British vs. American English Words: 301 Differences You Didn’t Know

Despite their shared roots, British English and American English have evolved over time to become two distinct dialects of the English language. This is evident in the many differences in vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation between the two.

In this article, we explore a whopping 301 differences between the British and American English language and their vocabulary.

British vs. American English Word Themes

Here are a few common themes that emerge when comparing British and American English words:

• American English tends to be more informal and simplified than British English: For example, Americans often use the word “pants” to refer to both trousers and underwear, while Britons use the words “trousers” and “underwear”, respectively. Additionally, Americans often use contractions such as “can’t” and “won’t”, while Britons are more likely to use the full forms “cannot” and “will not”.
• American English has adopted many words from other languages, while British English has retained more of its original vocabulary: For example, the American word “cookie” is derived from the Dutch word “koekje”, while the British word “biscuit” is derived from the Old French word “bescuit”.
• American English has a tendency to shorten words, while British English is more likely to retain the full form: For example, Americans often use the word “beet” to refer to the dark purple vegetable, while Britons use the full term “beetroot”.

List of Differences Between British and American English Words

Here are 301 differences between British and American words, spanning across food and drink, clothing, household items, and much more.

British English	American English
A
a full stop	a period
aerial	antenna
alsatian	german shepherd
american indian	native american
an exclamation mark	an exclamation point
angry	mad
anti-clockwise	counter-clockwise
anywhere	anyplace
appetiser	starter
articulated lorry	trailer truck
aubergine	eggplant
autumn	autumn, fall
B
banger	sausage
bank holiday	national holiday
curriculum vitae, CV	resume
barrister	attorney
base rate	prime interest rate
bathing costume	swimsuit
beetroot	beet
bill	check
bin, dustbin, rubbish bin	garbage can, trash can
biro	ballpoint pen
biscuit	cookie
block of flats	apartment building
bonnet (car)	hood
bonnet (clothing)	hat
boot	trunk
bottom	backside
braces	suspenders
bum bag	fanny pack
C
candyfloss	cotton candy
car boot sale	yard sale
car park	parking lot
caravan	trailer
caretaker	janitor
cashier	teller
catalogue	catalog
chap	guy
chemist	drugstore
chest of drawers	dresser, chest of drawers, bureau
chips	fries, french fries
cinema	movie theater
cling film	plastic wrap
cloakroom	checkroom
clothes peg	clothespin
coffin	coffin, casket
condom	rubber
constable	patrolman
cooker	stove
corn, wheat	wheat
cot	crib
cotton	thread
cotton wool	cotton ball
courgette	zucchini
crash	wreck
crisps	potato chips
crossroads	intersection; crossroads (rural)
cupboard	cupboard (in the kitchen); closet (for clothes etc.)
curly brackets	curly braces
cupboard (in the kitchen); closet (for clothes etc)	resume
curtains	drapes
D
dear	expensive
dinner jacket, blazer	tuxedo
directory enquiries	directory assistance
diversion	detour
doll’s house	dollhouse
double cream	heavy cream
draught	draft
draughts	checkers
draw	tie
drawing-pin	thumbtack
dressing gown	robe, bathrobe
drink-driving	drunk driving
driving licence	driver’s license
dual carriageway	divided highway
dummy (for baby)	pacifier
dustman	garbage collector
duvet	comforter
dynamo	generator
E
earth wire	ground wire
engaged	busy
engine	engine, motor
enquiry	inquiry
estate agent	real estate agent
estate car	station wagon
everywhere	all over the place
expiry date	expiration date
F
fancy dress costume	halloween costume
father christmas	santa claus
film	film, movie
fire brigade	fire department
first floor	second floor
fish-fingers	fish-sticks
fizzy drink	soda pop
flannel	washcloth
flat	apartment, flat, studio
flyover	overpass
football	soccer
fortnight	two weeks
fringe	bangs
from monday to friday	from monday to friday, from monday through friday (friday included)
full stop	period (punctuation)
G
garden	yard
gear lever	gear shift
gearbox (car)	transmission
gents	men’s room
girl guide	girl scout
girl, lass	girl
graduate	alumnus
grill	boiler
ground floor	ground/first floor
gumshoes, wellington boots, wellies	rubbers, rain boots
H
hairpin	barrette
handbag	handbag, purse, shoulder bag
headmaster, headteacher	principal
hench	ripped
high street	main street
hire purchase	installment plan
hoarding	billboard
hockey	field hockey
holiday	vacation
hood (car)	convertible top
hoover	vacuum cleaner
hundreds and thousands	sprinkles (for ice cream)
I
ice lolly	popsicle
icing sugar	powdered sugar
ill	sick
indicator	turn signal (on a car)
interval	intermission
inverted commas, quotation marks	quotation marks
invigilate	proctor
J
jacket potato	baked potato
jam	jam, preserves
