American English and British English

American English and British English

Differences in grammar

These two varieties of English are very similar that most American and British speakers can understand each other without great difficulty. There are, however, a few differences of grammar, vocabulary and spelling. The following guide is meant to point out the principal differences between American English (AE) and British English (BE).

Differences in Grammar

Use of the Present Perfect

The British use the present perfect to talk about a past action which has an effect on the present moment. In American English both simple past and present perfect are possible in such situations.

• I have lost my pen. Can you lend me yours? (BE)
• I lost my pen. OR I have lost my pen. (AE)
• He has gone home. (BE)
• He went home. OR He has gone home. (AE)

Other differences include the use of already, just and yet. The British use the present perfect with these adverbs of indefinite time. In American English simple past and present perfect are both possible.

• He has just gone home. (BE)
• He just went home. OR He has just gone home. (AE)
• I have already seen this movie. (BE)
• I have already seen this movie. OR I already saw this movie. (AE)
• She hasn't come yet. (BE)
• She hasn't come yet. OR She didn't come yet. (AE)

Possession

The British normally use have got to show possession. In American English have (in the structure do you have) and have got are both possible.

• Have you got a car? (BE)
• Do you have a car? OR Have you got a car? (AE)

Use of the verb Get

In British English the past participle of get is got. In American English the past participle of get is gotten, except when have got means have.

• He has got a prize. (BE)
• He has gotten a prize. (AE)
• I have got two sisters. (BE)
• I have got two sisters. (=I have two sisters.)(AE)

Will/Shall

In British English it is fairly common to use shall with the first person to talk about the future. Americans rarely use shall.

• I shall/will never forget this favour. (BE)
• I will never forget this favour. (AE)

In offers the British use shall. Americans use should.

• Shall I help you with the homework? (BE)
• Should I help you with the homework? (AE)

Need

In British English needn't and don't need to are both possible. Americans normally use don't need to.

• You needn't reserve seats. OR You don't need to reserve seats. (BE)
• You don't need to reserve seats. (AE)

Sections In This Article

American and British English: differences in grammar - I
American and British English: differences in grammar - II
American and British English: differences in vocabulary - I
American and British English: differences in vocabulary - II
American and British English: differences in vocabulary - III
American and British English: differences in vocabulary - IV
American and British English: differences in usage - I
American and British English: differences in usage - II
American and British English: differences in spelling

Differences in grammar

These two varieties of English are very similar that most American and British speakers can understand each other without great difficulty. There are, however, a few differences of grammar, vocabulary and spelling. The following guide is meant to point out the principal differences between American English (AE) and British English (BE).

Use of the Present Perfect The British use the present perfect to talk about a past action which has an effect on the present moment. In American English both simple past and present perfect are possible in such situations.

• I have lost my pen. Can you lend me yours? (BE)
• I lost my pen. OR I have lost my pen. (AE)
• He has gone home. (BE)
• He went home. OR He has gone home. (AE)

Other differences include the use of already, just and yet. The British use the present perfect with these adverbs of indefinite time. In American English simple past and present perfect are both possible.

• He has just gone home. (BE)
• He just went home. OR He has just gone home. (AE)
• I have already seen this movie. (BE)
• I have already seen this movie. OR I already saw this movie. (AE)
• She hasn't come yet. (BE)
• She hasn't come yet. OR She didn't come yet. (AE)

Possession

The British normally use have got to show possession. In American English have (in the structure do you have) and have got are both possible.

• Have you got a car? (BE)
• Do you have a car? OR Have you got a car? (AE)

Use of the verb Get

In British English the past participle of get is got. In American English the past participle of get is gotten, except when have got means have.

• He has got a prize. (BE)
• He has gotten a prize. (AE)
• I have got two sisters. (BE)
• I have got two sisters. (=I have two sisters.)(AE)

Will/Shall

In British English it is fairly common to use shall with the first person to talk about the future. Americans rarely use shall.

• I shall/will never forget this favour. (BE)
• I will never forget this favour. (AE)

In offers the British use shall. Americans use should.

