English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate » Unit 101: US English

Word List
  • baggage
  • bathroom
  • bill
  • biscuit
  • bonnet
  • boot
  • candy
  • car park
  • center
  • centre
  • check
  • chips
  • closet
  • color
  • colour
  • cookie
  • curb
  • curtains
  • diaper
  • drapes
  • elevator
  • eraser
  • fall
  • first floor
  • flashlight
  • freeway
  • French fries
  • garbage
  • garden
  • gas
  • ground floor
  • holiday
  • hood
  • interstate
  • jewellery
  • jewelry
  • lift
  • line
  • luggage
  • motorway
  • nappy
  • note
  • pants
  • pantyhose
  • parking lot
  • pavement
  • petrol
  • queue
  • rest room
  • round trip
  • rubber
  • Scotch tape
  • second floor
  • sellotape
  • sidewalk
  • single
  • subway
  • sweets
  • tights
  • toilet
  • torch
  • trash
  • trousers
  • truck
  • trunk
  • underground
  • underpants
  • undershirt
  • vacation
  • vest
  • waistcoat
  • wardrobe
  • wash
  • wash up
  • WC
  • yard
  • zebra crossing
  • apartment
Exercises

101.1 ‣ If you saw words spelt in the following way, would you expect the writer in each case to be British or American? Why?

  1. favor
  2. centre _____
  3. hospitalized _____
  4. a movie theater_____
  5. colour _____
  6. jewelry _____

101.2 ‣ What are (a) the American and (b) the British words for the following things?

  2. _____
  3. _____
  4. _____
  5. _____
  6. _____
  7. _____
  8. _____

101.3 ‣ Translate the following into British English.

  1. We went there in the fall.
  2. Pass me the cookies.
    _____
  3. It's in the closet.
    _____
  4. Open the drapes.
    _____
  5. We've run out of gas.
    _____
  6. Our bags are in the trunk.
    _____
  7. One-way or round trip?
    _____
  8. Let's take the subway.
    _____
  9. We've been working in the yard.
    _____
  10. I hate waiting in line.
    _____

101.4 ‣ Can you avoid some of the most common confusions arising between British and American speakers? Try the following quiz.

  1. Where would you take (a) an American visitor or (b) a British visitor who said they wanted to wash up - the kitchen or the bathroom?
    (a) b)
  2. You have just come into an unknown office block. If (a) an American or (b) a Brit says that the office you need is on the second floor, how many flights of stairs do you need to climb?
    (a) _____ (b) _____
  3. If (a) an American or (b) a Brit asks for a bill, is he or she more likely to be in a bank or a café?
    (a) _____ (b) _____
  4. Would a man wear a vest under or over his shirt (a) if he is British or (b) if he is from the USA?
    (a) _____ (b) _____

101.5 ‣ Complete the sentences in two ways, an American way and a British way.

  1. We can park the car in the behind the station.
  2. I've written the wrong number here. Can I borrow your _____? I'll correct it.
  3. All that food is no good any more - we'd better throw it in the _____.
  4. We can take the _____ up to the fifth floor.
  5. Don't cross here - it's dangerous. There's a _____ further down the street.
  6. The car wouldn't start so we opened the _____ to see if we could find what was wrong.

101.6 ‣

Over to you

If you were going on holiday/vacation to the US, which of the words listed opposite do you think it would be most important for you to know?
Answer Key
A ‣ English in the USA

English in the USA differs from British English. Pronunciation is the most striking difference but there are also differences in vocabulary and spelling as well as some differences in grammar. Americans say the fall, while British English speakers say autumn; American speakers say on the weekend; British English prefers at the weekend. Yet, generally, British and American speakers have little difficulty in understanding each other.

B ‣ American English spelling

American English spelling is usually simpler. For example, British English words ending in -our and -re end in -or and -er in American English, e.g. colour/color, centre/center. Words ending in -ise in British English end in -ize in US English (realise/realize). There are differences in individual words too, e.g. British jewellery is jewelry in American English.

C ‣ US words and their British equivalents

Travel and on the streetIn the home
American EnglishBritish EnglishAmerican EnglishBritish English
gas(oline)petrolgarbage, trashrubbish
trucklorryelevatorlift
baggageluggage*eraserrubber
sidewalkpavementapartmentflat
crosswalkzebra crossingclosetwardrobe
linequeueyardgarden
vacationholidaydrapescurtains
parking lotcar parkflashlighttorch
trunk (of car)bootFrench frieschips
hood (of car)bonnetScotch tapeSellotape
freeway/interstatemotorwaycookiebiscuit
one-way tripsinglecandysweets
round tripreturnbathroom, rest room**toilet, WC
railway carrailway carriagediapernappy
subwayundergroundpantyhosetights

* baggage is also common in British English, especially in the context of air travel
** wash room is commonly used in Canada

Language help

American and British pronunciations are often different. You can hear the British and American pronunciation of words on the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary at Cambridge Dictionaries Online.

D ‣ Different meanings

Here are some words and phrases which could cause confusion when used by Brits and Americans talking together because they mean something different in each 'language'.

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