British versus American Dictionary

British and American English can spell the same word differently, for example: labour/labor, centre/center. 

And many times, British and American English use different words, like two different languages!

Here is a list of words and expressions to help you. Don't forget, you can click on any word in the two columns to see a definition.

British English	American English
accommodation	accommodations
action replay	instant replay
aerofoil	airfoil
aeroplane	airplane
agony aunt	advice columnist
Allen key	Allen wrench
aluminium	aluminum
aniseed	anise
anticlockwise	counterclockwise
articulated lorry	tractor-trailer
asymmetric bars	uneven bars
aubergine	eggplant
baking tray	cookie sheet
bank holiday	legal holiday
beetroot	beet(s)
bill	check
biscuit	cookie; cracker
black economy	underground economy
blanket bath	sponge bath
blind	(window) shade
block of flats	apartment building
boiler suit	coveralls
bonnet (of a car)	hood
boob tube	tube top
boot (of a car)	trunk
bottom drawer	hope chest
bowls	lawn bowling
braces	suspenders
brawn (the food)	headcheese
breakdown van	tow truck
breeze block	cinder block
bridging loan	bridge loan
bumbag	fanny pack
candyfloss	cotton candy
car park	parking lot
casualty	emergency room
catapult	slingshot
central reservation	median strip
chemist	drugstore
chips	French fries
cinema	movie theater; the movies
cling film	plastic wrap
common seal	harbor seal
consumer durables	durable goods
cornflour	cornstarch
cos (lettuce)	Romaine
cot	crib
cot death	crib death
cotton bud	cotton swab
cotton wool	absorbent cotton
council estate	(housing) project
courgette	zucchini
court card	face card
crash barrier	guardrail
crisps	chips; potato chips
crocodile clip	alligator clip
cross-ply	bias-ply
crotchet (music)	quarter note
current account	checking account
danger money	hazard pay
demister (in a car)	defroster
dialling tone	dial tone
diamante	rhinestone
double cream	heavy cream
draughts (game)	checkers
drawing pin	thumbtack
dressing gown	robe; bathrobe
drink-driving	drunk driving
drinks cupboard	liquor cabinet
drinks party	cocktail party
driving licence	driver’s license
dual carriageway	divided highway
dummy (for a baby)	pacifier
dust sheet	drop cloth
dustbin	garbage can
earth (electrical)	ground
engaged (of a phone)	busy
estate agent	real estate agent, realtor (trademark)
estate car	station wagon
ex-directory	unlisted
faith school	parochial school
financial year	fiscal year
fire brigade/service	fire company/department
first floor	second floor
fish finger	fish stick
fitted carpet	wall-to-wall carpeting
flannel	washcloth
flat	apartment
flexitime	flextime
flick knife	switchblade
flyover	overpass
football	soccer
footway	sidewalk
fringe (hair)	bangs
full board (in hotels)	American plan
full stop (punctuation)	period
garden	yard; lawn
gearing (finance)	leverage
gear lever	gearshift
goods train	freight train
greaseproof paper	wax paper/waxed paper
green fingers	green thumb
grill (noun)	broiler
grill (verb)	broil
ground floor	first floor
groundsman	groundskeeper
hairslide	barrette
hatstand	hatrack
hen night	bachelorette party
hire purchase	installment plan
hoarding	billboard
hob	stovetop
holdall	carryall
holiday	vacation
holidaymaker	vacationer
homely	homey
hosepipe	(garden) hose
in hospital	in the hospital
hot flush	hot flash
housing estate	housing development
hundreds and thousands	sprinkles (for ice cream)
ice lolly	Popsicle (trademark)
icing sugar	confectioners’ sugar
indicator (on a car)	turn signal
inside leg	inseam
jelly babies	jelly beans
Joe Bloggs	Joe Blow
Joe Public	John Q. Public
jumble sale	rummage sale
jump lead	jumper cable
jumper	sweater
junior school	elementary school
kennel	doghouse
ladybird	ladybug
a lettuce	a head of lettuce
level crossing	grade crossing
lift	elevator
lolly	Popsicle (trademark)
lollipop lady (or man)	crossing guard
loo (toilet)	john
loose cover	slipcover
lorry	truck
loudhailer	bullhorn
low loader	flatbed truck
lucky dip	grab bag
luggage van	baggage car
maize	corn
mangetout	snow pea
market garden	truck farm
marshalling yard	railroad yard
maths	math
metalled road	paved road
milometer	odometer
minim (music)	half note
mobile phone	cell phone
monkey tricks	monkeyshines
motorway	expressway; highway
mum/mummy	mom/mommy
nappy	diaper
needlecord	pinwale
newsreader	newscaster
noughts and crosses	tic-tac-toe
number plate	license plate
off-licence	liquor store; package store
opencast mining	open-pit mining
ordinary share	common stock
oven glove	oven mitt
paddling pool	wading pool
paracetamol	acetaminophen
parting (in hair)	part
patience	solitaire
pavement	sidewalk
pay packet	pay envelope
pedestrian crossing	crosswalk
peg	clothespin
pelmet	valance
petrol	gas; gasoline
physiotherapy	physical therapy
pinafore dress	jumper
plain chocolate	dark chocolate
plain flour	all-purpose flour
polo neck	turtleneck
positive discrimination	reverse discrimination
postal vote	absentee ballot
postbox	mailbox
postcode	zip code
potato crisp	potato chip
power point	electrical outlet
pram	baby carriage; stroller
press stud	snap
press-up	pushup
private soldier	GI
public school	private school
public transport	public transportation
punchbag	punching bag
pushchair	stroller
pylon	utility pole
quantity surveyor	estimator
quaver (music)	eighth note
queue	line
racing car	race car
railway	railroad
real tennis	court tennis
recorded delivery	certified mail
registration plate	license plate
remould (tyre)	retread
reverse the charges	call collect
reversing lights	back-up lights
right-angled triangle	right triangle
ring road	beltway
room only	European plan
roundabout (at a fair)	carousel
roundabout (in road)	traffic circle
rowing boat	rowboat
sailing boat	sailboat
saloon (car)	sedan
sandpit	sandbox
sandwich cake	layer cake
sanitary towel	sanitary napkin
self-raising flour	self-rising flour
semibreve (music)	whole note
semitone (music)	half step
share option	stock option
shopping trolley	shopping cart
show house/home	model home
silencer (on a car)	muffler
silverside	rump roast
skeleton in the cupboard	skeleton in the closet
skimmed milk	skim milk
skipping rope	jump rope
skirting board	baseboard
sledge	sled
sleeper	railroad tie
sleeping partner	silent partner
slowcoach	slowpoke
snakes and ladders	chutes and ladders
solicitor	lawyer
soya/soya bean	soy/soybean
splashback	backsplash
spring onion	green onion
stag night	bachelor party
Stanley knife	utility knife
starter	appetizer
state school	public school
storm in a teacup	tempest in a teapot
surtitle	supertitle
swede	rutabaga
sweet(s)	candy
takeaway (food)	takeout; to go
taxi rank	taxi stand
tea towel	dish towel
terrace house	row house
tick	check mark
ticket tout	scalper
tights	pantyhose
timber	lumber
titbit	tidbit
toffee apple	candy apple
touch wood	knock on wood
trade union	labor union
trading estate	industrial park
trainers	sneakers
tram	streetcar; cable car
transport cafe	truck stop
trolley	shopping cart
twelve-bore	twelve-gauge
unalike	unlike
underground	subway
vacuum flask	thermos bottle
verge (of a road)	shoulder
vest	undershirt
veterinary surgeon	veterinarian
wagon (on a train)	car
waistcoat	vest
walking frame	walker
wardrobe	closet
water ice	Italian ice
weatherboard	clapboard
white coffee	coffee with cream
white spirit	mineral spirits
wholemeal bread	wholewheat bread
windcheater	windbreaker
windscreen	windshield
wing (of a car)	fender
worktop	countertop
Yale lock	cylinder lock
zebra crossing	crosswalk
zed (letter Z)	zee
zip	zipper

