American English are the variants of the same language. We easily find that British English is slightly different than American English in terms of pronunciation, meaning, spelling, grammar, punctuation and the usage. The most perceptible difference between British English and American English is Vocabulary . The following tables show how British English words are different from American English words.
BRITISH ENGLISH AMERICAN ENGLISH
accelerator gas pedal, accelerator
accommodation accommodations
action replay instant replay
aerial antenna
aerofoil airfoil
aeroplane airplane
agony aunt advice columnist
aluminium aluminum
angry mad
aniseed anise
anorak jacket, parka
anticlockwise counterclockwise
anywhere anyplace
appetizer starter
articulated lorry trailer truck
asymmetric bars uneven bars
aubergine eggplant
autumn fall
baking tray cookie sheet
bank note bill
barrister attorney
base rate prime rate
beetroot beet
bill check
bin, dustbin garbage can/trash can
biro ball-point pen
biscuit cookie
block of flats apartment building
boiler suit coveralls
bonnet hood
boob tube tube top
boot trunk
bottom drawer hope chest
bowls lawn bowling
braces suspenders
breakdown van tow truck
breeze block cinder block
bridging loan bridge loan
candy floss cotton candy
car park parking lot
caravan trailer
caretaker janitor
casualty emergency room
catalogue catalog
catapult slingshot
centre center
BRITISH ENGLISH AMERICAN ENGLISH
chemist drugstore
chips French fries
cinema movies
cling film plastic wrap
clothes peg clothespin
coffin coffin, casket
colour color
common seal harbor seal
constable patrolman
cooker stove
cornflour cornstarch
cosy cozy
cot crib
cotton thread
cotton bud cotton swab
court card face card
crash wreck
crash barrier guardrail
crisps chips
crocodile clip alligator clip
cross-ply bias-ply
crossroads intersection
current account checking account
curriculum vitae (CV) resume
curtains drapes
danger money hazard pay
dialling tone dial tone
dinner jacket tux, tuxedo
directory enquiries directory assistance
diversion detour
double cream heavy cream
draught draft
draughts checkers
drawing pin thumbtack
dressing gown robe, bathrobe
drink-driving drunk driving
drinks cupboard liquor cabinet
drinks party cocktail party
driving licence driver’s license
dual carriageway divided highway
dummy pacifier
dust sheet drop cloth
dustbin garbage can, trash can
dustman garbage collector
duvet comforter
dynamo generator
BRITISH ENGLISH AMERICAN ENGLISH
earth wire ground wire
engaged busy
engine engine, motor
engine driver engineer
enquiry inquiry
estate car station wagon
ex-directory unlisted
expiry date expiration date
faith school parochial school
fancy dress costumes
Father Christmas Santa Claus
favourite favorite
film movie
financial year fiscal year
fire brigade fire department
first floor second floor
fish finger fish stick
fizzy drink soda
flannel washcloth
flat apartment
flavour flavor
flyover overpass
football soccer
footway sidewalk
fortnight two weeks
fringe bangs
full stop period (punctuation)
garden yard
gear lever gear shift
gearbox (car) transmission
gearing (finance) leverage
gear-lever gear-shift
goods train freight train
graduate alumnus
green fingers green thumb
grill boiler
ground floor first floor
groundsman groundskeeper
hairslide barrette
handbag purse
harbour harbor
hatstand hatrack
Headmaster Principal
high street main street
hire purchase installment plan
hoarding billboard
hob stovetop
BRITISH ENGLISH AMERICAN ENGLISH
holiday vacation
holidaymaker vacationer
homely homey
hood (car) convertible top
hoover vacuum cleaner
humour humor
ill sick
indicator blinker, turn signal
interval intermission
jacket potato baked potato
jewellery jewelry
jug pitcher
jumble sale yard sale
jumper sweater
kennel doghouse
kilometre kilometer
ladybird ladybug
letterbox, postbox mailbox
level crossing grade crossing
lift elevator
litre liter
lolly lollipop
loose cover slipcover
lorry truck