joe bloggs	joe blow
jug	jug, pitcher
juggernaut	18-wheeler
jumper	sweater
junior school, primary school	elementary school
K
kit	uniform
L
ladybird	ladybug
lift	elevator
lollypop man/woman	crossing guard
loo, bathroom	bathroom, restroom
lorry	truck, semi, tractor
lost property	lost and found
luggage	baggage
M
mackintosh, raincoat	raincoat
mad	crazy, insane
main road	highway
maize	corn
managing director	ceo
mashed potato, mash	mashed potatoes
match	game
mate	buddy
maths	math
mean	stingy
mobile phone	cell phone
motorbike	motorcycle
motorway	freeway, expressway
mum, mummy	mom, mommy, ma
N
nappy	diaper
nasty	vicious, mean
national insurance number	social security number
naughts and crosses	tic-tack-toe
nil (sport)	nothing, zero
notice board	bulletin board
nought, zero	zero
nowhere	noplace
number plate	license plate
nursing home	private hospital
O
off-license	liquor store
optician	optometrist
oven glove	oven mitt
P
pack of cards	deck of cards
packed lunch	sack lunch
packet of cigarettes	pack of cigarettes
pants, underpants	underpants, drawers
paracetamol	acetaminophen
paraffin	kerosene
parcel	package
parting	part (in hair)
pavement	sidewalk
pay rise	pay raise
peckish	hungry
pedestrian crossing	crosswalk
peep	peek
pepperbell	bell pepper
pet hate	pet peeve
petrol	gas, gasoline
phone box	phone booth
pitch	field
plane, aeroplane	airplane
plaster	band-aid
pocket money	allowance
policeman	police officer
polo neck	turtleneck
post	mail
postbox	mailbox
postcode, postal code	zip code
postman	mailman, mail carrier, letter carrier
pram, pushchair	baby carriage, baby buggy, stroller
prawns	shrimp
pub	bar
public toilet	rest room, public bathroom
puncture	blow-out
Q
queue	line
quid	buck
R
railway	railroad
railway carriage	railway car
reception	front desk
receptionist	secretary
reel of cotton	spool of thread
return ticket	round-trip ticket
reverse charge	collect call
ring road	beltway, freeway/highway loop
road surface	pavement, blacktop
rocket	arugula
round brackets	parentheses
roundabout	traffic circle, roundabout
rubber	eraser
rubbish	garbage, trash
rucksack	backpack
runner bean	string bean
S
saloon (car)	sedan
sandpit	sandbox
self-catering	no meals included
sellotape	scotch tape
share	stock
shop	shop, store
shop assistants	sales clerks
shopping trolleys	shopping cart
sick	nauseated
silencer (car)	muffler
single ticket	one-way ticket
skipping rope	jump rope
sledges	sled
snakes and ladders	chutes and ladders
soft toy	stuffed animal
solicitor	lawyer, attorney
somewhere	someplace
sorry	excuse me
spanner	wrench
sports day	field day
spot	pimple
square brackets	brackets
staff (of a university)	faculty
state school	public school
stock	inventory
subway	underpass
sultana	raisin
sump	oil pan
sweet	dessert
sweet shop	candy store
sweets	candy
T
takeaway	takeout (food)
tap	faucet
tap (outdoors)	spigot
taxi	taxi, taxi cab
tea towel	dish towel
telly	tv (television)
term	semester
the cinema	the movies
the plough	the big dipper
third-party insurance	liability insurance
tights	pantyhose
timetable	schedule
tin	can
tippex	white out
to bath	to bathe
to fill in	to fill out
to hire	to rent
to lay the table	to set the table
to queue	to line up
to ring	to call
to wash	to wash up
toll motorway	toll road, turnpike
torch	flashlight
town centre, city centre	downtown, city center
trainers	sneakers
tram	streetcar
tramp	hobo
treacle	molasses
trousers	pants, trousers
tube (train)	subway
turn-ups	cuffs
U
underlay	carpet pad
underpants	shorts
undertaker	mortician
V
verge (of road)	shoulder (of road)
vest	undershirt
W
waistcoat	vest
wallet	wallet, billfold
wardrobe	closet
wash your hands	wash up
whisky	whisky/whiskey
windscreen	windshield
wing	fender
Y
year	grade
Z
zebra crossing	cross walk
zed	zee
zip	zipper

Why are British English Words Different from American English Words?

The history of the English language is complex and fascinating. The differences between British and American English can be traced back to a number of factors, including:

• The geographical separation of the two countries: After the American Revolution, the United States began to develop its own unique culture and identity, which was reflected in its language.
• The influence of other languages: The United States has a much more diverse population than the United Kingdom, and this has led to the adoption of many words from other languages, such as Spanish, French, and German.
• The rise of mass media: In the 20th century, the rise of mass media such as radio, television, and the internet helped to standardise American English and spread it around the world.

Final Thoughts from UK vs. USA

Despite their differences, British English and American English are both vibrant and evolving languages. Both dialects have their own unique charm and character, and both are used by millions of people around the world.

If you’ve found this article on the word differences between the UK and the US, check out our article on the differences between British and American spellings.