List also available at www.oxforddictionaries.com

More options

• Test your British English
• Test your American English
• British and American spelling differences

British and American Spelling

British and American spelling are sometimes different. This is because British English often maintains the spelling of words from other languages, but American English often prefers to adapt the spelling to American pronunciation.

Here are the main ways in which British and American spelling are different.

Words ending in –re
British English words that end in -re often end in -er in American English:

British	US
centre	center
fibre	fiber
litre	liter
theatre	theater or theatre

Words ending in -our

British English words ending in -our usually end in -or in American English:

British	US
colour	color
flavour	flavor
humour	humor
labour	labor
neighbour	neighbor

Words ending in -ize or -ise
Verbs in British English that can be spelled with either -ize or -ise at the end are always spelled with -ize at the end in American English:

British	US
apologize or apologise	apologize
organize or organise	organize
recognize or recognise	recognize

Words ending in -yse

Verbs in British English that end in -yse are always spelled -yze in American English:

British	US
analyse	analyze
breathalyse	breathalyze
paralyse	paralyze

Words ending in a vowel plus l

In British spelling, verbs ending in a vowel plus l double the l when adding endings that begin with a vowel. In American English, the l is not doubled:

British	US
travel	travel
travelled	traveled
travelling	traveling
traveller	traveler

fuel	fuel
fuelled	fueled
fuelling	fueling

Words spelled with double vowels

British English words that are spelled with the double vowels ae or oe are just spelled with an e in American English:

British	US
leukaemia	leukemia
manoeuvre	maneuver
oestrogen	estrogen
paediatric	pediatric

Note that in American English some words such as archaeology, keep the ae spelling as standard, although the spelling with just the e (i.e. archeology) is usually acceptable as well.

