
         TABLE OF AMERICAN AND BRITISH ENGLISH WORDS


KEY:     sl. = slang
         n.  = noun
         v.  = verb
         +   = can be used by Americans, but rare and/or archaic
         >   = American spelling can be used as alternate spelling
    (XXXX)   = Pronounciation difference



AMERICAN                     BRITISH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

a knockout (sl. beautiful)   a stunner (sl.)
a little bit                 a spot (sl.)
abrigment                    abrigement
acknowledgment               acknowledgement
ad (sl.)                     advert (sl.)
airplane                     aeroplane
aisle                        gangway
alley                        mews
aluminum                     aluminium
analyze                     >analyse
anemia                       anaemia
anesthetic                   anaesthetic
annex                        annexe
apartment                    mansion flat
apprise/apprize              apprise
amortize                     amortise/amortize
ardor                        ardour
baby buggy (sl.)             pram (sl. perambulator)
babysitter                   child-minder
bar                          pub
bartender                    landlord
bathroom                     loo (sl.)
bathroom                    +lavatory
beat (sl. tired)             fagged
biscuit                      scone
big deal (sl.)               big noise (sl.)
blacktop                     macadam
brash                        cheeky (sl.)
breakfast sausage            banger (sl.)
bucks (sl. dollars)          quid (sl. pounds)
buffet                       set meal
buggy (4 wheel carriage)     buggy (2 wheel carriage)
bum (sl. vagrant)            +tramp
bum (sl. vagrant)            bum (sl. backside)
burglary                     house-breaking
cafeteria                    refrectory
can (metal container)        tin
can (sl. jail)               nick (sl. gaol)

AMERICAN                     BRITISH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

can (sl. backside)           bum (sl.)
caliber                      calibre
call up (telephone)          ring up
cark shark (sl. gambler)     card sharper (sl.)
center                       centre
cinder road                  metalled roadway
check                        cheque
checkers (game)              draughts
clerk (KLERK)                clerk (KLAHRK)
closet (clothes closet)      closet (toilet)
closet (clothes closet)      cupboard (clothes closet)
color                        colour              
corn                        +Indian corn
connection                   connexion
confused                     fogged (sl.)
cookie                       biscuit
cop (police officer)         bobby
county court                 assize
coveralls                    boiler suit
crap (sl. worthless)         rot (sl.)
crooked (illegal)            bent (sl.)
curb                         kerb
dead on (sl.)                bang on
defense                      defence
deflection                   deflexion (but not in engineering)
derby (hat)                  bowler
detour                       diversion
dialyze                     >dialyse
diarrhea                     diarrhoea
diner                        chop house
disbarred                    struck off
disgusting                   off-putting
dishrag                      dish mop
discount store               cut-price shop
dock                         quay
draft beer                   draught beer
dresser                     +wardrobe
dude                         tosh (sl.)
ecology                      oecology (old sp.)
edema                        oedema
efficiency apartment         bed-sit
electrolyze                 >electrolyse
elevator                     lift
engineer (railroad)          engine driver
enrollment                   enrolment
eolian                       aeolian
esophagus                    oesophagus
estrogen                     oestrogen
etiology                     aetiology
favor                        favour
favorite                     favourite

AMERICAN                     BRITISH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

fender (of a car)            wing
fervor                       fervour
festive gathering            jollities (sl.)
fetus                        foetus
fiber                        fibre
fire department              fire brigade
fired                        sacked
first floor                  ground floor
flashlight                   torch
flavor                       flavour
fooling around               messing about or mucking about (sl.)
for rent                     to let
freeway                      motorway
freight train                goods train
French                       Frog (sl.)
french fries                 chips
fuel oil                     petrol
gasoline (or gas)            petrol
gas                          cooking gas
garbage can                  dustbin
garbage dump                 rubbish tip
genuflection                 genuflexion
get lost! (sl. leave)        push off! (sl.)
glasses                     +spectacles (sl. specs)
gray (color)                 grey (colour)
grounded (electrical)        earthed
got                          have gotten
hand drill                  +brace and bit
hang around (sl. loiter)     hang about (sl.)
hang up (telephone)          ring off
hardware store               ironmongers
harbor                       harbour
hemoglobin                   haemoglobin
hearing aid                  deaf aid
hiccup                       hiccough
honor                        honour
hood                         bonnet
horn (of a car)              hooter
hubcap                      +wheel cover
humor                        humour
inflection                   inflexion
installment plan             hire-purchase
intermission                 interval
jail                         gaol
janitor                      porter
jewelry                      jewellery
judgment                     judgement
kind of                     +rather
knock up (sl. get pregnant)  knock up (sl. wake up)
labor                        labour
lawyer                       barrister

