English is the most widely spoken language in the world. However, precisely because of its versatility, English has variants all over the world. The two most important ones are American English and British English. This article will teach you a simple distinction between these two types of English in order to reduce the trouble in the travel process.
Brief definition
Simply put, American English is a variant of English that people often speak in the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Israel and other places, while British English is the English that often appears in many Commonwealth countries and former British colonies (such as Hong Kong). British English is usually taught in non-English-speaking countries, while American English is becoming more and more popular with young people (even young British people).
spell
In the 19th century, Noah Webster simplified the spelling of many English words in his first American English dictionary. These spellings are standard spellings in the United States, but may not be elsewhere. For example, when adding an affix to some words in British English, the last vowel must be doubled, but American English does not. Example: travelller (British); traveler (American). In addition, British English will replace C with S (nounlicence, verb license); S is always used in American English.
- In words ending in "-our", American English is simplified to "-or" (e.g. harbour and harbor, colour and color).
- French loanwords retain the "-re" end in British English, while American English is simplified to "-er" which is closer to the pronunciation (for example, theatreAnd theater, CentreAnd center）。Notice:The unit of length "meter" in British English is "metre", and "meter" means "meter"; in American English, both are called "meter".
- Some special usage:
| American | British |
|---|---|
| analog | analogue |
| check | cheque |
| program | programme |
| tire | tyre |
| airplane | aeroplane |
Canadian English complies with American English except for "cheque" and "programme" (project). And "computer programs" are all called "programs".
- Regarding quotation marks, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand all use "double quotation marks", while the United Kingdom and South Africa mostly use ‘single quotes’.
Glossary
Below is a list of English vocabulary that travelers may use in countries/regions where English is spoken.
Travel
| America | U.K | Chinese | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| car/automobile | motorcar | Motor vehicle | "Motorcar" is considered obsolete in the United States. |
| carry-on bag | hand luggage | hand-held luggage | |
| divided highway | dual carriageway | Two-way lane | |
| elevator | lift | elevator | "Escalator" is the escalator. |
| highway/freeway/expressway/limited-access road | motorway | highway | "Interstate" is the proper name for a highway system in the United States. |
| gas/gasoline | petrol | gasoline | |
| hood | bonnet | Hood | |
| median | central reservation | Central lane | |
| overpass | flyover | overpass | |
| ※pavement | road surface | Pavement (refers to the above-ground part, distinguished from the underground passage) | |
| (pedestrian) underpass | ※subway | Underground crossing | |
| parking lot | car park | parking lot | |
| railroad | railway | railway | |
| rent | hire | rent | In the United States, "hire" means "hire". |
| round-trip (ticket) | return | Round trip (frequency) | |
| sidewalk | pavement/footpath | sidewalk | Not a "crosswalk". |
| speed bump | sleeping policeman | Deceleration zone | The bumpy speed bumps on the road. |
| subway | underground/tube | subway | "Metro" in Montreal,WashingtonwithShanghaiCan also be used, but especially refers to the Paris subway system. |
| truck | lorry | truck | |
| trunk (of a car) | boot | car | |
| transmission | gearbox | Automotive Transmission | |
| undivided highway | single carriageway | One-way highway |
tour
| America | U.K | Chinese | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| ※football | American football | American football | Not football. |
| ※soccer | ※football | football | Those that don’t wear helmets and protective gear are generally called football outside of the United States and Canada, but soccer must refer to the kind of black and white football with 22 people chasing and running. |
| hockey | ※ice hockey | puck | This ice sport is Canada's national skill. |
| field hockey | ※hockey | hockey | This is a popular sport in India and Pakistan. |
| movies | films | movie | |
| movie theater | cinema | Cinema | British usage comes from French. In French, "salle de cinéma" (screening location) is different from "théâtre" (live performance venue). And "Cinema" is the standard form of movie theaters in the United States. |
Shopping
| America | U.K | Chinese | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATM | cash point/cash machine/hole-in-the-wall | ATM | "ATM" is an abbreviation of "automated teller machine". |
| ※bill | bank note | Paper money | "Bill" can also be a bill. |