Nouns ending with –ence

Some nouns that end with -ence in British English are spelled -ense in American English:

British	US
defence	defense
licence	license
offence	offense
pretence	pretense

Nouns ending with –ogue

Some nouns that end with -ogue in British English end with either -og or -ogue in American English:

British	US
analogue	analog or analogue
catalogue	catalog or catalogue
dialogue	dialog or dialogue

The changes here can vary. The spelling analogue is acceptable but not very common in American English; catalog has become the US norm, but catalogue is not rare; dialogue is still preferred over dialog.

As well as spelling differences, many words are different in British and American English. For more information, see the British versus American dictionary.

Adapted from www.oxforddictionaries.com

More options

• Test your British English
• Test your American English
• British versus American dictionary

How good is your American English?

Suspenders ...  broiler ...  bleachers ... catsup ...

All these words could confuse someone from the UK. What about you? How good is your American English?

To find out, try this quiz at www.oxforddictionaries.com

More options

• Test your British English
• British versus American dictionary
• British and American spelling differences

How good Is your British English?

x

Boob tube ...  lollipop lady ...  polo neck ... bumbag ...

All these words could confuse someone from the USA. What about you? How good is your British English?

To find out, try this quiz at www.oxforddictionaries.com

More options

• Test your American English
• British versus American dictionary
• British and American spelling differences

The 3000 Most Important Words in English

x

The simplest and fastest way to improve your English is to learn new words.

But which words?

Are You Ready for IELTS?

If you are preparing for IELTS, you will always have one big question in your mind: Am I ready yet?

These are the official "definitions" of each band to help you decide.

• Writing task 1 assessment criteria

• Writing task 2 assessment criteria

• Speaking assessment criteria

And here are three exam interviews with notes to help you understand the strong and weak points of each student.

• IELTS interviews

It's difficult to be objective, so ask a friend or colleague who speaks good English, or talk with your teacher.

Links

• Contact us to find out how we can help you prepare

How Old is the Carnival?

According to some, the carnival was originally a Greek spring festival for the god of wine, Dionysus. The Romans adopted the tradition with a celebration for Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, and Saturnalia. On this day, master and slaves exchanged clothes on a day full of drinking and parties.

The Roman Catholic Church adapted the celebration of Saturnalia into a festival before the start of Lent. But what evolved was a mass celebration of indulgences in music, dance, food, and drink, something which, perhaps, the Church did not plan...

Carnival in Brazil began 1723 with the Portuguese immigrants from the islands of Açores, Madeira and Cabo Verde introducing the Entrudo. People on the streets threw buckets of water and mud and food, which often ended in street fights and riots. The ideas continued to develop during the 1800s with more organized parades like the grandes sociedades or great societies where the Emperor became involved in the celebrations with a group of aristocrats that paraded in masks with luxurious costumes and music.

During the 1840s, masquerade carnival balls with polkas and waltzes became popular. A decade later, street parades with floats pulled by horses and military bands were the center of focus of the carnival. By the end of the century, the carnival became a working class celebration where people wore costumes and paraded in groups with musicians playing string instruments and flutes. Carnival was also used during the years of military censorship to express political dissatisfaction. The Samba Schools would use irony and sarcasm to express their anger with the government and the people’s desire for freedom.

Afro-Brazilian Magic

African slaves passed the pulsating rhythms of the samba to the Brazilians during the days of slavery. The samba is a mix of music, song, and dance styles that Afro-Brazilians brought with them to the poor favelas of Rio after the abolition of slavery in 1888. It wasn’t until 1917 that the samba became an integral part of the Rio Carnival. Today, Samba is a true component of Brazil’s cultural heritage. From the poorest favela to the richest mansion, samba went quickly through the city. Today, samba unites the Brazilian people independent of economic class. Samba lies at the heart of the Carioca culture.

Emerging Samba Schools

The first escolas de samba or samba school to be formed was Mangueira, in 1928. Soon theme songs, elaborate costumes, and floats became the principal attraction of the Rio Carnival. Many other teams from different communities in Rio followed Mangueira’s footsteps and formed samba schools to take part in the Carnival.

