American and British English are two of the most popular and widely used variants of

English in the world. Why are they so? This can be answered through Kachru's concentric
circles, classifying the variants of English into three groups: Inner circle, Outer circle, and
the Expanding circle.
What are the differences between AmE and BrE?
Why is it necessary to distinguish the differences?

BRITISH ENGLISH AMERICAN ENGLISH

accommodation Accommodations
action replay instant replay
aeroplane airplane
agony aunt advice columnist
aluminium aluminum
anticlockwise counterclockwise
articulated lorry tractor-trailer
asymmetric bars uneven bars
aubergine eggplant
baking tray cookie sheet
bank holiday legal holiday
biscuit cookie; cracker
black economy underground economy
blanket bath sponge bath
block of flats apartment building
boiler suit coveralls
bonnet (of a car) hood
boob tube tube top
boot (of a car) trunk
bottom drawer hope chest
bowls lawn bowling
braces suspenders
brawn (the food) headcheese
breakdown van tow truck
bridging loan bridge loan
candyfloss cotton candy
car park parking lot
casualty emergency room
catapult slingshot
chemist drugstore
chips French fries

cinema movie theater; the movies

cling film plastic wrap
consumer durables durable goods
cornflour cornstarch
cos (lettuce) Romaine
cot crib
cotton bud cotton swab
cotton wool absorbent cotton
council estate (housing) project
courgette zucchini
court card face card
crash barrier guardrail
crisps chips; potato chips
crocodile clip alligator clip
current account checking account
danger money hazard pay
dialling tone dial tone
diamante rhinestone
double cream heavy cream
draughts (game) checkers
drawing pin thumbtack
dressing gown robe; bathrobe
drink-driving drunk driving
drinks cupboard liquor cabinet
drinks party cocktail party
driving licence drivers license
dual carriageway divided highway
dummy (for a baby) pacifier
dust sheet drop cloth
dustbin garbage can
earth (electrical) ground

engaged (of a phone) busy

estate agent real estate agent, realtor (trademark)
estate car station wagon
ex-directory unlisted
faith school parochial school
financial year fiscal year
fire brigade/service fire company/department
first floor second floor
fish finger fish stick
fitted carpet wall-to-wall carpeting
flannel washcloth
flat apartment
flexitime flextime
flick knife switchblade
flyover overpass
football soccer
footway sidewalk
fringe (hair) bangs
full stop (punctuation) period
garden yard; lawn
gearing (finance) leverage
gear lever gearshift
goods train freight train
greaseproof paper wax paper/waxed paper
green fingers green thumb
grill (noun) broiler
grill (verb) broil
ground floor first floor
groundsman groundskeeper
hairslide barrette
hatstand hatrack

hen night bachelorette party

hire purchase installment plan
hoarding billboard
hob stovetop
holdall carryall
holiday vacation
holidaymaker vacationer
homely homey
hosepipe (garden) hose
in hospital in the hospital
hot flush hot flash
housing estate housing development
hundreds and thousands sprinkles (for ice cream)
ice lolly Popsicle (trademark)
icing sugar confectioners sugar
indicator (on a car) turn signal
inside leg inseam
jelly babies jelly beans
Joe Bloggs Joe Blow
Joe Public John Q. Public
jumble sale rummage sale
jump lead jumper cable
jumper sweater
junior school elementary school
kennel doghouse
ladybird ladybug
a lettuce a head of lettuce
level crossing grade crossing
lift elevator
lolly lollipop
lollipop lady (or man) crossing guard
loose cover slipcover
lorry truck
lucky dip grab bag
luggage van baggage car
maize corn
mangetout snow pea
marshalling yard railroad yard
maths math
metalled road paved road
milometer odometer
mobile phone cell phone
motorway expressway; highway
mum/mummy mom/mommy
nappy diaper
newsreader newscaster
number plate license plate
off-licence liquor store; package store
ordinary share common stock
paracetamol acetaminophen
parting (in hair) part
patience solitaire
pavement sidewalk
pay packet pay envelope
pedestrian crossing crosswalk
petrol gas; gasoline
physiotherapy physical therapy
pinafore dress jumper
plain chocolate dark chocolate
plain flour all-purpose flour
polo neck turtleneck
positive discrimination reverse discrimination
postal vote absentee ballot
postbox mailbox
postcode zip code
potato crisp potato chip
power point electrical outlet
pram baby carriage; stroller
press-up pushup
private soldier GI
public transport public transportation
pushchair stroller
quantity surveyor estimator
queue line
racing car race car
railway railroad
real tennis court tennis
recorded delivery certified mail
registration plate license plate
reverse the charges call collect
roundabout (at a fair) carousel
roundabout (in road) traffic circle
rowing boat rowboat
sailing boat sailboat
saloon (car) sedan
sandpit sandbox
sandwich cake layer cake
sanitary towel sanitary napkin
shopping trolley shopping cart
show house/home model home
silencer (on a car) muffler
skimmed milk skim milk
skirting board baseboard
sledge sled
sleeper railroad tie
sleeping partner silent partner
solicitor lawyer
soya/soya bean soy/soybean
spring onion scallion
stag night bachelor party
Stanley knife utility knife
starter appetizer
state school public school
takeaway (food) takeout; to go
taxi rank taxi stand
tea towel dish towel
terrace house row house
tick check mark
trade union labor union
trading estate industrial park
trainers sneakers
transport cafe truck stop
trolley shopping cart
underground subway
vacuum flask thermos bottle
verge (of a road) shoulder
vest undershirt
veterinary surgeon veterinarian
wagon (on a train) car
waistcoat vest
walking frame walker
wardrobe closet
water ice Italian ice
weatherboard clapboard
white coffee coffee with cream
white spirit mineral spirits
wholemeal bread wholewheat bread
windcheater windbreaker
windscreen windshield
zebra crossing crosswalk
zip zipper

