
British vs American Words 🇬🇧🇺🇸
British vs American Words List 🇬🇧🇺🇸
ADDucation’s list of British vs American words list focuses on words and phrases which can be misunderstood. Some cause confusion, others embarrassment, and some are just funny. We’ve left out simple spelling differences and words which have obvious alternatives. Cultural exchange is alive and well. British TV shows are popular in the US and American TV series are popular in the UK. Maybe comparing British vs American words will be redundant one day? Until then let’s celebrate the differences between British vs American words.
- ADDucation’s British vs American words list was compiled by Joe Connor and last updated .
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🇺🇸 US Word/Phrase | 🇬🇧 UK Word/Phrase | Keywords | Trivia & Usage of British vs American words |
---|---|---|---|
Acetaminophen | Paracetamol | Health | Paracetamol can relieve pain and lower fever and the main active ingredient in many formulations sold worldwide under brand names including Tylenol, Panadol and Calpol. One of those British vs American words that really should be standardized worldwide. |
airplane | aeroplane | Transport | |
apartment | flat | Home | |
Arugula | Rocket, salad leaves | Food | |
ass | donkey | Confusing | Potentially embarrassing British vs American words difference. |
baby carriage | pram | Baby | Pram (from perambulator) is often used for any wheeled baby transport in UK 🇬🇧. |
baking soda | bicarbonate of soda | Food | Or just bicarb. |
band-aid, bandage | plaster, sticky plaster, bandage | Health | Americans widely use the brand name “Band-Aid” to refer to all sticking plasters. Most Brits and Commonwealth citizens use the generic term “plaster” or brand name “Elastoplast” for sticky plasters and bandages to refer to larger wound dressings. |
bangs | fringe (hair) | Hair | |
bar | pub | Places | Abbreviation for Public House. |
barette | hair slide, hair clip | Hair | Clasp to hold hair in place, there’s even auto-clasp barettes. |
baseball | rounders | Sport | Both broadly similar games but rounders uses a smaller bat swung with one arm, mostly played in schools. |
bathing suit, swim suit, swimming suit | swimming costume | Clothing | Swimsuits covers both. In the UK 🇬🇧 men wear swimming trunks. Fashion for women offers one-piece swimsuits, two-piece bikinis, tankinis and more variations. |
bathroom, restroom | toilet | Home |
|
pubes, public hair | pubes, pubic hair, front bottom area, beaver | Rude | In the 1988 movie The Naked Gun Frank (Leslie Nielsen) says “nice beaver” to Jane (Priscilla Presley) |
beer | lager | Drink | 🇬🇧 UK beer (bitter/IPA style) is typically served at room temperature or cold but not chilled. |
beltway | ring road | Motoring | Typically around major towns and cities. |
biscuits | crackers | Food | |
boardwalk | promenade | Places | Typically at a seaside. |
boardwalk | promenade | Places | Typically at a seaside. |
bobby pin | hair grip | Hair | |
booger | bogey | Personal | |
braid | plait | Hair | |
broil | grill | Kitchen | Cooking method using direct heat from above. |
buck | quid | Money | A buck is a dollar, a quid is a pound. |
bum | tramp | Confusing | Perhaps beggar or vagrant would be less confusing? In the UK 🇬🇧 a bum is what you sit on. A beach bum is likes being on a beach. You can also bum something off someone, e.g. “can I bum a cigarette from you?”. In the US 🇺🇸 a tramp is a derogatory for an immoral woman. |
buns | bread rolls, sticky buns | Rude | Buns are not butt cheeks in the UK 🇬🇧! |
burner | hob | Kitchen | |
butt | arse | Rude | Arse is ass or butt in the US 🇺🇸. |
C clamp | G clamp | Hardware | [🇬🇧 Brit says] They look more like the letter G though don’t they? |
cab | taxi | Transport | |
call (telephone) | ring | Technology | |
can | tin | Food | Brits use and understand both terms. |
check | cheque | Money | Both pronounced the same. |
chips | crisps | Food |
|
Cilantro | Coriander | Food | |
closet | wardrobe, cupboard | Home | Depends on context, a wardrobe in the UK 🇬🇧 is for hanging clothes, closets to store other things would be called cupboards. |
college, university | Uni | Education | Uni is an abbreviation of university. |
cookies | biscuits | Food | Cookies are also available in UK 🇬🇧. |
cooties | lurgi, germs | Health |
|
cooties | lurgi | Personal | In the UK 🇬🇧 “the dreaded lurgy” or “the lurg” is the non specific illness which applies at any age. |
