American vs British English Vocabulary Quiz

Questions and Answers

Which term is used in British English to refer to what Americans call 'sneakers'?

loafers

boots

flip-flops

trainers (correct)

What is the British English spelling of the American English word 'honor'?

honor

onour

hounor

honour (correct)

In American English, how is 'advertisement' typically pronounced compared to British English?

no stress

first syllable stress (correct)

equal stress

second syllable stress

Which term used in American English translates to 'flat' in British English?

apartment Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference in pronunciation of the letter 't' between American and British English?

T-glottalization is more common in British English. Signup and view all the answers

Which of these words has a different spelling in British English with the '-ise' ending?

organize Signup and view all the answers

What is the British English equivalent for the American term 'truck'?

lorry Signup and view all the answers

Which word is commonly pronounced differently as 'cah' in British English?

car Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct British spelling of the word that Americans spell as 'color'?

colour Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Vocabulary Variations

Everyday Items:
- American English: elevator, apartment, truck
- British English: lift, flat, lorry
Clothing:
- American English: sweater, pants, sneakers
- British English: jumper, trousers, trainers
Food:
- American English: cookie, fries, zucchini
- British English: biscuit, chips, courgette
Transportation:
- American English: sidewalk, subway, truck
- British English: pavement, underground, lorry

Spelling Differences

-or vs. -our:
- American English: color, honor, labor
- British English: colour, honour, labour
-ize vs. -ise:
- American English: recognize, realize
- British English: recognise, realise
-er vs. -re:
- American English: center, meter
- British English: centre, metre
Double Consonants:
- American English: canceled, traveled
- British English: cancelled, travelled

Pronunciation Contrasts

Vowel Sounds:
- American English often rhotacizes the "r" in words (e.g., "car" pronounced with a clear "r").
- British English may have non-rhotic accents where "r" is less pronounced (e.g., "car" sounds like "cah").
Syllable Stress:
- American English typically stresses the first syllable in words like "advertisement."
- British English leans toward stressing the second syllable ("advertisement").
T-glottalization:
- Common in British English, where "t" is softened or dropped in words like "bottle" (sounds like "bo'le").
- Less prevalent in American English, maintaining the "t" sound.

Vocabulary Variations

Everyday items in American English differ significantly from British English, e.g., "elevator" (AE) vs. "lift" (BE).
Clothing terms also show variation; "sweater" (AE) corresponds to "jumper" (BE), while "pants" (AE) are "trousers" (BE).
Food terminology varies, with "cookie" (AE) being "biscuit" (BE) and "fries" (AE) referred to as "chips" (BE).
In transportation vocabulary, "sidewalk" (AE) is known as "pavement" (BE), and "subway" (AE) translates to "underground" (BE).

Spelling Differences

Spelling differences often involve the endings: "-or" in American English (e.g., "color") switches to "-our" in British English (e.g., "colour").
Words ending in "-ize" in American English (e.g., "recognize") use "-ise" in British English (e.g., "recognise").
American English typically opts for "-er" (e.g., "center"), contrasting with British English's "-re" (e.g., "centre").
Double consonants vary; American English uses "canceled" and "traveled," while British English doubles the consonants to form "cancelled" and "travelled."

Pronunciation Contrasts

American English rhotacizes the "r," leading to a pronounced "r" in words like "car," while British English may have non-rhotic accents that soften it (sounds like "cah").
Syllable stress differs, with American English stressing the first syllable in "advertisement," whereas British English emphasizes the second syllable.
T-glottalization is a feature in British English, where the "t" sound is softened (as in "bottle" sounding like "bo'le"), which is less common in American English.

Description

Test your knowledge of vocabulary variations between American and British English. This quiz covers everyday items, clothing, food, and transportation terms, alongside spelling and pronunciation differences. See how well you can distinguish between the two variants!