilt wine on my pants.
a. US
b. Brit
4. Take the elevator up to my apartment.
a. US
b. Brit
5. Have you changed the baby's nappy yet?
a. US
b. Brit
6. Did you see the new Batman film?
a. US
b. Brit
7. I love the fall, it's my favorite season.
a. US
b. Brit
8. They took the underground to the city centre.
a. US
b. Brit
9. The park is in the centre of our town.
a. US
b. Brit
10. We have to hand in our resume before Friday.
a. US
b. Brit