luggage baggage
luggage van baggage car
mackintosh raincoat
mad crazy
main road highway
maize corn
match game
maths math
mean stingy
BRITISH ENGLISH AMERICAN ENGLISH
milometer odometer
mobile phone cell phone
monkey tricks monkeyshines
motorbike motorcycle
motorway freeway, expressway
Mum Mom
nappy diaper
nasty vicious, mean
needlecord pinwale
newsreader newscaster
nowhere noplace
number plate license plate
nursing home private hospital
off-licence liquor store
optician optometrist
ordinary share common stock
oven glove oven mitt
paddling pool wading pool
paracetamol acetaminophen
paraffin kerosene
patience solitaire
pavement sidewalk
pay packet pay envelope
pedestrian crossing crosswalk
peep peek
peg clothespin
pelmet valance
pet hate pet peeve
petrol gas, gasoline
physiotherapy physical therapy
BRITISH ENGLISH AMERICAN ENGLISH
pinafore dress jumper
plain chocolate dark chocolate
plain flour all-purpose flour
pocket money allowance
polo neck turtleneck
positive discrimination reverse discrimination
post mail
postal vote absentee ballot
postbox mailbox
postcode zip code
postman mailman, mail carrier
potato crisp potato chip
power point electrical outlet
pram baby carriage
press stud snap
pub bar
public school private school
public toilet restroom
public transport public transportation
punchbag punching bag
puncture blow-out
pushchair stroller
pushchair stroller
pylon utility pole
quantity surveyor estimator
queue line
racing car race car
railway railroad
railway carriage railway car
real tennis court tennis
recorded delivery certified mail
reel of cotton spool of thread
registration plate license plate
remould (tyre) retread
return (ticket) round trip
reverse charge collect call
reverse the charges call collect
reversing lights back-up lights
right-angled triangle right triangle
ring road beltway
road surface pavement
roundabout traffic circle
rowing boat rowboat
rubber eraser
rubbish garbage, trash
rubbish-bin garbage can, trashcan
sailing boat sailboat
saloon (car) sedan
sandpit sandbox
sandwich cake layer cake
sanitary towel sanitary napkin
self-raising flour self-rising flour
sellotape Scotch tape
share option stock option
shop store
shopping trolley shopping cart
silencer (car) muffler
silverside rump roast
single (ticket) one-way
skimmed milk skim milk
skipping rope jump rope
skirting board baseboard
sledge sled
sleeper railroad tie
sleeping partner silent partner
slowcoach slowpoke
BRITISH ENGLISH AMERICAN ENGLISH
snakes and ladders chutes and ladders
solicitor lawyer, attorney
somewhere someplace
soya/soya bean soy/soybean
spanner wrench
splashback backsplash
spring onion scallion
stag night bachelor party
starter appetizer
state school public school
storm in a teacup tempest in a teapot
sump oil pan
surtitle supertitle
swede rutabaga
sweet dessert
sweets candy
tap faucet
taxi cab
tea towel dish towel
term semester
terrace house row house
the cinema the movies
third-party insurance liability insurance
tick check mark
ticket tout scalper
tights pantyhose
timber lumber
timetable schedule
tin can
titbit tidbit
to bath to bathe
to fill in to fill out
to hire to rent
to lay the table to set the table
toll motorway turnpike
torch flashlight
touch wood knock on wood
trade union labor union
trading estate industrial park
trainers sneakers
tramp hobo
transport cafe truck stop
trolley shopping cart
trousers pants
tube (train) subway
turn-ups cuffs
twelve-bore twelve-gauge
underground subway
underpants shorts
University College
vacuum flask thermos bottle
vest undershirt
veterinary surgeon veterinarian
wagon (on a train) car
waistcoat vest
walking frame walker
wardrobe closet
wash your hands wash up
water ice Italian ice
weatherboard clapboard
whisky whisky/whiskey
white coffee coffee with cream
white spirit mineral spirits
wholemeal bread wholewheat bread
windcheater windbreaker
windscreen windshield
wing fender
worktop countertop
zebra crossing crosswalk
zip zipper