cotton candy | candy floss | Food | Spun sugar treat for children. Usually on a stick, often colored. Popular at fairgrounds or festivals. |
counter-clockwise | anti-clockwise | Technology |
|
cremains | remains, ashes | Personal | |
crib, baby bed | cot | Baby | A cot is more commonly referred to as a camp bed in the US 🇺🇸. |
crisp | crumble | Food | A dessert with a sweet crumb topping, e.g. rhubarb crisp or apple crumble. |
crosswalk | zebra crossing, pedestrian crossing | Places | |
cuffs | turn-ups (trousers) | Clothing | Shirts and jackets may have cuffs in the UK 🇬🇧, but not pants! |
custom-made | bespoke | Clothing | Bespoke normally applies to fashion. |
cut or skip class | play truant | Education | |
diaper | nappy, terry nappies | Baby | Cloth diapers are commonly called terry nappies in the UK 🇬🇧 . |
divided highway | dual carriageway | Motoring | A road with a highway meridian 🇺🇸 or central reservation 🇬🇧. |
do the dishes | wash up | Home | |
downtown | city or town centre | Places | |
drapes, curtains | curtains, drapes | Home | |
dumpster | skip | Hardware | |
Eggplant | Aubergine | Food |
|
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) | Bankers’ Automated Clearing Services (BACS) | Business | There’s also CHAPS, EFTPOS, SWIFT, IBAN but they don’t work between the UK 🇬🇧 and US 🇺🇸. Alternative international payment methods like Paypal, TransferWise, Google Pay and Amazon Pay are increasingly popular. |
elementary school | primary school | Education | Or infant school. |
Endive | Chicory | Food | |
English muffins | muffins | Food | Oddly you can’t buy what Americans call “English muffins” in England. You can buy muffins but they are the more substantial 18th century ancestors from The Muffin Man nursery rhyme era and not the same thing. So think of “English muffins” as exclusively “American muffins”! In the UK 🇬🇧 try “Crumpets” instead. Toast them and top them (don’t split them) with butter and savory or sweet toppings of your choice. Share your thoughts/toppings in the comments. |
expert | boffin | Science | Alternatively Scientist, nerd, techie, engineer etc. |
fag | cigarette | Confusing | Offensive term for homosexuals in the US 🇺🇸. Potentially embarrassing British vs American words difference. |
Fall | Autumn | Seasons | Fall, because the leaves fall. OK, so why not call Winter Cold because it’s cold? |
fanny | front bottom, vulva area | Rude | Incorrect usage could cause offense in the UK 🇬🇧. |
fanny pack | bum bag | Confusing | Embarrassing British vs American words difference. |
faucet | tap | Hardware | |
Fava beans | Broad beans | Food | There are quite a few differences between British vs American words for foodstuffs. |
first floor / ground floor | ground floor | Hotels |
|
flashlight | torch | Hardware | |
flat tire | puncture | Motoring | Equally annoying in either language. |
football | American football | Sport | John Cleese tries to explain: |
fries | chips | Food | Fries are usually thin, chips are usually chunky. |
front desk, reception | reception | Hotels | Reception desk or reception seems to be taking over from front desk. |
frosting | icing | Food | It’s sugar either way. In the UK 🇬🇧 a bonus can be described as “the icing on the cake.” |
garbage can, trashcans | dustbin, wheelie bins | Home | Waste containers. UK 🇬🇧 wheelie bins are dustbins with wheels on. |
garter belt | suspenders | Confusing | Suspenders do not hold up stockings in the US 🇺🇸. |
gas station, filling stations | petrol station | Places | |
Gasoline, gas | Petrol | Technology | In the UK gas powers home heating and cooking but not cars. |
government programs | government schemes | Government | Americans would use the British word “schemes” for devious plotting. |
green thumb | greenfingers | Garden | Skilled (or lucky) gardener. |
ground beef | minced beef | Food | Or just mince. |
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter, GFCI | Residual Current Device, RCD | Electrical | Circuit breaker. |
guitar pick | plectrum | Music | |
high school | comprehensive school | Education | Or secondary school, academy schools, grammar schools. |
highway, freeway, expressway | motorway | Motoring | |
hood | bonnet | Transport | |
hooters | noses | Confusing | 🇺🇸 US slang for bosoms is UK 🇬🇧 slang for noses. |
hot flashes | hot flushes | Personal | Common menopause symptom. |
