British vs. American English Differences PDF

[[Skip to content]](https://burlingtonenglish.in/blog/british-and-american-english-what-are-the-main-differences/#content) - [[Home]](https://burlingtonenglish.in/) - [[School]](https://burlingtonenglish.in/school/) - [[Online English]](https://burlingtonenglish.in/courses/) - [[Corp...

[[Skip to content]](https://burlingtonenglish.in/blog/british-and-american-english-what-are-the-main-differences/#content) - [[Home]](https://burlingtonenglish.in/) - [[School]](https://burlingtonenglish.in/school/) - [[Online English]](https://burlingtonenglish.in/courses/) - [[Corporate]](https://burlingtonenglish.in/organizations/) https://burlingtonenglish.in/app/uploads/BE-English-044.png - [[About]](https://burlingtonenglish.in/about-burlington/) - [[Blog]](https://burlingtonenglish.in/blog/) - [[Webinars]](https://burlingtonenglish.in/webinars/) - [[Contact]](https://burlingtonenglish.in/contact-us/) [**Talk to us**](tel:01161355555%20)  **British and American English: What are the Main Differences?** When people speak to you in English, can you immediately tell where they are from based on, for instance, their vocabulary or pronunciation? Although people speak in English all over the world, we know the language isn't spoken exactly the same way everywhere. The two most common and widely-accepted variations of English are British and American English. As is the case in many countries around the world, American music, TV shows and Hollywood films have a large and appreciative audience in India and as a result, we are quite familiar with American English. At the same time, learners in India are taught British English from a young age and we use British English spelling and vocabulary in our daily and professional lives. Although you can communicate -- whether in speech or writing -- in either British or American English and be understood by English speakers everywhere equally well, it is very useful to be aware of the differences between the two. Let us go over some of these differences in this post. Different Spellings for the Same Words One of the main differences between American and British English is the different spellings of the same words. **American**: --*ense*\ **British**: --*ence*\ Words end in in --*ense* in American English and in --*ence* in British English. **American** **British** -------------- ------------- Defense defence Offense offence License Licence **American:** single 'l'\ **British**: double 'll' In British English, words that have a vowel before the letter L double the L when adding--ed or --ing to the end. American English retains the single L, in most cases. **American** **British** -------------- ------------- canceled Cancelled Traveling travelling **American**: -er\ **British**: -re This is a tricky one that often confuses us every time we spell these words. Words end in --er in American English and in --re in British English. American British ---------- --------- theater theatre Center centre Fiber Fibre **American**: -or\ **British**: -our Here's one of the most well-known differences between American and British spellings: the use of -our in British spellings and --or in American ones of the same word. American British ---------- ----------- Color colour Behavior behaviour Favorite Favourite **American**: -ize\ **British**: -ise Although there are some exceptions, verbs that end in --ise or --yse in British English change to --ize or --yze in American English. American British ------------- ------------- Organize organise Familiarize Familiarize Apologize Apologise **Different Words for the Same Things**\ There are many words in British and American English that appear completely different but refer to the same thing. Here are a few: American British ----------------- ------------ soccer football pants trousers cookies biscuits movie theater cinema movie Drugstore chemist store shop Truck lorry College university **Same Words with Different Usage**\ Some words, despite retaining the same spelling, are used differently by speakers of British and American English. **Quite**\ In American English, quite (good) implies very (good) but in the British English, it means fairly (good), not very. Example: **American:** I am quite tired now. I could sleep for days.\ **British:** I'm quite certain her flight has landed, but you could call the airline to make sure. **Shall** Used more commonly in the UK, shall is considered formal in the US where the use of will is preferred. Example: **American:** I will finish teaching this class in ten minutes.\ **British:** I shall finish teaching this class in ten minutes. **Needn't and Shan't** The British English use of needn't and shan't is practically non-existent in the US, where don't need and won't are used more frequently. **American:** You don't need to worry about this problem anymore.\ **British:** You needn't worry about this problem anymore. **American**: I won't be long.\ **British**: I shan't be long. **Use of Prepositions** If you listen carefully while watching TV shows or the news on British or American channels, you'll notice slight differences in the way prepositions are used. **American**: on the weekend\ **British**: at the weekend Example: What did you do on the weekend?\ What did you do at the weekend? **American**: in college\ **British**: at university Example: She majored in Physics in college.