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