English Usage in the UK and USA

A light-hearted look at some differences between English as spoken on both sides of the
Atlantic. Spelling and pronunciation differences are not included.

"The British and Americans are divided by a common language"

George Bernard Shaw

One Meaning - Two Words

Definition UK Word USA Word

1. 11th June 1998 11/06/98 06/11/98

2. the dot at the end of a sentence full stop period

3. unit of paper currency note bill

4. mathematics maths math

5. the season after summer autumn fall

6. day when offices are closed bank holiday legal holiday

7. small pointed thing used to pin papers onto walls drawing pin thumb tack

8. mark made when something is correct or selected tick check

9. the name of the final letter of the alphabet zed zee

10. angry pissed off pissed

11. third piece of a male's suit that goes between

waist coat vest
the jacket and the shirt

12. what women wear over their legs tights (panty) hose

13. what men wear over their legs trousers pants

trainers,
14. a type of soft shoe used in sports or for casual wear sneakers
plimsolls

15. strap to hold up a man's trousers / pants braces suspenders

16. item to hold up stockings suspenders garters

dressing
17. item of clothing worn in house at night bathrobe
gown

18. large bag carried by females hand bag purse

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 Definition UK Word USA Word

19. container carried by females for money purse pocket book

20. what you put in a baby's mouth dummy pacifier

21. what you put around a baby's bottom nappy diaper

22. the area next to a street where pedestrians walk pavement sidewalk

23. place from where goods are bought shop store

24. place from where medicines are bought chemist drug store

25. payment in a restaurant bill check

26. place where alcoholic drinks are bought off licence liquor store

hardware
27. shop / store selling metal goods and tools ironmonger
store

28. the business part of a city town centre downtown

29. law enforcement officer copper cop

30. what there was before email post mail

31. code used when sorting mail / post postal code zip code

reverse
32. telephone call where the person called pays collect call
charge

33. free telephone call paid by company free phone toll free

34. company on the WWW .co.uk .com

35. four wheeled private vehicle car automobile

36. front of a car / automobile bonnet hood

37. rear compartment of a car / automobile boot trunk

38. metal plate with number on a vehicle number plate license plate

39. long piece of metal used for radio reception aerial antenna

40. metal tool for tightening nuts and bolts spanner wrench

41. glass in front of a car windscreen windshield

mud guard
42. metal over the wheel to keep mud off fender
(wing)

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 Definition UK Word USA Word

43. multi-lane road for cars motorway freeway

44. road passing over another flyover overpass

45. heavy goods vehicle lorry truck

46. fuel for vehicles petrol gasoline

47. place to buy fuel petrol station gas station

48. area to stop off a major road lay-by pull-off

49. metal container in street for unwanted items skip dumpster

50. ticket for one journey single one way

51. ticket for two journeys: out and back return round trip

52. what you eat with milk, tea or coffee biscuit cookie

53. what you put on bread jam jelly

54. a gelatinous dessert jelly jell-O

55. crunchy thin-sliced fried potatoes crisps chips

56. fried stick-shaped potatoes chips french fries

57. a large vessel for juice or water jug pitcher

58. sweet things given to children to rot their teeth sweets candy

59. rolled up cake with jam / jelly in the middle Swiss roll jelly roll

60. a sugary liquid like honey treacle molasses

61. flavoured ice on a stick lolly popsicle

62. soft long green vegetable marrow squash

63. meat passed through a device that breaks it up into little

mince ground meat
pieces

64. cereal made from oats, sugar and milk porridge oatmeal

65. Swiss cereal made from oats muesli granola

66. arthropod with six legs insect bug

67. red insect / bug with black spots ladybird ladybug

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 Definition UK Word USA Word

68. dwelling in a large building flat apartment

69. device for obtaining water tap faucet

70. container for household waste rubbish bin trash can

71. portable battery-operated light source torch flashlight

72. the floor of a building that is level with the ground ground floor first floor

73. the floor of a building that is one level above the ground first floor second floor

74. device for carrying people between floors of a building lift elevator

75. place where films / movies can be seen cinema movie theatre

76. a self contained section of television programme show

77. popular cult sci-fi TV programme / show Dr Who Star Trek

78. game played on chess board draughts checkers

79. contest between two teams match game

80. game played by two teams with bats and balls cricket baseball

81. player who throws a ball at another player

bowler pitcher
holding a bat

noughts and
82. simple game of O and X tic tac toe
crosses

83. a collection of playing cards pack deck

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