TABLE OF AMERICAN AND BRITISH ENGLISH WORDS<\/p>\n
KEY: sl. = slang
\n n. = noun
\n v. = verb
\n + = can be used by Americans, but rare and\/or archaic
\n > = American spelling can be used as alternate spelling
\n (XXXX) = Pronounciation difference<\/p>\n
AMERICAN BRITISH
\n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n
a knockout (sl. beautiful) a stunner (sl.)
\na little bit a spot (sl.)
\nabrigment abrigement
\nacknowledgment acknowledgement
\nad (sl.) advert (sl.)
\nairplane aeroplane
\naisle gangway
\nalley mews
\naluminum aluminium
\nanalyze >analyse
\nanemia anaemia
\nanesthetic anaesthetic
\nannex annexe
\napartment mansion flat
\napprise\/apprize apprise
\namortize amortise\/amortize
\nardor ardour
\nbaby buggy (sl.) pram (sl. perambulator)
\nbabysitter child-minder
\nbar pub
\nbartender landlord
\nbathroom loo (sl.)
\nbathroom +lavatory
\nbeat (sl. tired) fagged
\nbiscuit scone
\nbig deal (sl.) big noise (sl.)
\nblacktop macadam
\nbrash cheeky (sl.)
\nbreakfast sausage banger (sl.)
\nbucks (sl. dollars) quid (sl. pounds)
\nbuffet set meal
\nbuggy (4 wheel carriage) buggy (2 wheel carriage)
\nbum (sl. vagrant) +tramp
\nbum (sl. vagrant) bum (sl. backside)
\nburglary house-breaking
\ncafeteria refrectory
\ncan (metal container) tin
\ncan (sl. jail) nick (sl. gaol)<\/p>\n
AMERICAN BRITISH
\n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n
can (sl. backside) bum (sl.)
\ncaliber calibre
\ncall up (telephone) ring up
\ncark shark (sl. gambler) card sharper (sl.)
\ncenter centre
\ncinder road metalled roadway
\ncheck cheque
\ncheckers (game) draughts
\nclerk (KLERK) clerk (KLAHRK)
\ncloset (clothes closet) closet (toilet)
\ncloset (clothes closet) cupboard (clothes closet)
\ncolor colour
\ncorn +Indian corn
\nconnection connexion
\nconfused fogged (sl.)
\ncookie biscuit
\ncop (police officer) bobby
\ncounty court assize
\ncoveralls boiler suit
\ncrap (sl. worthless) rot (sl.)
\ncrooked (illegal) bent (sl.)
\ncurb kerb
\ndead on (sl.) bang on
\ndefense defence
\ndeflection deflexion (but not in engineering)
\nderby (hat) bowler
\ndetour diversion
\ndialyze >dialyse
\ndiarrhea diarrhoea
\ndiner chop house
\ndisbarred struck off
\ndisgusting off-putting
\ndishrag dish mop
\ndiscount store cut-price shop
\ndock quay
\ndraft beer draught beer
\ndresser +wardrobe
\ndude tosh (sl.)
\necology oecology (old sp.)
\nedema oedema
\nefficiency apartment bed-sit
\nelectrolyze >electrolyse
\nelevator lift
\nengineer (railroad) engine driver
\nenrollment enrolment
\neolian aeolian
\nesophagus oesophagus
\nestrogen oestrogen
\netiology aetiology
\nfavor favour
\nfavorite favourite<\/p>\n
AMERICAN BRITISH
\n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n
fender (of a car) wing
\nfervor fervour
\nfestive gathering jollities (sl.)
\nfetus foetus
\nfiber fibre
\nfire department fire brigade
\nfired sacked
\nfirst floor ground floor
\nflashlight torch
\nflavor flavour
\nfooling around messing about or mucking about (sl.)
\nfor rent to let
\nfreeway motorway
\nfreight train goods train
\nFrench Frog (sl.)
\nfrench fries chips
\nfuel oil petrol
\ngasoline (or gas) petrol
\ngas cooking gas
\ngarbage can dustbin
\ngarbage dump rubbish tip
\ngenuflection genuflexion
\nget lost! (sl. leave) push off! (sl.)
\nglasses +spectacles (sl. specs)
\ngray (color) grey (colour)
\ngrounded (electrical) earthed
\ngot have gotten
\nhand drill +brace and bit
\nhang around (sl. loiter) hang about (sl.)
\nhang up (telephone) ring off
\nhardware store ironmongers
\nharbor harbour
\nhemoglobin haemoglobin
\nhearing aid deaf aid
\nhiccup hiccough
\nhonor honour
\nhood bonnet
\nhorn (of a car) hooter
\nhubcap +wheel cover
\nhumor humour
\ninflection inflexion
\ninstallment plan hire-purchase
\nintermission interval
\njail gaol
\njanitor porter
\njewelry jewellery
\njudgment judgement
\nkind of +rather
\nknock up (sl. get pregnant) knock up (sl. wake up)
\nlabor labour
\nlawyer barrister<\/p>\n
AMERICAN BRITISH
\n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n
lawyer soliciter
\nleather neck (sl. US Marine) jollies (sl. Royal Marines)
\nlegal holiday +bank holiday
\nleveling levelling
\nlicense licence (n.; v.= license)
\nline que
\nlining up queueing
\nlodgment lodgement
\nlong distance (telephone) trunk call
\nlooney dottie (sl.)