• Shall I help you with the homework? (BE)
• Should I help you with the homework? (AE)

Need

In British English needn't and don't need to are both possible. Americans normally use don't need to.

• You needn't reserve seats. OR You don't need to reserve seats. (BE)
• You don't need to reserve seats. (AE)

Differences in Grammar # 2

Use of the Subjunctive In American English it is particularly common to use subjunctive after words like essential, vital, important, suggest, insist, demand, recommend, ask, advice etc. (Subjunctive is a special kind of present tense which has no -s in the third person singular. It is commonly used in that clauses after words which express the idea that something is important or desirable.) In British English the subjunctive is formal and unusual. British people normally use should + Infinitive or ordinary present and past tenses.

• It is essential that every child get an opportunity to learn. (AE)
• It is essential that every child gets an opportunity to learn. (BE)
• It is important that he be told. (AE)
• It is important that he should be told. (BE)
• She suggested that I see a doctor. (AE)
• She suggested that I should see a doctor. (BE)
• She insisted that I go with her. (AE)
• She insisted that I should go with her. (BE)

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns like jury, team, family, government etc., can take both singular and plural verbs in British English. In American English they normally take a singular verb.

• The committee meets/meet tomorrow. (BE)
• The committee meets tomorrow. (AE)
• The team is/are going to lose. (BE)
• The team is going to lose. (AE)

Auxiliary verb + do

In British English it is common to use do as a substitute verb after an auxiliary verb. Americans do not normally use do after an auxiliary verb.

• May I have a look at your papers? You may (do) (BE)
• You may. (AE)
• You were supposed to have finished your homework before you went to bed.
• I have (done). (BE)
• I have. (AE)

As if/ like

In American English it is common to use like instead of as if/ as though. This is not correct in British English.

• He talks as if he knew everything. (BE)
• He talks like/as if he knew everything. (AE)

In American English it is also common to use were instead of was in unreal comparisons.

• He talks as if he was rich. (BE)
• He talks as if he were rich. (AE)

The indefinite pronoun One

Americans normally use he/she, him/her, his/her to refer back to one. In British English one is used throughout the sentence.

• One must love one's country. (BE)
• One must love his/her country. (AE)

Mid position adverbs

In American English mid position adverbs are placed before auxiliary verbs and other verbs. In British English they are placed after auxiliary verbs and before other verbs.

• He has probably arrived now. (BE)
• He probably has arrived now. (AE)
• I am seldom late for work. (BE)
• I seldom am late for work. (AE)

Differences in vocabulary

When it comes to vocabulary, American English differ significantly from British English. Sometimes the same word has different meaning. There are also different words with the same meaning. A few examples are given below.

American English	British English
Airplane	Aeroplane
Apartment	Flat/ apartment
Area code	Dialling code
Attorney, lawyer	Barrister, solicitor
Busy	Engaged (phone)
Cab/taxi	Taxi
Can	Tin
Candy	Sweets
Check/bill	Bill
Cookie, cracker	Biscuit
Corn	Maize
Crib	Cot
Crazy	Mad
Diaper	Nappy
Dumb, stupid	Stupid
Elevator	Lift
Eraser	Rubber, eraser
Fall, autumn	Autumn
Faucet, tap	Tap
First floor, second floor	Ground floor, first floor
Flashlight	Torch
French fries	Chips
Garbage, trash	Rubbish
Garbage can, trashcan	Dustbin, rubbish bin
Gas, gasoline	Petrol
Highway, freeway	Main road, motorway
Hood	Bonnet
Intersection	Crossroads
Mad	Angry
Mail	Post
Mean	Nasty
Movie, film	Film
Pants, trousers	Trousers
Pavement	Road surface
Pitcher	Jug
Potato chips	Crisps
Purse	Handbag
Raise	Rise (salary)
Railroad	Railway
Rest room	Public toilet
Schedule, timetable	Timetable
Sneakers	Trainers (sports shoes)
Stand in line	Queue
Stingy	Mean
Store, shop	Shop
Subway	Underground
Truck	Van, lorry
Trunk	Boot (of a car)
Stand in line	Queue
Two weeks	Fortnight, two weeks
Vacation	Holiday(s)
Windshield	Windscreen
Zee	Zed
Stand in line	Queue
Zipper	Zip

Differences in vocabulary - II

Real

In informal American English, real is often used instead of really before adjectives and adverbs.

