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TABLE OF AMERICAN AND BRITISH ENGLISH WORDS
KEY: sl. = slang
n. = noun
v. = verb
+ = can be used by Americans, but rare and/or archaic
> = American spelling can be used as alternate spelling
(XXXX) = Pronounciation difference
AMERICAN BRITISH
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a knockout (sl. beautiful) a stunner (sl.)
a little bit a spot (sl.)
abrigment abrigement
acknowledgment acknowledgement
ad (sl.) advert (sl.)
airplane aeroplane
aisle gangway
alley mews
aluminum aluminium
analyze >analyse
anemia anaemia
anesthetic anaesthetic
annex annexe
apartment mansion flat
apprise/apprize apprise
amortize amortise/amortize
ardor ardour
baby buggy (sl.) pram (sl. perambulator)
babysitter child-minder
bar pub
bartender landlord
bathroom loo (sl.)
bathroom +lavatory
beat (sl. tired) fagged
biscuit scone
big deal (sl.) big noise (sl.)
blacktop macadam
brash cheeky (sl.)
breakfast sausage banger (sl.)
bucks (sl. dollars) quid (sl. pounds)
buffet set meal
buggy (4 wheel carriage) buggy (2 wheel carriage)
bum (sl. vagrant) +tramp
bum (sl. vagrant) bum (sl. backside)
burglary house-breaking
cafeteria refrectory
can (metal container) tin
can (sl. jail) nick (sl. gaol)
AMERICAN BRITISH
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can (sl. backside) bum (sl.)
caliber calibre
call up (telephone) ring up
cark shark (sl. gambler) card sharper (sl.)
center centre
cinder road metalled roadway
check cheque
checkers (game) draughts
clerk (KLERK) clerk (KLAHRK)
closet (clothes closet) closet (toilet)
closet (clothes closet) cupboard (clothes closet)
color colour
corn +Indian corn
connection connexion
confused fogged (sl.)
cookie biscuit
cop (police officer) bobby
county court assize
coveralls boiler suit
crap (sl. worthless) rot (sl.)
crooked (illegal) bent (sl.)
curb kerb
dead on (sl.) bang on
defense defence
deflection deflexion (but not in engineering)
derby (hat) bowler
detour diversion
dialyze >dialyse
diarrhea diarrhoea
diner chop house
disbarred struck off
disgusting off-putting
dishrag dish mop
discount store cut-price shop
dock quay
draft beer draught beer
dresser +wardrobe
dude tosh (sl.)
ecology oecology (old sp.)
edema oedema
efficiency apartment bed-sit
electrolyze >electrolyse
elevator lift
engineer (railroad) engine driver
enrollment enrolment
eolian aeolian
esophagus oesophagus
estrogen oestrogen
etiology aetiology
favor favour
favorite favourite
AMERICAN BRITISH
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fender (of a car) wing
fervor fervour
festive gathering jollities (sl.)
fetus foetus
fiber fibre
fire department fire brigade
fired sacked
first floor ground floor
flashlight torch
flavor flavour
fooling around messing about or mucking about (sl.)
for rent to let
freeway motorway
freight train goods train
French Frog (sl.)
french fries chips
fuel oil petrol
gasoline (or gas) petrol
gas cooking gas
garbage can dustbin
garbage dump rubbish tip
genuflection genuflexion
get lost! (sl. leave) push off! (sl.)
glasses +spectacles (sl. specs)
gray (color) grey (colour)
grounded (electrical) earthed
got have gotten
hand drill +brace and bit
hang around (sl. loiter) hang about (sl.)
hang up (telephone) ring off
hardware store ironmongers
harbor harbour
hemoglobin haemoglobin
hearing aid deaf aid
hiccup hiccough
honor honour
hood bonnet
horn (of a car) hooter
hubcap +wheel cover
humor humour
inflection inflexion
installment plan hire-purchase
intermission interval
jail gaol
janitor porter
jewelry jewellery
judgment judgement
kind of +rather
knock up (sl. get pregnant) knock up (sl. wake up)
labor labour
lawyer barrister
AMERICAN BRITISH
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lawyer soliciter
leather neck (sl. US Marine) jollies (sl. Royal Marines)
legal holiday +bank holiday
leveling levelling
license licence (n.; v.= license)
line que
lining up queueing
lodgment lodgement
long distance (telephone) trunk call
looney dottie (sl.)
