American and British English

These two varieties of English are very similar. The differences that exist are gradually disappearing, mainly because modern British English is heavily influenced by American English. The main differences are in vocabulary and idiom, but there are also differences in grammar, spelling and pronunciation.

Vocabulary

Sometimes the same word has different meanings (GB mad = ‘crazy’; US mad = ‘angry’). Very often different words are used for the same idea (GB lorry = US truck). Here are some examples:

American English	British English		American English	British English
airplane	aeroplane		pavement	road surface
anyplace/anywhere	anywhere		pitcher	jug
apartment	flat/apartment		purse, handbag	handbag
area code (phone)	dialling code		(potato) chips	crisps
attorney, lawyer	barrister, solicitor, lawyer		railroad	railway
busy (phone)	engaged		raise	rise (in salary)
call collect (phone)	reverse the charges		rest room	public toilet
can	tin		round trip	return (journey/ticket)
candy	sweets		schedule, timetable	timetable
check/bill (restaurant)	bill		sidewalk	pavement
coin-purse	purse		sneakers	trainers (= sports shoes)
cookie, cracker	biscuit		spigot, faucet	tap (outdoors)
corn	sweet corn,  maize		stand in line	queue
crazy	mad		store, shop	shop
cuffs (trousers)	turn-ups		subway	underground, tube
diaper	nappy		truck	lorry
doctor’s office	doctor’s surgery		trunk	boot (of a car)
dumb, stupid	stupid		two weeks	fortnight, two weeks
elevator	lift		vacation	holiday(s)
eraser	rubber, eraser		windshield	windscreen (of a car)
fall, autumn	autumn		zee	zed (name of letter ‘z’)
faucet, tap	tap		stroller	pram, pushchair
first floor, second floor	ground floor, first floor		shopping cart	shopping trolley
flashlight	torch		cell phone	mobile phone
flat (tire)	flat tyre, puncture		checking account	current account
french fries	chips		turn signal	indicator
garbage, trash	rubbish		Add your own examples:
garbage can, trashcan	dustbin, rubbish bin
gas(oline)	petrol
gear shift (on a car)	gear lever
highway, freeway	main road, motorway
hood (on a car)	bonnet
intersection	crossroads
mad	angry
mail	post
mean	nasty
movie, film	film
movie theater	cinema
one-way (ticket)	single (ticket)
pants, trousers	pants

 

Expressions with prepositions and particles

American English	British English		American English	British English
different from/than	different from/to		live on a street	live in a street
check something out	check something		on a team	in a team
do something over/again	do something again		Monday through Friday	Monday to Friday
be good in something	be good at something		Please write me soon.	Please write to me soon.
fill out a form	fill in a form

Grammar

American English		British English
He just went home.  (Or: He’s just gone home.)	The use of the simple past is more common in AE.	He’s just gone home.
Did you eat already? I ate already.		Have you eaten yet? I’ve already eaten.
Do you have a problem? (Or: Have you got a problem?)		Have you got a problem?
I’ve never really gotten to know her.		I’ve never really got to know her.
(on the phone) Hello, is this Susan?		Hello, is that Susan?
It looks like it’s going to rain.		It looks as if/like it’s going to rain.
He looked at me real strange. (very informal) (Or: He looked at me really strangely.)		He looked at me really strangely.
He probably has arrived by now. (Or: He has probably arrived by now.)		He has probably arrived by now.

Spelling

A number of words end in –or in American English and in –our in British English (e.g. color/colour).

Some words end in –er in American English and in –re in British English (e.g. center/centre).

Many verbs which end in –ize in American English (e.g. realize) can be spelt in British English with –ize or –ise.

Here are some of the commonest words with different forms:

American English	British English		American English	British English
aluminum	aluminium		pajamas	pyjamas
analyze	analyse		paralyze	paralyse
catalog	catalogue		practice, practise	practise (verb)
center	centre		program	programme
check	cheque		organize	organise/organize
color	colour		theater	theatre
defense	defence		tire	tyre
honor	honour		gray	grey
jewelry	jewellery		whiskey	(Scotch) whisky
labor	labour		spelt	spelled

Further points

	American English	British English
The trend to eliminate periods (BE: full stops) is more marked in American English.	A.D. Mrs. e.g.	AD Mrs eg
British English can be more restrained, concise or impersonal.	This problem is an ongoing situation.	This problem continues.
	The project team is violating accepted norms.	The project team is breaking the rules.
	You are not obligated to do this.	You are not obliged to do this.
	You did a fantastic job.	You’ve done rather well.