British English
British English is the kind of English language which is used in the United Kingdom and some other countries. British English is the redundant expression because the English language comes from England, which is the part of Britain.
American English is similar to English with alterations in spellings and usage of some words.
Spelling in British English[edit]
- Some English words ending in "re" end in "er" when written in American English. Examples: centre becomes center - litre becomes liter - metre becomes meter.
- American words omit the letter "u" from some English words. Examples: colour becomes color - favour becomes favor - honour becomes honor.
- American words may not contain the "ph" sound. Example: Sulfur is the American spelling of Sulphur.
- American words may use the "z" instead of an "s". Example: colonization is the American spelling of colonisation. However, this is changing and the 'z' is becoming much more common in England as well. Check www.dict.cc for examples, where the 's' spelling is given as the less common variant.
Vocabulary in British English[edit]
In British English, "dock" refers to the water in the space between two "piers" or "wharfs". In American English, the "pier" or "wharf" could be called the "dock", and the water between would be the "slip".
Some simpler differences:
British - American
- autumn - fall
- flat - apartment
- to let - to rent
- garden - yard
- lift - elevator
- lorry - truck
- metro, underground, tube - subway
- pavement - sidewalk
- pram - stroller
- petrol - gas or gasoline
- face flannel - washcloth
- football, footy - soccer
- railway - railroad
- shopping trolley - shopping cart
- tap - faucet
- trousers - pants
- jumper - sweater
- biscuit - cookie
- boot - trunk (of the car)
- bonnet - hood (of the car)