loot boodle, swag (sl.)
luggage +baggage
luster lustre
mail post
mail letter
mailbox postbox or pillar box
mailman +postman
maneuver manoeuvre
marvelous marvellous
men's room gents (sl.)
messy shabby
meter (unit) metre
meter (as in voltmeter) meter
mist damp
mold mould
molder moulder
molt moult
mom (mother) mum
movie +film
movie theater +cinema
municipal judge magistrate
neighbor neighbour
newsstand kiosk
notary public commisioner of oaths
nuts (sl. crazy) dotty (sl.)
offense offence
orchestra seat stall
organize organise
overdraw (an account) overdraft
overpass (highway) flyover
pad (sl. house) digs (sl.)
pal (sl. friend) +fellow, chap (sl.)
pants +trousers
paralyze >paralyse
parking lot motor park
penny (cent) pence
picked up (arrested) nicked (sl.)
pharmiscist chemist
phone booth call box
phony phoney
photo flash flashlight
AMERICAN BRITISH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
plain moor
plow plough
practice practise (v.; n.= practice)
pretense pretence
program programme
pulled up drew up
radio wireless
railroad car railroad carriage
rain cape ulster
raincoat mackintosh (or mac sl.)
research scientist boffin (sl.)
red hair ginger hair (sl.)
restroom +lavatory
rigor rigour
root beer ginger beer
rubber boots +gum boots
rubbers +galoshes
rumble seat dickey seat (sl.)
savor savour
sawed sawn
scallion spring onion
schedule (SKED-JEWL) scedule (SHED-DUAL)
Scotch tape celotape
scratch pad scribbling block
second floor first floor
sepulcher sepulchre
set the table lay the table
sewers drains
sidewalk path or footpath
shoes boots
shoeshine boy bootblack
shorts (underwear) pants
show up (sl. arrive) pop in (sl.)
shower +shower bath
smelled smelt
smolder smoulder
somber sombre
space heater electric fire
speakeasy (sl.) off licence (sl.)
specter spectre
speedboat engine boat
stand (law court) dock
station wagon estate car
stool pigeon (sl. informer) grass (sl.)
store +shop
story (as in: three story) storey
streaked with... shot through with...
streetcar tram
subway underground
subway station tube station
suspenders braces
AMERICAN BRITISH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
swamp bog or mire
swimming pool swimming bath
switch (railroad) points
tailored shirt maker bespoke shirtmaker
takeout (food) takeaways
taxes rates
taxpayers ratepayers
taxi +cab
theater theatre
thumbtacks drawing pins
time= HH:MM time=HH.MM
trailer caravan
trench coat duffle coat
truck (motor truck) lorry
truck (railroad car wheels) bogie
trunk (of a car) boot
tire tyre
toilet water closet (W.C.)
traffic cirle roundabout
tumor tumour
TV (sl.) telly (sl.)
undershirt vest
vacation holiday
vacuum tube valve
valet (military) batman
vapor vapour
vaudeville music hall
vest waistcoat
vise (tool, clamp) vice
wagon waggon
watch out for the... mind the...
whiz +whizz
will shall/will
will not shan't
windsheild windscreen
workman tradesman
wrench spanner
z (zee) z (zed)
Limey (sl. English person) Yank (sl. American person)
Adding to this list are all sorts of subtle gramatical shifts,
i.e. "Well, that fell into the category of things which could
have been put better, but I let him carry on." Which to an
American sounds VERY British, even though an American COULD
possibly say it that way. An American would more likely phrase
it, "Well, I though he could have said it better, but I let him
go on." There are conventions of language and phrasing that are
difficult to pick out, as well as subtle differences in logic.
Most Americans think that the British habit of installing light
switches so they light turns on when the toggle is pulled DOWN is
very illogical. In speaking you can say turn up the light to
replace turn on the light and carry the same meaning. Likewise
turn down the light sounds like approaching off. But British
logic doesn't follow the same conventions.