British English and American English People in Britain and America understand each other perfectly most of the time, bur there are differences in grammar, vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation. With vocabulary, the same word may have a different meaning, e.g. British chips are American french fries; and American chips are British crisps. Sometimes there are completely different words for the same thing: a lorry in British English is called a truck in American English. Vocabulary Here are some important differences. The British English word comes first in each case. Most of the words are explained in other units. Use the index to help you. Roads and transport Food taxi / cab/taxi return (ticket) / round trip petrol / gas (gasoline) main road / highway motorway/freeway underground/subway subway/underpass pavement/sidewalk lorry/truck car park / parking lor Education secondary school / high school chips/french fries ternvsemester (= periods in a college year) Clothes university/college x», Time > @ autumn/fall f holiday/vacation SK fortnight / two weeks ee Homes tap/faucet rubbish / garbage/trash dustbin/trashean toilet/bathroom wardrobe/closet waistcoat/vest trousers/pants Buildings flat/apartment ground floor / first floor lift/elevator toilet (gents/ladies) / bathroom (men’s/ladies’ room) vest/undershirt trainers/sneakers Note: Some American English words are now becoming more common in British English, e.g. movie (Br. = film); apartment (Br. = flat}; semester (Br. = term). One special problem is thar guys in American English can refer to men and/or women, but in British English it is only used to refer to menDecide if the speaker is using British English or American English, and cross out the incorrect answer. We've decided to take our vacation in the autumn/fall this year. At my son’s high school the new term/semester starts next week. I never eat biscuits or sweets/candy. Pur that garbage in the dustbin/trashean. ‘The trousers look nice with that waistcoativest. ‘The lorry/truck came past us on the highway My apartment is on the fourth floor but I'm afraid there’s no lify/elevator. ‘The people next door are on holiday/vacation. They'll be away for a fortnight. We left the car in the car park / parking lot and took the subway to the centre 10. My trainers are in the wardrobe/closer. :2 Now complete this table. British English | American English vacation | trousers apartment trainers high school hiscuits garbage highway fortnight subway This text includes some words used in American English. Underline them and write the British English words on the right-hand side. It was getting near lunchtime and I needed some gas, so | left the freeway and drove towards the nearest town. There was 2 gas station just outside the town and | decided to stop and have a look round. | put the car in a parking lot and took a cab to the centre. It was midday and very hot, so I stopped at a little cafe with tables on the sidewalk. | started talking to a truck driver, who gave me a history of the town, and afterwards he took me on a guided tour. It made a very nice break. Here are some more American English words that are explained in different parts of this book. What is the British English equivalent? American English British English stand/wait in line drapes collect call attorney check (in a restaurant)US English English in the USA differs considerably from British English. Pronunciation is the most striking difference but there are also a number of differences in vocabulary and spelling as well as slight differences in grammar. On the whole, British péople are exposed to a lot of American English on TV, in films and so on and so they will usually understand most American vocabulary. American spelling is usually simpler. For example, British English words ending in -our and -re, end in -or and -er in American English, e.g. colour/color, centre/center. There are differences in individual words too, e.g. British ‘plough’ becomes ‘plow’. The American spelling usually tries to correspond more closely to pronunciation. Here are some common US words with their British equivalents. Travel and on the street In the home American English British English American English British English gasoline petrol antenna aerial truck lorry elevator life baggage luggage eraser rubber blow-out puncture apartment flat sidewalk pavement closet wardrobe line queue drapes curtains vacation holiday faucet tap trunk (of car) boot kerosene paraffin hood (of car) bonnet Scotch tape sellotape cab taxi yard garden freeway motorway cookie biscuit round trip return candy sweets railway car railway carriage garbage rubbish engineer (on train) engine driver diaper nappy baby carriage pram panti-hose tights Note also: the fall = autumn semester = term [semester is becoming common in Britain.] Here are some words and phrases which can cause confusion when used by Brits and Americans talking together because they mean something different in each ‘language’. ivhen they say: | an American means and a Brit means what a Brit calls: what an American calls: abill a (bank) note a check (in a café) the first floor the ground floor the second floor pants trousers underpants potato chips potato crisps french fries purse a handbag a wallet subway an underground railway | an underpass vest a waistcoat an undershirt wash up wash your hands wash the dishesIf you saw words spelt in the following way would you expect the writer in each case to be British or American? Why? 1 labor 2 centre 3 hospitalized 4 movie theater 5 favour 6 thru ‘What are (a) the American and (b) the British words for the following things? You are going on holiday to the States. Which of the words listed in B and C opposite do you think it would be most important for you to know? Which of the words would a person travelling with a baby might well need to know? Translate the following into British English, Thad a blow-out. 6 It’s in the trunk. Pass me the cookies. 7 One-way or round trip? Ie’s in the closet. 8 He left the faucet on. Open the drapes. 9 We're leaving in the fall. We've run out of gas. 10 T hate waiting in line. Can you avoid some of the most common confusions arising between British and American speakers? Try the following quiz. Where would you take (a) an American visitor (b) a British visitor who said they wanted to wash up = the kitchen or the bathroom’ Would (a) an American (b) a Brit be expected to get something hot or something cold if they asked for some potato chips? Which would surprise you more - an American or a British man telling you that he wanted to go and change his pants? You have just come into an unknown office block. If (a) an American (b) a Brit says that the office you need is on the second floor, how many flights of stairs do you need to climb? If (a) an American (b) a Brit asks for a bill, is he or she more likely to be in a bank or a café? Do you know any other examples of American English? Make a list at an appropriate place in your vocabulary notebook or file.