American and British English differences

Vocabulary

Most of the differences are in connection with concepts originating from the nineteenth century to the mid twentieth century, where new words were coined independently; almost the entire vocabularies of the car/automobile and railway/railroad industries (see Rail terminology) are different between Britain and America, for example. Other sources of difference are slang or vulgar terms, where frequent new coinage occurs, and idiomatic phrases, including phrasal verbs. The differences most likely to create confusion are those where the same word or phrase is used for two different concepts. Regional variations even within the U.S. or the UK can create the same problems.

Related Topics:
Nineteenth century - Twentieth century - Car/automobile - Railway/railroad - Rail terminology

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It should also be noted that most American words can be freely interchanged with their British versions within the United Kingdom and English-speaking Commonwealth nations without leading to confusion, though they may cause irritation. It tends to be only when the situation is reversed that real problems of understanding occur. However, there are some exceptions, such as gas (as in gasoline), and stroller (in the sense of pushchair) which would be misunderstood by speakers of English, as well as common trademark names unknown in the other country, such as Dumpster (U.S.) or Sellotape (UK). There are, however, many pitfalls that Americans can fall into without realising it; for example, referring to a woman's fanny in Britain, since the word indicates the buttocks in the U.S. but the vagina in the UK. Speakers of Commonwealth English should be cautious when asking for a fag (cigarette) in America, as it is a derogatory term referring to a homosexual in the U.S., although nowadays these alternate meanings are understood in the UK as their U.S. version, dependent on context. Residents of North and South Carolina beaches should be wary of inviting their British guests to "go out shagging," (a type of dance), for the term in British English refers to sexual intercourse. This meaning has become commonly known in the U.S., however, due to its repeated usage in the popular Austin Powers films, so many or most Americans are not likely to approach with such an offer unless that is what is in mind. Similarly, avoid telling Australians what team you root for, as the Australian meaning is sexual.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - Fag - Austin Powers

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Another source of confusion is the different usage of the word college. In the U.S., this refers to a post-high school institution such as a university, whilst in the UK and most Commonwealth countries it refers primarily to a tertiary institution between high school and university (normally referred to as a "Sixth Form College" after the old name in secondary education for Years 12 and 13, the "6th form") where intermediary courses such as A Levels or NVQs can be taken and GCSE courses can be retaken, with the interchangeability of college with high school being rare but not unknown. Americans may be surprised to hear of a 14 year old attending college in the UK, mistakenly assuming it is at the university level. In both the U.S. and UK, college can refer to some division within a university such as a "college of mathematics and science". Institutions in the U.S. that offer two to four years of post-high school education often have the word college as part of their name, while those offering more advanced degrees (for example, masters, doctorate) are called a university. However, Americans attending either a college or university are often collectively called "college students", and the institutions themselves "colleges", regardless of their status. The words freshman (or the gender neutral term frosh), sophomore, junior and senior refer to the first, second, third, and fourth year respectively of both high school and college (university) students in the U.S. It is important that the context of either high school or college first be established, or else it must be stated directly (that is, "She is a high school freshman." "He is a college junior.")

Related Topics:
A Level - NVQ - GCSE

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In the UK, first year university students are often called freshers; however, there are no specific names for those in other years, nor for school pupils.

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In the UK, the US equivalent of a high school is often referred to as a secondary school regardless of whether it is public or private.

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Words used only in British English

Speakers of American English are likely to be aware of some British English terms, such as lorry, biscuit, chap, and shag although they would not generally use them, or may be confused as to whether one means the American or British meaning of some (such as biscuit). They will be able to guess approximately what is meant by some others, such as candy floss or driving licence. However, use of many other British words, such as naff (not good) or busk (to play a musical instrument in public with the hope of getting donations from passers-by), risks rendering a sentence incomprehensible to most Americans.

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See List of British English words not used in American English.

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Words used only in American English

Speakers of British English are likely to be aware of some American English terms, such as sidewalk, gas, cookie, elevator although they would not generally use them. They will be able to guess approximately what is meant by some others, such as cotton candy. However, use of some other American words risks rendering a sentence incomprehensible to most Britons.

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Note that, largely through the influence of Hollywood, the chance of a given Americanism being understood by a British person is significantly greater than in the reverse case. However, Americans who watch britcoms and other imported BBC programs and British news re-broadcasts on American Public Television (PBS) are more likely to be familiar with British usages than those who do not.

Related Topics:
Hollywood - Britcoms - PBS

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See List of American English words not used in British English.

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Words with differing meanings

See List of words having different meanings in British and American English.

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