TABLE OF AMERICAN A;ND BRITISH ENGLISH WORDS


KEY:     sl. = slang;
n.  = noun;
v.  = verb;
+   = can be used b;y Americans, but rare and/or archaic
>   = American spel;ling can be used as alternate spelling
(XXXX)   = Pronounciatio;n 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 t";he 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.  A;n American would more likely phrase
"it, ""Well, I though he could";have said it better, but I let him
"go on."" There are convention";s of language and phrasing that are
difficult to pick out, as we;ll as subtle differences in logic.
Most Americans think that th;e 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 an;d carry the same meaning. Likewise
turn down the light sounds l;ike approaching off.  But British
"logic doesn""t follow the sam";e conventions.