Sixty American English Words and their British English Counterparts

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Although the Spellzone course was written in the UK, it covers both British English and American English spellings. The different spellings of a words are highlighted throughout the course, and you can choose whether you would prefer to take a British English or an American English version of a test. Click here to read an overview of the main differences between American English and British English spellings, and here for more detailed information.

It’s not just spellings you need to watch out for though! Some words have different meanings depending on whether they are used in an American English or a British English context. The word ‘pants’ in American English, for example, refers to an item of clothing which is used to cover the legs (i.e. trousers), whereas in British English the word refers to underwear. Today we’re going to look at some American English words, and their British English counterparts. Scroll down to read more!

 

British English

American English

     
1.

flat

apartment

2.

appetizer

starter

3.

fringe

bangs

4.

hairslide

barrette

5.

grill

broil

6.

grill

broiler

7.

sweet(s)

candy

8.

mobile phone

cell phone

9.

crisps

chips

10.

snakes and ladders

chutes and ladders

11.

wardrobe

closet

12.

biscuit

cookie, cracker

13.

candyfloss

cotton candy

14.

anticlockwise

counter clockwise

15.

cot

crib

16.

nappy

diaper

17.

chemist

drugstore

18.

aubergine

eggplant

19.

junior school, primary school

elementary school

20.

lift

elevator

21.

motorway

expressway, highway
22.

chips

French fries

23.

dustbin

garbage can

24.

petrol

gas, gasoline

25.

bonnet

hood (of a car)

26.

skipping rope

jump rope

27.

number plate

license plate

28.

off-licence

liquor store

29.

postbox

mailbox

30.

oven glove

oven mitt

31.

dummy

pacifier
32.

trousers

pants

33.

tights

pantyhose

34.

car park

parking lot

35.

parting

part (in hair)

36.

full stop

period (punctuation)

37.

public school

private school

38.

state school

public school

39.

dressing gown

robe, bathrobe

40.

shopping trolley

shopping cart

41.

pavement

sidewalk
42.

sledge

sled

43.

trainers

sneakers

44.

football

soccer

45.

hundreds and thousands

sprinkles (for ice cream)

46.

pushchair

stroller

47.

underground

subway

48.

braces

suspenders

49.

jumper

sweater

50.

takeaway

takeout (food)

51.

drawing pin

thumbtack
52.

noughts and crosses

tic-tac-toe

53.

boot

trunk (of a car)

54.

indicator

turn signal (on a car)

55.

vest

undershirt

56.

holiday

vacation

57.

waistcoat

vest

58.

flannel

washcloth

59.

postcode

zip code

60.

courgette

zucchini

Can you think of any other British English words that have a different meaning in America? Or any American English words that have a different meaning in Britain? Tweet them to us or leave a comment below, and we’ll include them in our next list!

If you found this article useful, why not check out our other blog posts on the American English language?

Have a great week!

Avani Shah


25 Nov 2014
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"Thank goodness for Spellzone during this remote learning phase. The site is easy for students to navigate independently and they're really enjoying the activities and spelling games. You get an awful lot for your money with Spellzone. Really reassuring is the very prompt response with helpdesk queries. I've very rarely needed the helpdesk, but when I have, the issue has been addressed and sorted within a very short time."

Sarah Taggart, Oasis Academy Lord's Hill