\ She studied Physics at university. **American**: different than\ **British**: different from Example: This is different than what I expected\ This is different from what I expected **Pronunciation** The clearest difference between General American (GA) and General British (GB) pronunciation is the omission of *r* in the latter. The *r* is only pronounced in GB if it is at the beginning of a word or if there is a vowel after it. In GA, the *r *is always pronounced. For example, the *r *in the words *park*, *sort*, *horse* and *further* would be pronounced in GA and not pronounced in GB. There are also differences in vowel and consonant sounds that you will learn to distinguish clearly after listening extensively to English speakers with GA and GB pronunciation. **Accent** An accent refers to a distinctive way of pronouncing the sounds in a language that is especially associated with a particular country, area or social class. Speakers of English with British, American and Indian accents all sound very different; and what's more, these accents can vary greatly from region to region. Don't stress about which is the better accent to cultivate while you're learning English. A British accent is no better or worse than an American accent -- they're just different! And as the world becomes more and more connected, many people regard British and American vocabulary and usage as fairly interchangeable. Remember, accent is not a marker of fluency and not something to be self-conscious about -- the main thing is that your spoken English is easy to understand. English proficiency tests such as IELTS don't penalize test-takers for having an accent; rather, the focus is on intonation and rhythm, intelligibility, and your ability to produce a wide range of grammar and vocabulary with ease. Now that you know the main differences between American and British English, let Burlington English help you improve your spoken English skills with an online English speaking class. Our expert tutors will help you to make rapid progress, while the patented AI technology in our Speech Trainer® will help you to perfect your pronunciation. 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[[Refund and Cancelation Policy]](https://burlingtonenglish.in/refund-and-cancellation-policy/) [[Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy]](https://burlingtonenglish.in/privacy-policy/) Comparison of American and British English From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia **You have [[a new message]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:43.230.196.5) ([[last change]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:43.230.196.5&diff=cur)).** [[Jump to navigation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#mw-head)[Jump to search](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#searchInput)] *For a comparison of typical American versus British pronunciation differences, see [[Comparison of General American and Received Pronunciation]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_General_American_and_Received_Pronunciation).* *For the Wikipedia editing policy on use of regional variants in Wikipedia, see [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style § National varieties of English]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style#National_varieties_of_English).* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This article **needs additional citations for [[verification]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability)**. Please help [[improve this article]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Comparison_of_American_and_British_English&action=edit) by [[adding citations to reliable sources]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners). Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.\ *Find sources:* [[\"Comparison of American and British English\"]](https://www.google.com/search?as_eq=wikipedia&q=%22Comparison+of+American+and+British+English%22) -- [[news]](https://www.google.com/search?tbm=nws&q=%22Comparison+of+American+and+British+English%22+-wikipedia&tbs=ar:1) **·** [[newspapers]](https://www.google.com/search?&q=%22Comparison+of+American+and+British+English%22&tbs=bkt:s&tbm=bks) **·** [[books]](https://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&q=%22Comparison+of+American+and+British+English%22+-wikipedia) **·** [[scholar]](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22Comparison+of+American+and+British+English%22) **·** [[JSTOR]](https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=%22Comparison+of+American+and+British+English%22&acc=on&wc=on) *(July 2021) ([[Learn how and when to remove this template message]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal))* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **Comparison of\ | | American and\ | | British English** | +=======================================================================+ | - [[American | | English]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Engl | | ish) | | | | - [[British | | English]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Engli | | sh) | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | [**[Keyboards]**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_a | | nd_American_keyboards) | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | [**[Grammar]**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_an | | d_British_English_grammatical_differences) | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **Speech** | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | - [[Standard | | accents]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of | | _General_American_and_Received_Pronunciation) | | | | - [[Word | | pronunciations]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americ | | an_and_British_English_pronunciation_differences) | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | [**[Spelling]**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_a | | nd_British_English_spelling_differences) | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | [**[Vocabulary]**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparis | | on_of_American_and_British_English_(vocabulary)) | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | - [[Glossary of American terms not widely]\ | | [used in the United | | Kingdom]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_A | | merican_terms_not_widely_used_in_the_United_Kingdom) | | | | - [[Glossary of British terms not widely]\ | | [used in the United | | States]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_Br | | itish_terms_not_widely_used_in_the_United_States) | | | | - [[List of garments having different names]\ | | [in American and British | | English]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_garme | | nts_having_different_names_in_American_and_British_English) | | | | - Lists of words having different meanings\ | | in American and British English: | | | | - ([[A--L]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_w | | ords_having_different_meanings_in_American_and_British_English_(A%E2% | | 80%93L)) | | | | - [[M--Z]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wo | | rds_having_different_meanings_in_American_and_British_English_(M%E2%8 | | 0%93Z))) | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **Works** | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | - [[Works with different titles]\ | | [in the UK and | | US]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_with | | _different_titles_in_the_United_Kingdom_and_United_States) | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | - [[v]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:American | | _and_British_English_differences) | | | | - [[t]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template_talk:Ame | | rican_and_British_English_differences) | | | | - [[e]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Temp | | late:American_and_British_English_differences&action=edit) | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/International\_English\_Spelling\_updated.svg/220px-International\_English\_Spelling\_updated.svg.png International English spelling comparison. The [[English language]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language) was introduced to the [[Americas]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americas) by [[British colonisation]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_colonisation_of_the_Americas), beginning in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The language also spread to numerous other parts of the world as a result of British trade and colonisation and the spread of the former [[British Empire]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire), which, by 1921, included 470--570 million people, about a quarter of the world\'s population. Written forms of British and American English as found in newspapers and textbooks vary little in their essential features, with only occasional noticeable differences.[^[\[1\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-1) Over the past 400 years, the forms of the language used in the [[Americas]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americas)---especially in the [[United States]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States)---and that used in the United Kingdom have diverged in a few minor ways, leading to the versions now often referred to as American English and British English. Differences between the two include pronunciation, [[grammar]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammar), [[vocabulary (lexis)]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexis_(linguistics)), [[spelling]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling), [[punctuation]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punctuation), [[idioms]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom), and formatting of [[dates]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_date) and numbers. However, the differences in written and most spoken grammar structure tend to be much fewer than in other aspects of the language in terms of mutual intelligibility. A few words have completely different meanings in the two versions or are even unknown or not used in one of the versions. One particular contribution towards formalising these differences came from [[Noah Webster]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noah_Webster), who wrote the [[first American dictionary]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webster%27s_Dictionary) (published 1828) with the intention of showing that people in the United States spoke a different dialect from those spoken in the UK, much like a regional accent.[^[\[2\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-2) This divergence between American English and British English has provided opportunities for humorous comment: e.g. in fiction [[George Bernard Shaw]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bernard_Shaw) says that the United States and United Kingdom are \"two countries divided by a common language\";[^[\[3\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-3) and [[Oscar Wilde]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Wilde) says that \"We have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, the language\" ([*[The Canterville Ghost]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Canterville_Ghost), 1888). [[Henry Sweet]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Sweet) incorrectly predicted in 1877 that within a century American English, Australian English and British English would be mutually unintelligible (*A Handbook of Phonetics*). Perhaps increased worldwide communication through radio, television, the Internet and [globalisation] has tended to reduce regional variation. This can lead to some variations becoming extinct (for instance *the wireless* being progressively superseded by *the radio*) or the acceptance of wide variations as \"perfectly good English\" everywhere. Although spoken American and British English are generally mutually intelligible, there are occasional differences which might cause embarrassment---for example, in American English a *rubber* is usually interpreted as a *condom* rather than an *eraser*;[^[\[4\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-4) and a British *fanny* refers to the female pubic area, while the American *fanny* refers to