| cash register | till | till | |
| fanny pack | bum bag | Waist bag | The British fanny is not a waist. |
| line | queue | queue | The British are "queue up" while the Americans are "stand in line". |
| Main Street | high street | Main street | For example, the term can be used to refer to Wangfujing. |
| ※pants | trousers | Pants | In British English pants means underwear. |
| pump | court shoe | sneakers | |
| shopping cart | trolley | shopping cart | It's called "buggy" in some places in the United States. |
Diet: eat
| America | U.K | Chinese | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| appetizer/starter | starter/entrée | Appetizers before meals | Indeed, British English is greatly influenced by French. |
| takeout/carryout/to go | takeaway | Take away | |
| ※check | bill | bill | "Check" is only used in the United States; Canadians also say "bill". |
| ※chips | crisps | potato chips | The famous British dish "fish and chips" is made with potato chips (potato chips). |
| French fries | ※chips | fries | This is what everyone often dips in tomato sauce at McDonald's. |
| cookies | biscuits | biscuits | |
| eggplant | aubergine | eggplant | India, Malaysia, Singapore:brinjal |
| ※entrée | main course | main course | The same name has a different order in different countries. |
| Jell-O | ※jelly | jelly | "Come on for leisure and entertainment." |
| ※jelly | jam | jam | In the United States, jelly is jam with pulp, jam is just thick juice. |
| napkin | serviette | napkin | napkin is also acceptable in the UK. Serviette more often refers to paper napkins, which is different from wet wipes. |
| zucchini | courgette | Zucchini (Zucchini) |
Diet: drink
| America | U.K | Chinese | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| ※cider | pure apple juice | (Apple juice | "Hard cider" is an alcoholic beverage in the United States; "apple juice" is filtered but "cider" is not, both of which are soft drinks. |
| hard cider | cider | wine | |
| liquor store/package store | off licence/off sales | Liquor store | |
| lemon-lime soda | lemonade | Lemon juice (Sprite, 7Up, etc.). | These are carbonated drinks, shake them up and drink them again. |
| lemonade (squeezed lemons and sugar) | traditional lemonade | lemonade | You can do it yourself. |
rest
| America | U.K | Chinese | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| apartment | flat | apartment | This is easy to distinguish. |
| rent | let | lease | "Lease" is a general term. |
other
| America | U.K | Chinese | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| call | ring | Call up | The call is also accepted in the UK. |
| cell phone | mobile phone | Cell phone/mobile phone | Singapore:handphone; Some English speakers outside of the UK use "handi" for mobile phones. |
| closet | cupboard (room) | cupboard | |
| fall | autumn | autumn | Americans also recognize "autumn". |
| first name | given name | First name (such as Jimmy in Jimmy Wales) | |
| flashlight | torch | flashlight | |
| last name | surname | surname | surname is a broader usage. |
| pacifier | dummy | dummy | |
| prepaid | pay as you go | Prepaid | pay as you go has another meaning: pay at maturity and live within your means. |
| restroom/※bathroom | WC/toilet/loo/bog | bathroom | Toilet paper "toilet paper" is a common usage, but the British prefer to say "loo roll" or "bog roll". In British English, WC (water closet) is used to solve internal emergency, and the bathroom is the bathroom. |
| sneakers/athletic shoes | trainers | sports shoes | Trainer means gunner in the United States. |
| trash/garbage | rubbish/litter | Rubbish | |
| vacation | holiday | holiday | The "holiday" in the United States is approximately equal to the "bank holiday" (statutory holiday) in the United Kingdom. Vacation refers to winter and summer vacations, annual vacations and the like, as well as leisure (not only rest) vacations. |
Weights and Measures
The United States is one of the few countries in the world that still uses the British system of weights and measures. Today, the United Kingdom has changed to use the metric system, except that it still uses imperial units in a very small number of fields. Even so, there are differences in weights and measures between Britain and the United States.
In terms of liquid measurement, a gallon in the United Kingdom is about 160 fluid ounces (fluid ounce), or 4.5 liters; in the United States, a gallon is about 128 ounces, or 3.78 liters. A gallon is 4 quarts, or 8 pints. In fact, one liter can be roughly regarded as one quart; however, to be precise, one liter is about 34 fluid ounces in the United Kingdom, which is greater than one American quart (32 ounces) and less than one British quart (40 ounces).
In the United Kingdom and the United States, the numbers on road signs are always expressed in miles, feet, etc.
In order to facilitate the conversion with the metric system, a pint of beer is set at 500 ml. But the original British product is about 568 ml.