• That was real nice.
• She sings real well.

Sure

Sure is often used to mean certainly in an informal style. This is common in American English.

• ‘Can I borrow your bicycle?’ ‘Sure.’

Slow

Slow is used as an adverb in road signs, and informally after go and some other verbs especially in American English.

Examples are: go slow, drive slow.

Any more

In British English, any more is usually written as two separate words. In American English, it is often written as one word anymore when it refers to time (= any longer). It usually comes in end position.

• She doesn’t work in New York anymore.

Around and about

In British English, around and about are both used to refer to movements or positions that are not very clear or definite: ‘here and there’, ‘in lots of places’, ‘in different parts of’, ‘somewhere in’ and similar ideas.

• The children were running around/about everywhere. (GB)
• ‘Where is John?’ ‘He must be somewhere around/about.’ (GB)

In American English, about is not used with this meaning. Americans normally use around.

• The children were running around everywhere. (US)
• ‘Where is John?’ ‘He must be somewhere around.’ (US)

Note that in American English, about is mostly used to mean ‘approximately’.

• There were about fifty people there. 

Differences in vocabulary - III

Illnesses

The names of illnesses are usually uncountable in standard British English. The can be used informally before the names of some common illnesses such as the measles, the flu; others have no article.

The words for some minor ailments are countable: e.g. a cold, a sore throat, a headache. However, toothache, earache, stomach-ache and backache are more often uncountable in British English. In American English, these words are generally countable.

• Love isn’t as bad as toothache. (GB)
• Love isn’t as bad as a toothache. (US)
• I have got backache. (GB)
• I have got a backache. (US)

Place names

In British English, the is unusual in the titles of the principal public buildings and organisations of a town.

Oxford University (NOT the Oxford University)

Hull Station (NOT the Hull Station)

Salisbury Cathedral

Birmingham Airport

Bristol Zoo

Manchester City Council

In American English, the is more often used in such cases.

The San Diego Zoo

The Detroit City Council

Holiday and holidays

In British English, the plural holidays is often used for the ‘big holiday’ of the year. In other cases, British people normally use the singular holiday.

• Where are you going for your summer holidays?
• Next Monday is a public holiday.

Americans normally use the word vacation. In British English, vacation is mainly used for the periods when universities are not teaching. Holiday is used in American English for a day of publicly observed celebration whether or not people work on it.

Ill and sick

Ill is often used to mean ‘unwell’ in British English. In American English, ill is unusual except in a formal style. Ill is most common in predicative position.

• Peter didn’t come because he was ill.

In attributive position many British people prefer to use sick. Sick is also the normal informal American word for ‘unwell’.

• He spent years looking after his sick father.
• He is sick.

Differences in vocabulary - IV

Drown

In British English, both active and passive forms of drown can be used to talk about accidental drowning.

He (was) drowned while trying to swim across a river. In American English, only active forms are used to talk about accidental drowning.

• He drowned while trying to swim across a river.

Awake and awaken

The verbs awake and awaken are irregular in British English, but can be regular in American English.

Awake – awoke – awoken (GB/US)

Awake – awaked – awaked (US)

Awaken is regular in both British and American English.

Awaken – awakened – awakened (GB/US)

Bath and bathe

In British English, the verb bath is used to mean ‘wash oneself in a bath tub’.

• Children have to be made to bath regularly.

The verb bath is not normally used in American English. In an informal style, we usually say have a bath (GB) or take a bath (British and American).

• I am feeling hot; I think I should take a bath. (US/GB)
• I think I should have a bath. (GB)

Bathe

In British English, bathe can mean ‘swim for pleasure’. In American English, bathe is commonly used to mean ‘take a bath’.