a *butt* or *ass* (US) or an *arse* (UK). **Contents** - [1Word derivation and compounds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#Word_derivation_and_compounds) - [2Vocabulary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#Vocabulary) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [3Style](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#Style) - - [4Writing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#Writing) - - - - - - - [5Numerical expressions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#Numerical_expressions) - - - - - [6Demographics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#Demographics) - [7See also](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#See_also) - [8Explanatory notes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#Explanatory_notes) - [9Citations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#Citations) - [10General and cited sources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#General_and_cited_sources) - [11Further reading](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#Further_reading) - [12External links](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#External_links) Word derivation and compounds\[\] - - - - - - - - - Vocabulary\[\] *See also: [[Lists of words having different meanings in American and British English]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_words_having_different_meanings_in_American_and_British_English), [[Glossary of American terms not widely used in the United Kingdom]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_American_terms_not_widely_used_in_the_United_Kingdom), and [[Glossary of British terms not widely used in the United States]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_British_terms_not_widely_used_in_the_United_States)* The familiarity of speakers with words and phrases from different regions varies, and the difficulty of discerning an unfamiliar definition also depends on the context and the term. As expressions spread with the [globalisation] of [[telecommunication]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunication), they are often but not always recognised as foreign to the speaker\'s dialect, and words from other dialects may carry connotations with regard to [[register]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Register_(sociolinguistics)), social status, origin, and intelligence. **Words and phrases with different meanings**\[\] *Main article: [[Lists of words having different meanings in American and British English]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_words_having_different_meanings_in_American_and_British_English)* Words such as *bill* and *biscuit* are used regularly in both AmE and BrE but can mean different things in each form. The word \"bill\" has several meanings, most of which are shared between AmE and BrE. However, in AmE \"bill\" often refers to a piece of paper money (as in a \"dollar bill\") which in BrE is more commonly referred to as a note. In AmE it can also refer to the visor of a cap,[^[\[9\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-9) though this is by no means common. In AmE a biscuit (from the French \"twice baked\" as in biscotto) is a soft bready product that is known in BrE as a scone or a specifically hard, sweet biscuit. Meanwhile, a BrE biscuit incorporates both dessert biscuits and AmE cookies (from the Dutch \'little cake\'). As chronicled by [[Winston Churchill]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill), the opposite meanings of the verb [*[to table]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_(verb)) created a misunderstanding during a meeting of the Allied forces;[^[\[10\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-10) in BrE to table an item on an agenda means to *open it up* for discussion whereas in AmE, it means to *remove* it from discussion, or at times, to suspend or delay discussion; e.g. *Let\'s table that topic for later*. The word \"football\" in BrE refers to [[association football]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football), also known as [[soccer]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_for_association_football). In AmE, \"football\" means [[American football]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_football). The standard AmE term \"soccer\", a contraction of \"association (football)\", is actually of British origin, derived from the formalisation of different codes of football in the 19th century, and was a fairly unremarkable usage (possibly marked for class) in BrE until relatively recently; it has lately become perceived as an Americanism.[^[\[11\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-11) In non-American and non-Canadian contexts, particularly in sports news from outside the United States and Canada, American (or US branches of foreign) news agencies and media organisations also use \"football\" to mean \"soccer\", especially in direct quotes. Similarly, the word \"hockey\" in BrE refers to [[field hockey]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_hockey) and in AmE, \"hockey\" means [[ice hockey]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey). Words with completely different meanings are relatively few; most of the time there are either (1) words with one or more shared meanings and one or more meanings unique to one variety (for example, bathroom and toilet) or (2) words the meanings of which are actually common to both BrE and AmE but that show differences in frequency, connotation or denotation (for example, *smart*, *clever*, *mad*). Some differences in usage and meaning can cause confusion or embarrassment. For example, the word *fanny* is a slang word for [[vulva]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulva) in BrE but means [[buttocks]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttocks) in AmE---the AmE phrase [*[fanny