Although English is the language of both the United Kingdom and the United States, there are some words that are either somewhat or entirely different. This is quite usual among countries that speak a similar language but are home to different cultures that have each evolved in their own expressive directions over recent centuries. There are some spelling differences between US and UK lexis and this is addressed in a separate post: a UK to US spelling list.
This post details the differences in words. While this post focuses on the UK and the US, because this is a frequently recurring topic with English language students, there are other standard Englishes around the world and these, too, have their own lexis and spellings to a certain extent.
Below is an alphabetical dictionary of UK to US vocabulary, for your reference.
A
Aeroplane = Airplane
Aluminium = Aluminum
Aubergine = Eggplant
Autumn = Fall
B
Barrister = Attorney
Bill = Check
Bin (for rubbish) = Trashcan
Biscuit = Cookie
Bloke/ Chap = Dude
Bonnet (of a car) = Hood
Booking = Reservation
Boot (of a car) = Trunk
Braces = Suspenders
Buggy (Push chair) = Stroller
Bum bag = Fanny pack
C
Candy floss = Cotton candy
Caravan = Trailer
Carpark = Parking lot
Cellar = Basement
Chemist = Drugstore
Cheque = Check
Chips = Fries
Cinema = Movie theater
Coach = Bus
Continuous tense = Progressive tense
Coriander = Cilantro
Courgette = Zucchini
Crisps = Chips
Curtains = Drapes
D
Dressing gown = Bathrobe
Dummy = Pacifier
Dustbin = Trashcan
E
Estate agency = Real estate agency
Estate car = Station wagon
F
Film = Movie
Fitted (past tense of to fit) = Fit
Flat = Apartment
Football = Soccer
Fringe = Bangs
Full stop = Period
G
Garden = Yard
Gearbox = Transmission
Gear lever = Stick shift
Ground floor = First floor
H
High street -= Main street
Hob = Stovetop
Holiday = Vacation
Hoover = Vacuum cleaner
I
Ill = Sick
Insect = Bug
Inverted commas = Quotation marks
J
Jam = Jelly
Jelly = Jello
Jumper = Sweater
Junction = Intersection
L
Ladybird = Ladybug
Launderette = Laundromat
Lead (for dogs) = Leash
Lent (past tense of the verb to lend) = Loaned
Lift = Elevator
Loo = Bathroom
Love (endearment) = Honey
Lorry = Truck
M
Main road = Highway
Maths = Math
Mobile (phone) = Cellphone
Mobile home = Trailer
Motorway = Freeway/ Interstate
Mum = Mom
N
Nappy = Diaper
Note (Pound note) = Bill (Dollar bill)
Nought = Zero
P
Pants = Underpants
Pavement = Sidewalk
Pedestrian crossing = Crosswalk
Petrol = Gas
Plait = Braid
Plimsolls = Sneakers
Polo neck = Turtle neck
Pop/ Soft drinks = Soda
Porridge = Oatmeal
Post = Mail
Postcode = Zipcode
Pram = Baby carriage
Pub = Bar
Pudding = Sweet / Dessert
Q
Queue = Line
R
Railway = Railroad
Resign = Quit
Reverse charges = Collect call
Roundabout = Circle
Rubber = Eraser
Rubbish = Garbage/ Trash
S
Sack (to be sacked) = Fire (to be fired)
Settee/ Sofa = Couch
Shop = Store
Shopping Centre = Mall
Solicitor = Lawyer/ Attorney
Spanner = Wrench
Spat (past tense of spit) = Spit
Sunglasses = Shades
Sweets = Candy
T
Tap = Faucet
Telephone box = Phone booth
Term = Semester
Tin = Can
Torch = Flashlight
Trainers = Sneakers
Trolley (supermarket) = Cart
Trousers = Pants
Tube/ Underground = Subway
Tyre = Tire
V
Vest = Undershirt
W
Waistcoat = Vest
Wardrobe = Closet
Wellies = Rubber boots
Windscreen = Windshield
Wing mirror = Side mirror
Z
Zebra crossing = Crosswalk
Zip = Zipper
Interestingly many of these distinctions are either automotive or related to clothing and food! If anyone knows of any good additions, please do let me know!
Please, also see this post on the differences between UK and US spellings.
Exercises to practise
Test your knowledge with this quiz. Make sure your answers are one word only.
BIBIOGRAPHY:
Bragg, Melvyn. The Adventure of English (Hodder & Stoughton, 2003)
Bryson, Bill. Notes from a Small Island (Random House, 1993)
Bryson, Bill. The Mother Tongue: English and how it got that way (Perennial, 2001)
Crystal, David. The Stories of English (Penguin, 2005)
Crystal, David. Spell it Out: The Singular Story of English Spelling (Profile Books, 2013)
Crystal, David. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, 3rd edn (Cambridge University Press, 2019)
Dreyer, Benjamin. Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style (Penguin Random House, 2020)
Moore, Erin. That’s Not English: Britishisms and What Our English Says About Us (Penguin Random House, 2015)
I found this to be quite interesting, as I knew there were some differences in word usage for the U.S. and UK. I work for a UK-based company, so I see many communications that have different word usage or spellings, i.e. “favourite” vs. “favorite.”
Some of the differences you have listed I think are the result of just bad word usage on the part of Americans. For instance you mentioned that in the UK, they say “lie (down), while in the US, they say “lay (down). For Americans, “lay” should only be used if it is past tense. “I lay in the bed all day.” It should not be used for present tense. We should only use “lay” in present tense or with a helping word if the sentence has a direct object, i.e. I will lay the basket on the table.
I do find this list fascinating, or as they say in the UK, BRILLIANT!
Hi Scott, thank you so much for your response. I shall remove the lay/lie section from this list as I have indeed researched this and found that to be true according to both David Crystal and Benjamin Dreyer! Thank you for commenting on this. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
This blog post is very useful and informative for anyone who wants to learn the differences between British and American English. It provides a comprehensive list of words and phrases that have different meanings or spellings in the two versions of English.
I found it very interesting to see some words that I used to say when I lived in London when I was 12 years old (I was born in Venezuela so English is not my native language). For example, I used to call the apartment where we lived a “flat”, and the elevator in the building a “lift”. I never realized before that these two words are not currently used in the U.S.
This blog post helped me understand how these words are different in American English. Thank you for sharing this great resource!
Hi Pablo, thank you so much for your interesting comments. In fact, there are some people in America who do prefer the British words such as ‘lift’, and there are those in Britain who like to use American words like ‘elevator’, and that is indeed often related to the fact that many people are not aware of the origins of the words. This all adds to the colour of our language!