• It is your turn to bath the baby. (GB)
• It is your turn to bathe the baby. (US)
• I always bathe before I go to bed. (US)

Differences in usage I

Abbreviations

We usually write abbreviations without full stops in modern British English. Full stops (US ‘periods’) are normal in American English.

Mr (US Mr.) = Mister

Dr (US Dr.) = Doctor

Ltd (US Ltd.) = Limited (company)

Kg (US kg.) = kilogram

All and all of

Before a noun with a determiner (e.g. the, this, my), all and all of are both possible in British English. American English usually has all of.

• She has eaten all (of) the cake. (GB)
• She has eaten all of the cake. (US)
• All (of) my friends like riding. (GB)
• All of my friends like riding. (US)

Expressions with prepositions and particles

Different from/than (US)

Different from/to (GB)

Check something (out) (US)

Check something (GB)

Do something over/again (US)

Do something again (GB)

Live on X street (US)

Live in X street (GB)

On a team (US)

In a team (GB)

Monday through/to Friday (US)

Monday to Friday (GB)

Informal use of like

In an informal style, like is often used instead of as if/though, especially in American English. This is not considered correct in a formal style.

• It seems like it is going to rain.
• He sat there smiling like it was his birthday.

On

In American English, it is common to leave out on before the days of the week.

• I am seeing her Sunday morning. (US)

British people say at the weekend; Americans say on the weekend.

• What did you do at the weekend? (GB)
• What did you do on the weekend? (US)

In and for

In American English, in can be used, like for, to talk about periods up to the present. (British English only for).

• I haven’t seen her in years. (US) 

Differences in usage II

Both and both of

Before a noun with a determiner (e.g. the, this, my), both and both of are both possible in British English. In American English, both of is usual.

• Both (of) my parents like riding. (GB) 
•  Both of my parents like riding. (US)

In after negatives and superlatives

After negatives and superlatives, in can be used to talk about duration. This is especially common in American English.

• I haven’t seen him for/in months.
• It was the worst storm for/in ten years.

In British English, in is not normally used with this meaning.

• I haven’t seen him for months. (GB)

Shan’t

In British English, I shan’t is sometimes used in refusals. This is very unusual in American English.

• I don’t care what you say, I won’t/ shan’t do it. (GB)
• I don’t care what you say, I won’t do it. (US)

Shall

Questions with shall I/we are used (especially in British English) to ask for instructions or decisions, to offer services and to make suggestions. This is not common in American English.

• Shall I open the window?
• Shall we go out for a meal?

Will

We often use will in threats and promises. Shall is also possible in British English, especially after I and we. In American English, shall is not used in threats and promises.

• I will/shall give you a teddy bear for your birthday. (GB)
• I will give you a teddy bear for your birthday. (US)

Have (got) + infinitive

Have (got) + infinitive can be used, like must, to express certainty. This is mainly an American English structure, but it is now becoming more common in British English.

• I don’t believe you. You have (got) to be joking. (= You must be joking.)

Would and should

After I and we, should can be used in British English with the same meaning as would.

• If we had a map we would/should be able to get out of here. (GB)
• If we had a map we would we able to get out of here. (US)

Conditional would is sometimes used in both clauses of an if-sentence. This is common in spoken American English.

• It would be better if they would tell everybody in advance. 

American and British English: differences in spelling

A number of words end in -our in British English and -or in American English. Some words end in -er in American English and -re in British English. Many verbs which end in -ize in American English can be spelt in British English with -ize or -ise. In British English -I is doubled in an unstressed syllable before a suffix beginning with a vowel, while in American English it is not doubled.

Some of the commonest words with different spellings are given below.

American English	British English
Aluminum	Aluminium
Analyze	Analyse
Catalog(ue)	Catalogue
Center	Centre
Check	Cheque
Color	Colour
Defense	Defence
Dialog/ dialogue	Dialogue
Favor	Favour
Flavor	Flavour
Honor	Honour
Jewelry	Jewellery
Labor	Labour
Meter	Metre
Pajamas	Pyjamas
Paralyze	Paralyse
Practice, practise	Practise
Program	Programme
Realize	Realise/ realize
Theater	Theatre
Tire	Tyre
Traveler	Traveller