The samba parade soon became the most popular event in Rio and, finally, the organizers had to set a time limit for each team in 1971. The streets of Rio were the main focus for the Carnival until 1984, when the Sambadrome, built by world famous architect, Oscar Niemeyer, began to dominate. Many of today's samba schools have their beginning in the original schools of the 20’s and 30’s. Each school has had its success and failures as the years and the competitions have continued.

Some of the most famous samba schools are Unidos da Tijuca, Beija Flor, Salgueiro, Mangueira, Mocidade and Grande Rio.

Adapted from www.rio.com

More links about Carnival

• Carnival around the world on the travel channel
• Carnival vocabulary on www.youtube.com
• The Real Rio de Janeiro BBC travel documentary
• 1955 documentary
• Vocabulary quiz

Interview in English? Is it possible?

Interview in English? Is it possible? Yes, if you prepare well ... starting now! Listen to an interview from the BBC Learning English At Work series and discover how the candidate answers some surprising questions. For each episode, first read the introduction, paying attention to the useful language and the question. At the end, you can see a pdf of the episode and the answer to the question.

Part One : The Interview Tip Top Trading: the fastest-growing company in the plastic fruit sector, and Anna desperately wants to be a part of it. Her job interview for a position in sales is going to be a challenge.

Useful language for interviews A good example that comes to mind … I'm particularly proud of …  Timekeeping is important to me. 1) What was Anna's role in the university debating society? Listen to Part One >>

Part Two : The Interruption Anna's job interview continues. But with all the pressure and stress, she stops, unable to find the right word in English.

Useful language for structuring answers Firstly, this job is ... Secondly, ... Above all, the reason I  ... 2) What word is Anna trying to remember that means enthusiastic and wanting very much to succeed? Listen to Part Two >>

Part Three : The Crisis Denise explains why she's in a panic and Paul is not happy. Will Anna be able to help resolve the crisis?

Useful language for suggestions Can I make a suggestion? Why don't you try ... ? Have you tried ... ? Maybe I could ... ? How about  ... ? I have an idea! 3) Why was the memory stick wet? Listen to Part Three >>

Part One: The Interview   Part Two : The Interruption   Part Three : The Crisis More options Extreme Interviews Top 10 Rules For Every Interview Job Interview Tips - You're Hired! Top 10 Oddball Questions Visit the BBC Learning English at Work website

Carnival Quiz

Test your grammar, spelling, and vocabulary in this short quiz about the Carnival in Brazil.

1. Carnival, the most popular celebration in Brazil, represents the ___ soul.
   a. country
   b. countrys'
   c. countrys's
   d. country's
   Answerd


2. For four days, the joyful atmosphere ___ over the country: from North to South, from East to West.
   a. drizzles
   b. spills
   c. spreads
   d. sprinkles
   Answerc


3. Carnival originated from the ceremonies in ___ of god Osiris in the ancient Egypt.
   a. concern
   b. honour
   c. treat
   d. addition
   Answerb


4. Carnival follies usually happen just before ___ (the 40 days period that precedes Easter).
   a. Lent
   b. Thanksgiving
   c. Nativity
   d. Corpus Christi
   Answera


5. The samba schools are the ___ attraction in Rio de Janeiro.
   a. main
   b. mane
   c. mayor
   d. mean
   Answera


6. Luxury and ___ are intrinsic components of all parades and shows.
   a. beautiful
   b. beauty
   c. wealthy
   d. aesthetic
   Answerb


7. The ___ and the music captivate millions of people around the world.
   a. customs
   b. customer
   c. costumes
   d. custodies
   Answerc


8. The samba originated from a ___ the African slaves brought to Brazil.
   a. stanza
   b. rhythm
   c. rhyme
   d. rhythmic
   Answerb


9. Carnival, ___ in Brazil by the Portuguese, has assimilated local elements, mainly from the black culture from Rio and Bahia.
   a. was introduced
   b. has introduced
   c. introduced
   d. introducing
   Answerc


10. The escolas de samba parades in Rio are considered the greatest ___ show in the world.
    a. choreographs
    b. choreographing
    c. choreographer
    d. choreographic
    Answerd


11. The first escolas de samba ___ the beginning of the 30's.
    a. date from
    b. date
    c. have been dating from
    d. are dated
    Answera


12. Samba is not only a music ___ but also a Brazilian pop type of dance.
    a. gene
    b. gen
    c. genre
    d. gender
    Answerc

More links about Carnival

• Carnival around the world on the travel channel
• Carnival vocabulary on www.youtube.com
• The Real Rio de Janeiro BBC travel documentary
• 1955 documentary
• How old is the Carnival?

How To Buy Happiness