Comparing BrE with AmE

A friend of mine (who has studied English Philology) that saw the thread "He dove into the pool" , have kindly given to me an interesting document about comparing BrE with AmE. I wanted to post some examples for curiosity and cultural purposes.

I think that Japanese people study AmE.
I hope that the document is correct, but if anyone disagrees with some examples I'll aprecite you to report it.

Thank you.

BrE AmE

The baby has got a lot bigger. The baby has gotten a lot bigger.
Have you got new training shoes? Do you have new sneakers?

Sometimes BrE uses the present perfect while AmE uses the past simple:
Have you eaten all those biscuits? Did you eat all those cookies?

BrE can use a singular or plural verb for collective nouns while AmE uses only a singular verb:
The team are playing badly. The team is playing badly.

The shop is open from eight till four. The shop is open from eight through four.

BrE can use shall for offers and suggestions while AmE uses should:
Shall I call a taxi. Should I call a cab?

BrE uses a lot of question tags. AmE does not; instead it uses words like right and ok:
I'll park on the verge, shall I? I'll park on the shoulder, right?

In informal speech, AmE sometimes use adverbs without the -ly ending:
Autumn was really cold this year. Fall was real cold this year.

With double imperatives beginning with go, AmE sometimes drops the joining and:
Go and open the door. Go open the door.

AmE - BrE
alumnus - graduate
anyplace - anywhere
fall - autumn
apartment- flat
cookies - biscuits
baby-carriage -pram
bar- pub
rubber- condom
broiler- grill
store- cooker
Crib- cot
can- tin
thread- cotton
candy- sweets
closet - cupboard
corn - maize
dish-towel- tea-towel
drug store- chemist's
elevator - lift
eraser - rubber
first floor - ground floor
faucet -tap
vacation - holiday
math - maths
noplace - nowhere
kerosene -paraffin
private hospital - nursing home
mail -post
optometrist- oculist, optician
railroad - railway
potato chips - crisps
garbage - rubbish
rest room - toilet
someplace -somewhere
subway - underground
flashlight - torch
thumbtack -drawing pin
Janitor- caretaker
hobo-tramp
liquor store- off-licence
In BrE fag is an informal word for cigarette. In AmE fag is an offensive term for a homosexual.

Words for road & traffic

AmE - BrE
automobile- car
cab - taxi
detour - diversion
expressway- motorway
freeway - motorway
gas - petrol
highway - main road
intersection -crossroads
motor - engine
muffler -silencer
patrolman -policeman
pavement- road surface
sedan - saloon car
shoulder - verge
traffic circle - roundabout
sidewalk - pavement
trailer - caravan
truck - lorry
turnpike -toll motorway
windshield -windscreen
wreck - crash

It's a good start, but doesn't necessarily always hold true. ;-)
For example, in British English out of the following sentences - "Have you eaten all those biscuits? / Did you eat all those cookies?" - we might use either construction. The first one is more likely to be used if we were shocked about the amount of biscuits that have been eaten - "Have you eaten all those biscuits?!" - and the second construction sounds a bit more as though you were talking to a child - "Did you eat all those cookies?"

With the verb for collective nouns, actually us Brits are supposed to use only the singular form, and personally it drives me mad when people write "The team are playing badly" !!

Similarly we (Brits) use both 'shall' and 'should' like in your taxi example - but 'shall' is more used in conveying an offer, whereas 'should' sounds like the speaker is asking for advice: "Shall I call a taxi? You look a bit squiffy. / Should I call a taxi? Or do you think the bus will come soon?"

As for the list of words, I can only say that I personally use thread/cotton interchangeably. I also talk about the 'mail' as much as, if not more than, the 'post'. I also generally use an 'eraser' to rub out pencil marks - as British English does use 'rubber' as slang for condom and has done for years. We just used the word both for condom and for pencil eraser!

We use both 'pub' and 'bar' equally much in British English, but they have slightly different nuances. A 'pub' conjures up the impression of a 'traditional' English pub (padded seats, log fire, exposed beams, patterned carpet, brass on the walls, maybe real ales on tap), whereas when we say 'bar' we usually mean a more modern establishment (even if the building housing it is just as old as the nearby 'pub'!). However, food can be served in both - just to confuse the issue!

I use 'flashlight' to refer to one of the larger forms of torch, with a handle on the top, or maybe just very chunky and with a bright light, whereas 'torch' is a smaller kind of thing.

I think most British people use 'cab' and 'taxi', but when we say 'cab' we mean a 'black cab' which is certified, whereas a 'taxi' could be a private hire car.

Personally I use both 'truck' and 'lorry', as well as 'cookies' and 'biscuits', but I'm not sure whether most British people my age do that or whether it's just something I've picked up.

Very interesting!

Thank you very much for you explanation as English native, Kinsao.

Well, I have tendency to BrE since I've studied there and It's in my heart.

Anyway It's quite interesting to understand the differences between them.

Do you have a pencil? or Have you got a pencil?

I'm pleased for your contribution. Thank you!

I'm not sure about this one?