hush puppy | Hush Puppy | Food | In Southern USA a hush puppy is a bite-sized deep-fried cornmeal batter ball served as a side dish. For the rest of us Hush Puppy is an international shoe brand for adults and children. |
intersection | crossroads | Motoring | |
intimate apparel, lingerie | lingerie | Clothing | Lingerie sounds so much more romantic doesn’t it? |
jello | jelly | Food | |
jelly | jam | Food | |
jumper | pinafore dress | Clothing | |
Kerosene | Paraffin | Technology | |
Kilroy Was Here | Chad: Wot No… | History | ![]() Chad and Kilroy graffiti emerged during World War II from an original British cartoon published in 1938. The British “Wot No” slogan followed by another word is still widely used today. The original “Wot No Sugar” slogan referred to food rationing during WWII. The origin of “Kilroy was here” is disputed but can be seen all over the world. Interestingly “Foo was here” is used in Australia and other names were used in other countries including Smoe, Private Snoops, Clem and Sapo. |
laid off | redundancy, made redundant | Jobs | Not good in either language and inevitably leads to waiting in line or queuing. |
laundromat | launderette | Places | Although the UK 🇬🇧 does have launderettes they are not as common as in the 🇺🇸. |
legumes | pulses | Food | In the UK (🇨🇦 Canada, 🇦🇺 Australia & 🇳🇿 NZ etc.) pulses refer to the dried edible seeds of some plants in the legume family, e.g. lentils, beans chickpeas and split peas. Officially a legume is any plant of the Fabaceae/Leguminosae family and since some leguminous plants are not edible. We think the Brits win this one. |
line | queue | Places | Typical usage includes “wait in line”, “join the queue” etc. |
Liquid Paper / Wite-Out | Tipp-Ex | Office | Both brand names for correction fluid with many other variations worldwide. |
liquor store | off license | Places | For takeout/takeaway purchases. |
lobby | foyer (of a building) | Hotels | |
lucky, fluky | jammy | Slang | Probably from early use of having expensive jam considered lucky. |
main street | high street | Places | |
making out | snogging | Personal | Sings: “USA and UK sitting in a tree, K-i-s-s-i-n-g!” from the popular US children’s playground kissing song |
mall | shopping centre | Places | Mall is also in common usage across the UK. |
mass transit | public transport | Transport | |
math | maths | Education |
|
molasses | treacle | Food | Sugar syrup. |
mononucleosis | glandular fever | Illness | |
funeral director, mortician | funeral director, undertaker | Occupation | Mortician is old-fashioned and undertaker are both largely superceded by funeral director. |
mouth guard | gum shield | Personal | |
oatmeal, grits | porridge or porridge oats | Food | Boiled cereals or grains cooked in milk or water. Grits is a porridge made from corn which is uncommon in the UK 🇬🇧. |
overpass | flyover | Motoring | Underpass is commonly used in the UK but not overpass. |
pacifier | dummy, comforter | Baby | Also referred to as a binky or soother in some other countries. |
package | parcel | Home | In UK a package would be bigger than a flat envelope. |
pads | towels | Personal | Tampons gets the message across in both countries. |
pajamas | pyjamas | Clothing | Sleepwear (of Persian origin). The abbreviation Pjs seems to be understood everywhere. Other words include jimjams, jimmyjams, jimmies, jammies etc. |
panties | knickers | Clothing | Generally both refer to underwear for women. |
pants | underwear | Confusing |
|
pantyhose | tights | Clothing | Tights are thick pantyhose in the US 🇺🇸. |
parentheses | brackets | Education | Brits understand parentheses but commonly refer to () as brackets. Brackets are also used to hold up shelves. |
parking garage | multi-storey car park | Places, motoring | |
parking lot | car park | Places, motoring | In general brits use lot to describe a quantity where “a lot” is the opposite of “a little”, rather than a place. |
pasties (nipple coverings) | meat pies | Confusing | Cornish pasties are famous pastries. |
pecker | courage, spirits | Rude | “Keep your pecker up” means “keep your spirits up” in UK 🇬🇧. It’s not generally slang for penis. |
pharmacist, drug store, pharmacy | Chemist | Places, confusing | One of those British vs American words that really should be standardized worldwide. |
phone, cell phone | telephone, mobile phone, mobile | Technology | As time passes will we eventually just settle on “phones”? |
pitcher | jug | Drink | Some UK 🇬🇧 pubs do sell beer in pitchers. |
