iUniverse presents Differences between American and British Vocabulary

Although there are many differences in vocabulary, spelling and grammar between the American and British dialects of English, it’s still the same language, and we little or no difficulty understanding each other. In this article, iUniverse Publishing will present some of the differences between British and American vocabulary.

iUniverse looks at Botanical and Medical Terminology

British people are more comfortable using botanical terms, While Americans feel more comfortable medical terminology. This means that a Briton might have a “heart attack” while planting “digitalis”, but an American would have a “myocardial infarction” while planting “foxglove”.

iUniverse examines is it – Automobile or Car

Americans and British people use different names for different parts of the automobile. American cars have windshields, hoods, trunks, turn-signals and antennas, but in British English the names of these parts are windscreens, bonnets, boots, indicators and aerials, respectively. In America, we drive trucks, use gasoline and have “tires” on our vehicles, while in England, they drive lorries, use petrol and have “tyres” on their automobiles. Americans drive on highways or freeways, but The British use motorways.

iUniverse Crossings

Although the Americans and British both say “pedestrian crossing”, in America, they are called “crosswalks”, but in England, they are called “zebra crossings” because of the black and white stripes (like a zebra), or “pelican crossings”, which are “zebra crossings” with traffic lights.

iUniverse looks inside the Building

There happen to be a number of vocabulary differences for the various parts of buildings. The first floor of an American building is the ground floor of a British building, and the second floor of an American building is the first floor of a British building. In American buildings, we have elevators, lobbies and hallways, but British buildings have lifts, foyers and corridors.

Here are other differences in vocabulary between American and British English.

American Englishalligator clip apartment baby carriage bathroom bill candy check cookie closet crosswalk diaper eggplant faucet flashlight French fries garbage John Doe/Jane Doe/John Q. Public kerosene line national holiday one-way ticket pants pay raise parking lot pencil eraser potato chips round trip ticket Scotch tape sidewalk subway suspenders tanktop to call (by phone) vacation vest underwear zucchini

British Englishcrocodile clip flat pram water closet (WC) banknote sweets bill biscuit wardrobe zebra crossing or pelican crossing nappy aubergine tap torch chips rubbish Joe Bloggs paraffin queue bank holiday single ticket underwear pay rise car park rubber potato crisps return ticket Cellotape – from cellophane pavement underground or tube braces vest to ring holiday waistcoat pants courgette

iUniverse Writer’s Tips hopes that you have enjoyed this article and that you found it informative if you are setting your book in the UK.

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