British English and American English have significantly different vocabulary and
usage. There are different words for the same concept, or the same word has
different meanings. More than a thousand words have different meanings or
usages in British and American English. Here are some of the more common words
used differently:

British English American English Bulgarian

fall ("autumn" is used, but

autumn only informal or poetic
language)
aerial (radio/TV) antenna

- angry - mad - ,
- mad - crazy - ,

, ;
banger, sausage sausage

barrister/solicitor attorney, lawyer

bath bathtub, tub

(
bill (restaurant) check
)

biscuit cookie, cracker

block of flats apartment house/building

booking reservation

boot trunk (of a car)

bonnet hood (of a car) ( )

braces (to hold up trousers) suspenders (mens)

car automobile, car

car park parking lot

(
caravan trailer
),

chap guy, man, boy . ,

chemist's drugstore

chemist pharmacist ,

chest of drawers dresser/bureau


chips (French) fries (
)

cigarette or cigaret (in the

US fag or faggot means
cigarette; fag (slang)
homosexual man (rude,
offensive)

cinema movie theater

,
city centre downtown

- grade (school levels 1st -

12th)
class, form - class (top 4 levels 9th - ( )
12th = freshman,
sophomore, junior, senior)

clothes peg clothespin

crisps potato chips (
)

crossroads intersection ,

cooker stove

(closet -
cupboard closet
. )

curtains drapes ,

curriculum vitae, CV resume

diary (personal account) journal, diary

dressing gown robe

driving licence (c for driver's license (s for noun

noun, s for verb) or verb)

dummy (for babies) pacifier

bath gown bath robe

engine motor ;

estate agent realtor

film movie

fizzy drink pop, soda, coke

flat ('apartment' is
sometimes used in formal apartment
written documents)

flyover overpass

floor storey

football soccer

fortnight two weeks

foyer lobby/foyer ( .)

full stop (punctuation) period .

fringe bangs

garden yard

(
fossil fuel in gaseous state
gas
used to heat & cook
)
 prison, jail, penitentiary,
gaol, prison, jail ,
pokey

grill broil

ground floor first floor

gear-lever gear shift

handbag purse ()

parking brake, emergency

hand brake
brake

headmaster, headmistress, (
principal
head teacher , )

high school, secondary

high school (junior high, ,
school, comprehensive
senior high)
school

holiday vacation ,

(
hire (hire a car) rent (rent a car)
)

vacuum (noun and

hoover (noun and verb) verb) vacuum
cleaner (noun)

jab (injection) shot

jelly Jell-O, gelatin ,

jam jelly ,

jumper sweater

ladybird ladybug

luggage baggage, luggage

lift elevator

lorry truck

maize corn

mackintosh, raincoat raincoat

chief executive officer

managing director
(CEO)

,
marks grades
(.)

,
motorway freeway

mince chopped beef ,

mobile phone cell(ular) phone

nappy diaper

pavement sidewalk

- petrol - gas, gasoline -

- filling station - gas station -

plimsolls, trainers, pumps sneakers ;

postal code zip code

postman mailman

pram (perambulator) baby carriage/(baby) buggy

property real estate

pocket money allowance

- public school (in England, - private school -

an expensive type ofprivate
school) - public school -
- state school (or council ()
school)

/
primary school elementary school

pudding/dessert dessert

reception (hotel) front desk

receptionist desk clerk

ring up/phone call/phone
/

row argument ,

eraser (rubber means

rubber ,
condom in the US)

; ,
rubbish garbage (or trash)

rucksack backpack/backbag

serviette napkin

stockholder shareholder

sweets candy

( ,
queue line
.)

shop store

starter, entree appetizer ,

single ticket one-way ticket

 last name (American
surname (British preferred)
preferred)

/
doctor's/dentist's

surgery office (surgery means
(surgery
operating room in the US)
)

; ;
tap faucet

taxi cab, taxi

term semester (or quarter) ,

tights pantihose

,
timetable schedule

,
tin can

bathroom, restroom, ,
toilet, lavatory, W.C., loo
washroom, john

torch flashlight

trousers pants

,
tube, underground subway

,
vest undershirt

waistcoat vest

(
wallet wallet, billfold
)
 ,
wedding ring wedding band/ring

(
windscreen windshield
)

zebra crossing pedestrian crossing

zip zipper

zed the letter zee (Z) Z