planter wart | verruca | Health | On feet. |
plastic wrap, Saran wrap, plastic film | cling-film, food wrap | Food | Thin plastic food wrap that clings to itself. |
popsicle | ice lolly | Food | Typically on a wooden or plastic stick. |
principal | head | Education | Head teacher, headmaster, headmistress. |
purse, handbag | handbag | Confusing |
|
railroad | railway | Transport | |
rain boots, gumboots, rubber boots | wellies, Wellington boots | Footwear | Wellington boots were made popular in the UK 🇬🇧 by Arthur Wellesley the 1st Duke of Wellington. |
raincoat | mac, macintosh | Clothing | A Mac is now more likely to refer to an Apple computer than a raincoat. |
raise (salary) | pay rise | Money | |
rappel | abseil | Sport | Descent on a rope down a mountain or building. Both are loanwords; rappel from french, abseil from german. |
realtor, real estate agent | estate agent | Occupation | |
recess, break | break, recess | Education |
|
resume | CV | Education | CV short for Curriculum Vitae which is Latin for “the course of life”. |
RIF, RIF’d, pink slip | P45 | Jobs | if you get your P45 you’ve been fired! |
rubber | eraser | Confusing | A rubber is a condom in the US, in the right context rubber would be understood in the UK 🇬🇧. |
Rube Goldberg device, Goldbergian | Heath Robinson device | Technology | Rube Goldberg (1883-1970) and Heath Robinson (1872-1944) both illustrated whimsically complicated devices to achieve simple tasks. Heath Robinson cartoons became popular during WWI. At around the same time Rube Goldberg cartoons, including animated cartoons for Pathé News were popular. Both historical British vs American words that remain in common use today. |
RV park | caravan site, caravan park | Transport | Typically provide electrical outlets, toilets, and washing facilities. |
RV, recreational vehicle, camper van | camper van, motor home | Transport | US style truck campers (TC) are called camper vans in the UK 🇬🇧. There are many variations of motorhome and trailer combinations used around the world. |
Scallions | Spring onions | Food | Food is a rich source of British vs American words. |
school quiz | test | Education |
|
Scotch tape | Sellotape | Household | Both brand names for pressure sensitive adhesive tape. Sometimes called “sticky tape” in the UK 🇬🇧. |
second floor | first floor | Hotels | Even more irritating. |
semen | spunk | Rude | Semen is understood, spunk is slang. |
senior citizen | OAP | People | Old Age Pensioner. |
shag (rug, dance) | sexual intercourse | Rude | Use carefully! |
shedding (hair) | moulting | Hair | |
sidewalk | pavement | Places | Path is more commonly used today. A pavement was traditionally formed using “paving slabs”, they’re mostly asphalt these days. |
silverware, flatware, cutlery | cutlery, silverware, flatware | Kitchen |
|
sleep, nap | kip, nap | Rude | A kip house is a brothel in the US. |
sneakers, tennis shoes, gym shoes | trainers, plimsolls | Footwear |
|
soccer | football | Sport | Soccer was originally a British word which declined in use except in the context of international football including soccer in the USA. |
soft drink, soda | fizzy drink, soda | Drink | Americans use “soft drink” as a generic term for non-hard drinks (which contain alcohol) including cola. |
Kool Aid, sticks, soft drink mixes | squash | Drink |
|
sophomore year | second year | Education | Both countries have freshers/freshman first years. |
sprinkles | hundreds and thousands | Food | On cakes and trifles. |
spunk | courage | Rude | |
squash | marrow, gourd | Food | And other gourds including, in the UK 🇬🇧, Butternut Squash. |
station wagon | estate car | Transport | |
stove | cooker, range | Kitchen | Or range. |
streetcar | tram | Transport | Streetcar seems US 🇺🇸 centric. In the rest of the world “trams” covers all streetcar systems which share roads with other forms of transport. Streetcar systems which run on dedicated track or have private/exclusive right of way are called “light rail” in both countries. |
stroller | pushchair or buggy | Baby | Stoller is also understood in the UK. |
subway | underground | Places | |
sucker | lollipop | Food | Sucker also means a fool in most English speaking countries. |
suspenders | braces | Confusing. | Braces are used to hold up trousers in UK 🇬🇧. |
sweater | jumper | Clothing. | |
sweatpants | tracksuit bottoms | Sport, Clothing. | Soft casual trousers, originally for athletics, now popular comfort and casual wear.