\nloot boodle, swag (sl.)
\nluggage +baggage
\nluster lustre
\nmail post
\nmail letter
\nmailbox postbox or pillar box
\nmailman +postman
\nmaneuver manoeuvre
\nmarvelous marvellous
\nmen’s room gents (sl.)
\nmessy shabby
\nmeter (unit) metre
\nmeter (as in voltmeter) meter
\nmist damp
\nmold mould
\nmolder moulder
\nmolt moult
\nmom (mother) mum
\nmovie +film
\nmovie theater +cinema
\nmunicipal judge magistrate
\nneighbor neighbour
\nnewsstand kiosk
\nnotary public commisioner of oaths
\nnuts (sl. crazy) dotty (sl.)
\noffense offence
\norchestra seat stall
\norganize organise
\noverdraw (an account) overdraft
\noverpass (highway) flyover
\npad (sl. house) digs (sl.)
\npal (sl. friend) +fellow, chap (sl.)
\npants +trousers
\nparalyze >paralyse
\nparking lot motor park
\npenny (cent) pence
\npicked up (arrested) nicked (sl.)
\npharmiscist chemist
\nphone booth call box
\nphony phoney
\nphoto flash flashlight<\/p>\n
AMERICAN BRITISH
\n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n
plain moor
\nplow plough
\npractice practise (v.; n.= practice)
\npretense pretence
\nprogram programme
\npulled up drew up
\nradio wireless
\nrailroad car railroad carriage
\nrain cape ulster
\nraincoat mackintosh (or mac sl.)
\nresearch scientist boffin (sl.)
\nred hair ginger hair (sl.)
\nrestroom +lavatory
\nrigor rigour
\nroot beer ginger beer
\nrubber boots +gum boots
\nrubbers +galoshes
\nrumble seat dickey seat (sl.)
\nsavor savour
\nsawed sawn
\nscallion spring onion
\nschedule (SKED-JEWL) scedule (SHED-DUAL)
\nScotch tape celotape
\nscratch pad scribbling block
\nsecond floor first floor
\nsepulcher sepulchre
\nset the table lay the table
\nsewers drains
\nsidewalk path or footpath
\nshoes boots
\nshoeshine boy bootblack
\nshorts (underwear) pants
\nshow up (sl. arrive) pop in (sl.)
\nshower +shower bath
\nsmelled smelt
\nsmolder smoulder
\nsomber sombre
\nspace heater electric fire
\nspeakeasy (sl.) off licence (sl.)
\nspecter spectre
\nspeedboat engine boat
\nstand (law court) dock
\nstation wagon estate car
\nstool pigeon (sl. informer) grass (sl.)
\nstore +shop
\nstory (as in: three story) storey
\nstreaked with… shot through with…
\nstreetcar tram
\nsubway underground
\nsubway station tube station
\nsuspenders braces<\/p>\n
AMERICAN BRITISH
\n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<\/p>\n
swamp bog or mire
\nswimming pool swimming bath
\nswitch (railroad) points
\ntailored shirt maker bespoke shirtmaker
\ntakeout (food) takeaways
\ntaxes rates
\ntaxpayers ratepayers
\ntaxi +cab
\ntheater theatre
\nthumbtacks drawing pins
\ntime= HH:MM time=HH.MM
\ntrailer caravan
\ntrench coat duffle coat
\ntruck (motor truck) lorry
\ntruck (railroad car wheels) bogie
\ntrunk (of a car) boot
\ntire tyre
\ntoilet water closet (W.C.)
\ntraffic cirle roundabout
\ntumor tumour
\nTV (sl.) telly (sl.)
\nundershirt vest
\nvacation holiday
\nvacuum tube valve
\nvalet (military) batman
\nvapor vapour
\nvaudeville music hall
\nvest waistcoat
\nvise (tool, clamp) vice
\nwagon waggon
\nwatch out for the… mind the…
\nwhiz +whizz
\nwill shall\/will
\nwill not shan’t
\nwindsheild windscreen
\nworkman tradesman
\nwrench spanner
\nz (zee) z (zed)<\/p>\n
Limey (sl. English person) Yank (sl. American person)<\/p>\n
Adding to this list are all sorts of subtle gramatical shifts,
\ni.e. “Well, that fell into the category of things which could
\nhave been put better, but I let him carry on.” Which to an
\nAmerican sounds VERY British, even though an American COULD
\npossibly say it that way. An American would more likely phrase
\nit, “Well, I though he could have said it better, but I let him
\ngo on.” There are conventions of language and phrasing that are
\ndifficult to pick out, as well as subtle differences in logic.
\nMost Americans think that the British habit of installing light
\nswitches so they light turns on when the toggle is pulled DOWN is
\nvery illogical. In speaking you can say turn up the light to
\nreplace turn on the light and carry the same meaning. Likewise
\nturn down the light sounds like approaching off. But British
\nlogic doesn’t follow the same conventions.<\/p>\n