"motor - engine"

Growing up, I was taught that they are different things. A motor is electric (like in rc toys, and now some vehicles) and an engine is fuel powered (like in most automobiles, farm machinery, etc).

Other big differences are just in spelling. Such as color vs. colour.

In some cases the difference between the two is that words have fallen out of use in BrE still remain in AmE. One of the better known examples is Fall and Autumn, another is Period and Full Stop.

The great popular writer, Bill Bryson, has written an excellent book that quite entertainingly explores this subject, among others. It's called THE MOTHER TONGUE, English and How It Got That Way (1990).

Do I assume correctly, then, that in Japan students who study the English language study American usage and American inflections? Is that because their teachers learned this brand of English? Here in my small New England town, the independent school where my wife works as an administrator hosts about 200 Asian students, many from Japan, who, of course, learn American English. My daughter, who is a college sophomore, has two suitemates who were schooled in London, one from Hong Kong and one from Korea. They are utterly British in their usage and pronunciation--and they take a little gentle teasing for it.

I don't know how old the document is, but I've just noticed that I've not added "trunk" and "boot" which I recall I had a personal experience:

Three years ago I went to visit Segovia by car with a New Yorker friend of mine. After buying a present for his Spanish girlfriend, he told me excited that where could we put it so that it wouldn't break along the way. I told him that it was better to keep it inside the boot than on the back seat.
So, he said:
"what boot?... ah! the trunk, ok!"

It was funny. I learned a new thing. By the way, he speaks Spanish well but he talks to me in English to help me with English. Very kind of him.

>"trunk and "boot">

Likewise with "hood" and "bonnet".

I've hit upon hire and rent

In England it's said "hire car" whereas in USA it's said "rental car", isn't it?

Also in England people say "we have flats to let" whilst in USA people say "we have apartments for rent" isn't it?

Here are a few others, British to American:

cot = baby's crib

courgette = zucchini

to skive = to loaf

candy floss = cotton candy

inverted commas = quotation marks

number plate = license plate

Old Bill = policeman

smalls or knickers = ladies' underwear

subway = pedestrian underpass

fruit machine = slot machine

leading article = newspaper editorial

flyover = vehicle overpass

spiv = petty thief

to grizzle = to whine

knackered = worn out

And then there's the whole matter of swearing and cursing...

Hiya again

"to skive = to loaf" -- in England you most often talk about 'skiving' when you mean taking time off or time out - for example, if you're browsing the net while working you're skiving or if a kid bunks off school. 'Loaf' is more just general laziness, like loafing around the house at the weekend.

"inverted commas = quotation marks" -- I think we use those two phrases about equally, although someone else British might want to correct me.

"Old Bill = policeman" -- hehe, I don't know of anyone who actually calls the police 'the Old Bill' except in writing, not sure anyone actually says it out loud any more! (it feels quite old fashioned...) although there are all sorts of slang words for police... as I'm sure in any language...

"smalls or knickers = ladies' underwear" -- again, 'smalls' is an old fashioned word, I can't think of anyone below the upper part of middle age who would say it... more generally we would just say 'knickers'. I sometimes call them 'panties' but I realise that's a more American usage...

"spiv = petty thief" -- 'spiv' isn't a very commonly used word at all... again it has a bit of a dated feel to it. Also 'spiv' suggests to me more like a smalltime fraudster rather than someone committing burglaries or muggings....

"to grizzle = to whine" -- grizzling is mostly for babies, otherwise we use 'whine'...

Thanks for your enlightenment, Kinsao, in parsing the current subtleties of some of these slang terms and usages. It was G. B. Shaw who once said that the United States and England are two countries separated by a common language.

Here's a link to blog devoted to this subject:

Separated by a Common Language

Mycernius said:

In some cases the difference between the two is that words have fallen out of use in BrE still remain in AmE. One of the better known examples is Fall and Autumn, another is Period and Full Stop.

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Very good point. I had no idea about that.
So, in Englad it used to be said Fall instead of Autumn. Cool.
I'd never heard "period" as "full stop" before. I'm glad to know it.

Indiana Gardener said:

Other big differences are just in spelling. Such as color vs. colour.

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It seems to be a common difference, isn't it? like labour-labor, favour-favor...
When I came back from England I started reading a book of Haruki Murakami translated into English. When I read "labor" I thought I was a misprint. However I read it many times along the book, so I got upset thinking that I would swear that the spelling was "labour"
The book was translated into American English.

Reading a book too, I've found that "town hall" in American English is "city hall".

AMIGO said:

When I read "labor" I thought I was a misprint.

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I quote myself only to correct the red part:


When I read "labor" I thought it was a misprint.

I'm really sorry.

I've just investigated other spelling differences:

BrE - AmE

-re -er:

metre - meter, theatre - theater, fibre - fiber

-ll -l:

travelled - traveled, marvellous - marvelous

but -ll- when final syllable stressed, rebelling
-l -ll

fulfil - fulfill, skilful - skillful, enthral - enthrall

-ce -se:

offence - offense, pretence - pretense, licence - license

Be sure that you also get down pronunciation: vitamin, schedule are not pronounced the same in America and BrE. Also, -ou- : glamour/glamor, vigour/vigor, etc.

