British and American Vocabulary
British and American English
There are a few differences between British and American English. First, the different spelling of vocabulary. The words have the same use and meaning, however, they are spelt differently!
Different Spelling
Strange?! So how did it happen?
In the 1700’s Noah Webster, an American lexicographer was frustrated that words were not spelt the way they sounded! So, he changed the spelling of words such as:
British English – American English
Colour – Color
Honour – Honor
Labour – Labor
Noah Webster dropped the letter (u) from these words to make the spelling match the pronunciation.
Different Words
Sometimes, the vocabulary is completely different but the words have the same meaning. Here is just some of the different
vocabulary below:
British English American English British English American English
Biscuit Cookie Sweets Candy
Bill Check Railway Railroad
Car Park Parking lot Petrol Gas
Cinema Movies Post Mail
Chips Fries Pavement Sidewalk
Crisps Potato Chips Pants Underpants
Driving Licence Driver’s Licence Lorry Truck or Semi
Estate Agent Real Estate Agent Lift Elevator
Flat Tyre Flat tire Ground Floor First Floor
The different vocabulary can sometime cause confusion. But, thanks to TV and travel, we are starting to share words and replace older ones.
However, no matter how different they are, Britians and Americans can usually guess the meaning. This is done through the context of the sentence, so, they can still communicate very well! The biggest difference between British and American English is usually the accent!
So, what do you use? British or American English??