AMERICAN                     BRITISH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

lawyer                       soliciter
leather neck (sl. US Marine) jollies (sl. Royal Marines)
legal holiday               +bank holiday
leveling                     levelling
license                      licence (n.; v.= license)
line                         que
lining up                    queueing
lodgment                     lodgement
long distance (telephone)    trunk call
looney                       dottie (sl.)
loot                         boodle, swag (sl.)
luggage                     +baggage
luster                       lustre
mail                         post
mail                         letter
mailbox                      postbox or pillar box
mailman                     +postman
maneuver                     manoeuvre
marvelous                    marvellous
men's room                   gents (sl.)
messy                        shabby
meter (unit)                 metre
meter (as in voltmeter)      meter
mist                         damp
mold                         mould
molder                       moulder
molt                         moult
mom (mother)                 mum
movie                       +film
movie theater               +cinema
municipal judge              magistrate
neighbor                     neighbour
newsstand                    kiosk
notary public                commisioner of oaths
nuts (sl. crazy)             dotty (sl.)
offense                      offence
orchestra seat               stall
organize                     organise
overdraw (an account)        overdraft
overpass (highway)           flyover
pad (sl. house)              digs (sl.)
pal (sl. friend)            +fellow, chap (sl.)
pants                       +trousers
paralyze                    >paralyse
parking lot                  motor park
penny (cent)                 pence
picked up (arrested)         nicked (sl.)
pharmiscist                  chemist
phone booth                  call box
phony                        phoney
photo flash                  flashlight

AMERICAN                     BRITISH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

plain                        moor
plow                         plough
practice                     practise (v.; n.= practice)
pretense                     pretence
program                      programme
pulled up                    drew up
radio                        wireless
railroad car                 railroad carriage
rain cape                    ulster
raincoat                     mackintosh (or mac sl.)
research scientist           boffin (sl.)
red hair                     ginger hair (sl.)
restroom                    +lavatory
rigor                        rigour
root beer                    ginger beer
rubber boots                +gum boots
rubbers                     +galoshes
rumble seat                  dickey seat (sl.)
savor                        savour
sawed                        sawn
scallion                     spring onion
schedule (SKED-JEWL)         scedule (SHED-DUAL)
Scotch tape                  celotape
scratch pad                  scribbling block
second floor                 first floor
sepulcher                    sepulchre
set the table                lay the table
sewers                       drains
sidewalk                     path or footpath
shoes                        boots
shoeshine boy                bootblack
shorts (underwear)           pants
show up (sl. arrive)         pop in (sl.)
shower                      +shower bath
smelled                      smelt
smolder                      smoulder
somber                       sombre
space heater                 electric fire
speakeasy (sl.)              off licence (sl.)
specter                      spectre
speedboat                    engine boat
stand (law court)            dock
station wagon                estate car
stool pigeon (sl. informer)  grass (sl.)
store                       +shop
story (as in: three story)   storey
streaked with...             shot through with...
streetcar                    tram
subway                       underground
subway station               tube station
suspenders                   braces

AMERICAN                     BRITISH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

swamp                        bog or mire
swimming pool                swimming bath
switch (railroad)            points
tailored shirt maker         bespoke shirtmaker
takeout (food)               takeaways
taxes                        rates
taxpayers                    ratepayers
taxi                        +cab
theater                      theatre
thumbtacks                   drawing pins
time= HH:MM                  time=HH.MM
trailer                      caravan
trench coat                  duffle coat       
truck (motor truck)          lorry
truck (railroad car wheels)  bogie
trunk (of a car)             boot
tire                         tyre
toilet                       water closet (W.C.)
traffic cirle                roundabout
tumor                        tumour
TV (sl.)                     telly (sl.)
undershirt                   vest
vacation                     holiday
vacuum tube                  valve
valet (military)             batman
vapor                        vapour
vaudeville                   music hall
vest                         waistcoat
vise (tool, clamp)           vice
wagon                        waggon
watch out for the...         mind the...
whiz                        +whizz
will                         shall/will
will not                     shan't
windsheild                   windscreen
workman                      tradesman
wrench                       spanner
z (zee)                      z (zed)


Limey (sl. English person)   Yank (sl. American person)




Adding to this list are all sorts of subtle gramatical shifts,
i.e. "Well, that fell into the category of things which could
have been put better, but I let him carry on."   Which to an
American sounds VERY British, even though an American COULD
possibly say it that way.  An American would more likely phrase
it, "Well, I though he could have said it better, but I let him 
go on." There are conventions of language and phrasing that are
difficult to pick out, as well as subtle differences in logic.
Most Americans think that the British habit of installing light
switches so they light turns on when the toggle is pulled DOWN is
very illogical.  In speaking you can say turn up the light to
replace turn on the light and carry the same meaning. Likewise
turn down the light sounds like approaching off.  But British
logic doesn't follow the same conventions.
