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British and American English

 

These two kinds of English are very similar. There are a few differences of grammar and spelling, and rather more differences of vocabulary.

Pronunciation is sometimes very different, but most British and American speakers can understand each other.


1 Grammar


US

GB

He just went home.

He’s just gone home.

Do you have a problem? I’ve never really gotten to know him.

Have you got a problem?

It’s important that he be told.

I’ve never really got to know him.

(on the telephone) Hello, is this Harold?

It’s important that he should be told.

It looks like it’s going to rain.

Hello, is that Harold?

He looked at me real strange. (informal)

It looks as if it’s going to rain.

He looked at me really strangely.


 

2 Vocabulary

There are very many differences. Sometimes the same word has different meanings (GB mad = crazy’; US mad = angry’). Often different words are used for the same idea (GB lorry; US truck). Here are a few examples:


US

GB

US

GB

apartment

flat

second floor

first floor

cab

taxi

trench fries

chips

can

tin

garbage

rubbish

candy

sweets

or trash

check

bill (in a restaurant)

gas(oline)

petrol

closet

cupboard

highway

main road

or cabinet

intersection

crossroads

cookie

biscuit

mad

angry

corn

maize

mail

post

crazy

mad

motor

engine

elevator

lift

movie

film

fall

autumn

one-way

single (ticket)

first floor

ground floor

pants

trousers

pavement

road surface

store

shop

potato chips

crisps

subway

underground

railroad

railway

truck

lorry

round-trip

return (ticket)

vacation

holiday(s)

sidewalk

pavement

zipper

zip


Expressions with prepositions and particles;

US GB

check something out check something

do something over do something again

fill in/out a form fill in a form

meet with somebody meet somebody

visit with somebody visit somebody

Monday through Friday Monday to Friday

home at home

Mondays on Mondays


3 Spelling


US

GB

US

GB

aluminum

aluminium

jewelry

jewellery

analyze

analyse

labor

labour

catalog

catalogue

pajamas

pyjamas

center

centre

practice

practise (verb)

check

cheque (from a bank)

program

programme

color

colour

theater

theatre

defense

defence

tire

tyre (on a car)

honor

honour

traveler

traveller

Many verbs end in -ize in American English, but in -ise or -ize in British English. For example; US realize! GB realise or realize.

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