Putrefaction said:

Be sure that you also get down pronunciation: vitamin, schedule are not pronounced the same in America and BrE. Also, -ou- : glamour/glamor, vigour/vigor, etc.

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I was aware that vitamin was pronounced differently but how does schedule differ?

not sure if anyone already got these widely known ones (at least to me)
AmE BrE
Television Telly
Cell(ular) (phone) Mobile (or Handy? dunno about this one either)
Bar Pub
Movie theaters Cinema (not sure if this is truly BrE

I like some British English words more that some American English ones.

to skive = to loaf
knackered = worn out

maybe its just cause we dont really use "loar" but skive sounds way cooler

Putrefaction said:

Be sure that you also get down pronunciation: vitamin, schedule are not pronounced the same in America and BrE. Also, -ou- : glamour/glamor, vigour/vigor, etc.

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Thank you for your addition.
By the way, sorry for the question but, what does "get down" mean in that context? Maybe you meant "to write down"?

LukeSettle said:

I was aware that vitamin was pronounced differently but how does schedule differ?
not sure if anyone already got these widely known ones (at least to me)
AmE BrE
Television Telly
Cell(ular) (phone) Mobile (or Handy? dunno about this one either)
Bar Pub
Movie theaters Cinema (not sure if this is truly BrE
I like some British English words more that some American English ones.
to skive = to loaf
knackered = worn out
maybe its just cause we dont really use "loar" but skive sounds way cooler

Click to expand...

Thank you, man.
Well, there must be several interpretations depending on the English language versions.
Considering "advertisement", just the word's accent is different in American and British English, but I met an English friend who pronunce the word in the American's accent version.
There in England I've never heard "Movie theatre" but "Cinema".
And... we used to use time to time the word "skive" in the school.
Mexican people say "comerciales" (commercial) for "advertisement" whereas in Spain we say "anuncio" (announcement) for the same. Which you prefer to use is a matter of taste.

Er...slang for...uh...recognize, understand, I think.

And "schedule" in AmE is sked-jew-ul, BrE: shed-u-lle

AMIGO said:

Thank you for your addition.
By the way, sorry for the question but, what does "get down" mean in that context? Maybe you meant "to write down"?
Thank you, man.

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"get down" is just another way of saying "write down"
On the phone: "Can i give you my number so she can call me back"
"Sure, let me find a pen so I can get your number down."
Maybe not so natural but that's normally I use/have heard it used.
It also maybe accented like in this case where you list stuff between the get and down:
Ok, make sure you get the meeting on Sunday and my hair appointment on Tuesday put down In my schedule.

Well, there must be several interpretations depending on the English language versions.
Considering "advertisement", just the word's accent is different in American and British English, but I met an English friend who pronunce the word in the American's accent version.
There in England I've never heard "Movie theatre" but "Cinema".
And... we used to use time to time the word "skive" in the school.
Mexican people say "comerciales" (commercial) for "advertisement" whereas in Spain we say "anuncio" (announcement) for the same. Which you prefer to use is a matter of taste.

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Yeah I've also heard Advert from british people (and harry potter ) but it was pronounced AD-vert not like ad-VERT-is-ment (which I believe is the BrE pronunciation.)

That's funny, this is kinda off topic, but do you know any other Spanish/Mexican differences?

LukeSettle said:

"get down" is just another way of saying "write down"
On the phone: "Can i give you my number so she can call me back"
"Sure, let me find a pen so I can get your number down."
Maybe not so natural but that's normally I use/have heard it used.
It also maybe accented like in this case where you list stuff between the get and down:
Ok, make sure you get the meeting on Sunday and my hair appointment on Tuesday put down In my schedule.

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Thank you very much, LukeSettle for the explanation! I'll get it down ;-)

LukeSettle said:

That's funny, this is kinda off topic, but do you know any other Spanish/Mexican differences?

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Apart from the accent there are many, like AmE with BrE, but you know, we understand perfectly each other...
At the phone they say "bueno?" (well?), whereas we say "diga?" (tell me?). And you say "hallo", right?
Mexican say "platicar" for "to talk or to chat", and we say "conversar" (to converse).

Yesterday I watched a couple of chapters of "Columbo" in American English original version (not dubbed into Spanish) and I could noticed some differences between both AmE and BrE, like trunk and boot - hood and bonnet - vacation and holiday...

"Putrefaction" commented something about pronunciation, I've found some information about it in my friend's documents:

BrE AmE Pronunciation
rhoticity r dropping in Britain except for Irish and Scottish speakers
retroflex-r in America except for e.g. Eastern New England
Yod dropping BrE: chew, juice, rude, blue, AmE: student, reduce, new, suit
/t/ tapped ~ /d/ writer, latter, butter (winter)
/Z/ /Y:/ or /]:/ hot, stop, god, modern, clock; off, dog, song, orange, moss
/Y:/ /F/ can't, mask, dance, ask, staff (but mascot, math, hassle)
some words: either, neither, tomato, lever, herb, leisure,schedule
secretary, commentary; laboratory, ancillary