British and American English – Vocabulary – A – M

Here you will find words which have different meanings or are spelled differently in British and American English.

British English
American English

A

accelerator
gas pedal, accelerator

aerial (TV, radio)
antenna, aerial

Alsatian
German shepherd

American Indian
Native American

anorak
jacket, parka

at the weekend
on the weekend

aubergine
eggplant

B

bank holiday
national holiday, federal holiday

barrister, solicitor
lawyer, attorney

base rate
prime rate

to bath
to bathe

beetroot
beet

bill
check

bin, dustbin
garbage can/trash can

biro
ball-point pen

biscuit
cookie

bonnet
hood

boot
trunk

braces
suspenders

(round) brackets
parentheses

C

candy floss
cotton candy

car park
parking lot

caravan
trailer

caretaker
janitor

catalogue
catalog

centre
center

chemist’s shop
drugstore, pharmacy

chips
French fries

city centre
downtown, city center

cloakroom
checkroom, coatroom

clothes peg
clothespin

colour
color

cooker
stove

(bathing) costume
swimsuit

cosy
cozy

cot (Baby)
crib

cotton wool
cotton ball

courgette
zucchini

crisps
potato chips

crossroads
crossroad (in the country)

intersection (town and country)

curriculum vitae (CV)
résumé

curriculum vitae

D

dinner jacket
tux, tuxedo

directory enquiries
directory assistance

diversion
detour

doll’s house
dollhouse

double cream
heavy cream

draught
draft

draughts
checkers

drawing pin
thumbtack

dressing gown
(bath) robe

drink driving
drunk driving

driving licence
driver’s license

dummy
pacifier

duvet
comforter

E

earth wire
ground wire

engaged
busy

enquiry
inquiry

everywhere
everyplace, everywhere

expiry date
expiration date

F

fancy dress
costumes

Father Christmas
Santa Claus

favourite
favorite

to fill in
to fill out

film
film, movie

fire brigade
fire department

first floor
second floor

fish-fingers
fish-sticks

flannel
face cloth, wash cloth

flat
apartment

(flat: apartment with a single floor)

flavour
flavor

football
soccer

fortnight
two weeks

fringe
bangs

from Monday to Friday
from Monday to Friday

from Monday through Friday (Friday included)

full stop
period

G

garden
yard

gear lever
gear shift

Gents
Men’s Room

goods train
freight train

ground floor
first floor, ground floor (in public buildings)

H

harbour
harbor

headmaster, headteacher
principal

to hire
to rent

hire purchase
installment plan

hockey
field hockey

holiday
vacation

hoover
vacuum cleaner

humour
humor

I

icing sugar
powdered sugar

indicator
blinker, turn signal

inverted commas, quotation marks
quotation marks

J

jacket potato
baked potato

jewellery
jewelry

Joe Bloggs
Joe Blow

jumble sale
yard sale

jumper
sweater

K

kilometre
kilometer

L

ladybird
ladybug

to lay the table
to set the table

letterbox, postbox
mailbox

lift
elevator

litre
liter

lorry
truck

lost property
lost and found

M

mackintosh
raincoat

managing director
CEO (chief executive officer)

mashed potato, mash
mashed potatoes

match
game

maths
math

mobile (phone)
cellphone

motorbike
motorcycle

motorway
freeway, highway, expressway, interstate

mum
mom

Thanks to Carl, Declan, Edeet, Gabriele, Hans, John, Karin, Liz, Monika, Oleg, Ron, Ulrike and Vicky.