|
Swede | Rutabaga | Food | British vs American words are often different for vegetable family names. |
table a motion | table a motion | Business | In the US 🇺🇸 the motion has been postponed. In the UK 🇬🇧 the motion is ready to discuss now! |
takeout, carry out | takeaway | Food | Food to go or delivered. In the US 🇺🇸 take outs are often down-market establishments. |
thongs, flip flops | flip-flops | Confusing | Thongs is old-fashioned in the US 🇺🇸 but still common in Australia 🇦🇺. Thongs are similar to g-strings in the UK 🇬🇧. |
tire | tyre | Transport | |
track and field | athletics | Sports | One of those British vs American words that really should be standardized worldwide. |
traffic circle, roundabout | roundabout | Motoring | Both are understood in both coutries so no problem. |
travel trailer | caravan, mobile home | Transport | |
truck | lorry | Transport | |
trunk (of car) | boot | Transport | |
two weeks | fortnight | Time | |
undershirt | vest | Clothing | Also semmit is used in 🏴Scotland and Ireland 🇮🇪. |
vacation | holiday | Travel | “Staycation” is becoming a popular expression for a “holiday at home” in UK 🇬🇧. |
vacationer | holidaymaker | Travel | |
vajayjay | vagina | Rude | |
vest | waistcoat | Clothing | |
vise grips | Mole grips | Hardware | [American says] There’s no mole though is there? |
wash your hands, wash up | wash your hands | Home | In the UK 🇬🇧 wash up would be doing the dishes. Many public toilets/washrooms display “Now wash your hands” signs. |
windbreaker | windcheater | Clothing | Or a cagoule. |
windshield | windscreen | Motoring | Motoring is a rich source of British vs American words. |
wrench | spanner | Hardware | |
yard | garden | Places |
|
zero | nil | Sport | In football (soccer) zero is never used. If the score is 3-0 you say “three-nil” not “three-zero”. |
ZIP code | Postcode | Home, transport, technology | Postal codes, as zones, were first used in London, England in 1857. The modern ZIP (Zone Improvement Code) was introduced in Soviet Ukraine in 1932.
|
Zucchini | Courgette | food | [🇬🇧 Brit says] Courgette from french cuisine. |
See also: Common foreign words…
England and America are Two Countries Separated by the Same Language– George Bernard Shaw
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- Help ADDucation improve this British vs American words list by adding new words or explanations in the comments below…
Do you have a list of words with American vs. British spelling, i.e., color/colour, etc.?
Hi Thomas, we mention in the intro this list doesn’t cover US/UK spelling differences but I found this which includes the common spelling variations along with a list of 1800 words:
https://www.tysto.com/2012/05/uk-vs-us-spelling/
Here’s my input from an American perspective:
I was only going to mention a few but got carried away – in these Covid times what else am I going to do?
Hi Derek, thanks for your detailed suggestions to improve our british vs american words list. I’ve incorporated most of your comments into the main list. Here are the rest of your comments so other people can comment.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS! This has been very helpful for me. I am not originally from America or Britain but I studied British English from a small age and was still confused about the differences between the two English types. I do still have a question though. What is the difference between College and University? Is it like the same thing or 2 different institutions?
Hi Sandithma, that makes us happy 🙂
In general terms universities award degrees and offer post graduate options. Some colleges (and other institutions) may award degrees alongside undergraduate and other courses.
I really loved this list – it was very helpful! I had a lot of trouble with the difference between American English and British English and feel much better after reading this list which helped clear upi my doubts!
Thank you that makes us happy 🙂
I am curious as to an old song by Julian Lennon, in which he says, “Sitting on a pebble by the river playing guitar”. I am curious as to whether a “Pebble” in England means “Rock”? Forgive me for stating the obvious, but in the U.S., a Pebble would be a very tiny rock…like the size of a marble or smaller. Just curious if it has a different meaning in the U.K.? I love your website, btw!
Hi Scott, pebbles are small in England too. They’re generally stones which have been worn smooth by erosion on beaches and can certainly be bigger than marbles. An individual pebble could be big enough to sit on, as the lyric suggests, but we’d probably call anything large enough to sit on a smooth rock. Glad you love the website, thanks for commenting.