American and British English share almost all their grammar, but many everyday words are different. If you live, work or travel in the US, the American word sounds natural and avoids confusion. This lesson teaches the American words and shows the British ones only so you can recognize them in movies and textbooks.
The pattern
We're going on vacation in the fall.
Can we get the check, please?
01At home and in the building
Americans live in an apartment, take the elevator, put things in the closet and take out the trash. In public, ask for the restroom or the bathroom. In the US, toilet means the object itself, and a flat usually means a flat tire.
| American (use this) | British (recognize only) |
|---|---|
| apartment | flat |
| elevator | lift |
| restroom, bathroom | toilet, loo |
| trash, garbage | rubbish |
02On the street and on the road
Walk on the sidewalk, leave your car in the parking lot, fill up with gas and watch out for the big trucks on the highway. When people wait their turn, they wait in line or stand in line. In the US, pavement usually means the hard surface of a road.
| American (use this) | British (recognize only) |
|---|---|
| sidewalk | pavement |
| parking lot | car park |
| gas | petrol |
| truck | lorry |
| line | queue |
03Eating out and shopping
At the end of a meal, ask for the check. Americans still use bill for paper money (a twenty-dollar bill) and for monthly payments (the electric bill). Fries are hot potato strips, and chips come in a bag. A cookie is sweet, and a biscuit is a soft bread roll, often served at breakfast in the South.
04Time off, seasons and phones
Time off work or a trip away is a vacation. A holiday is a special day like Thanksgiving, and the holidays means late November to New Year's. The season after summer is fall. Americans understand autumn, but fall is the everyday word. Your phone is a cell phone, a cell or just a phone, and your address ends with a zip code.
| American (use this) | British (recognize only) |
|---|---|
| vacation | holiday |
| fall | autumn |
| cell phone | mobile |
| zip code | postcode |
05Common mistakes
We're going on holiday to Florida.
We're going on vacation to Florida.
In the US, a holiday is a special day. A trip or time off is a vacation.
Can we have the bill, please? (at a restaurant)
Can we get the check, please?
In an American restaurant, you ask for the check.
Excuse me, where's the toilet?
Excuse me, where's the restroom?
Americans ask for the restroom or bathroom. Toilet sounds too direct.
I parked in the car park.
I parked in the parking lot.
An outdoor area for cars is a parking lot in the US.