pack]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanny_pack) is *bum bag* in BrE. In AmE the word *pissed* means being annoyed whereas in BrE it is a coarse word for being drunk (in both varieties, *pissed off* means irritated). Similarly, in AmE the word *pants* is the common word for the BrE *trousers* and *knickers* refers to a variety of half-length trousers (though most AmE users would use the term \"shorts\" rather than knickers), while the majority of BrE speakers would understand *pants* to mean *underpants* and *knickers* to mean *female underpants*. Sometimes the confusion is more subtle. In AmE the word *quite* used as a qualifier is generally a reinforcement, though it is somewhat uncommon in actual colloquial American use today and carries an air of formality: for example, \"I\'m quite hungry\" is a very polite way to say \"I\'m very hungry\". In BrE *quite* (which is much more common in conversation) may have this meaning, as in \"quite right\" or \"quite mad\", but it more commonly means \"somewhat\", so that in BrE \"I\'m quite hungry\" can mean \"I\'m somewhat hungry\". This divergence of use can lead to misunderstanding. **Different terms in different dialects**\[\] *Main articles: [[Glossary of American terms not widely used in the United Kingdom]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_American_terms_not_widely_used_in_the_United_Kingdom) and [[Glossary of British terms not widely used in the United States]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_British_terms_not_widely_used_in_the_United_States)* Most speakers of American English are aware of some uniquely British terms. It is generally very easy to guess what some words, such as BrE \"driving licence\", mean, the AmE equivalent being \"driver\'s license\". However, use of many other British words such as [*[naff]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polari#Naff) (slang but commonly used to mean \"not very good\") are unheard of in American English.[^[\[12\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-12) Speakers of BrE usually find it easy to understand most common AmE terms, such as \"sidewalk (pavement or footpath)\", \"gas (gasoline/petrol)\", \"counterclockwise (anticlockwise)\" or \"elevator (lift)\", thanks in large part to considerable exposure to American popular culture and literature. Terms heard less often, especially when rare or absent in American popular culture, such as \"copacetic (very satisfactory)\", are unlikely to be understood by most BrE speakers. Other examples: - - - - **British** **American** -------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- *maths* *math* *post* *mail* *trapezium* [*[trapezoid]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trapezoid) *aluminium* *aluminum* *football* *soccer* *quid* (slang for one, or multiple pounds) *buck* (slang for a dollar) **Holiday greetings**\[\] *Main article: [[Holiday greetings]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday_greetings)* It is increasingly common for Americans to say \"Happy holidays\", referring to all, or at least multiple, winter (in the Northern hemisphere) or summer (in the Southern hemisphere) holidays (Christmas, [[Hanukkah]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah), [[Kwanzaa]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa), etc.) especially when one\'s religious observances are not known; the phrase is rarely heard in the UK. In the UK, the phrases \"holiday season\" and \"holiday period\" refer to the period in the winter (in the Northern hemisphere) or summer (in the Southern hemisphere) when most people take time off from work, and travel; AmE does not use *holiday* in this sense, instead using [*[vacation]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacation) for recreational excursions. In AmE, the prevailing Christmas greeting is \"Merry Christmas\", which is the traditional English Christmas greeting, as found in the English Christmas [[carol]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_(music)) \"[[We Wish You a Merry Christmas]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Wish_You_a_Merry_Christmas)\", and which appears several times in [[Charles Dickens]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens)\' [*[A Christmas Carol]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol).[^[\[17\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-17) In BrE, \"Happy Christmas\" is a common alternative to \"Merry Christmas\". **Idiosyncratic differences**\[\] **Omission of \"and\" and \"on\"**\[[](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Comparison_of_American_and_British_English&action=edit&section=7)\] Generally in British English, numbers with a value over one hundred have the word \"and\" inserted before the last two digits. For example, the number 115, when written in words or spoken aloud, would be \"One hundred *and* fifteen\", in British English. In American English, numbers are typically said or written in words in the same way, however if the word \"and\" is omitted (\"One hundred fifteen\"), this is also considered acceptable (in BrE this would be considered grammatically incorrect). Likewise, in the US, the word \"on\" can be left out when referring to events occurring on any particular day of the week. The US possibility \"The Cowboys won the game Saturday\" would have the equivalent in the UK of \"Sheffield United won the match on Saturday.\" **Figures of speech**\[\] Both BrE and AmE use the expression \"I couldn\'t care less\", to mean that the speaker does not care at all. Some Americans use \"I could care less\" to mean the same thing. This variant is frequently derided as sloppy,[^[\[18\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-18) as the literal meaning of the words is that the speaker *does* care to some extent. In both areas, saying, \"I don\'t mind\" often means, \"I\'m not annoyed\" (for example, by someone\'s smoking), while \"I don\'t care\" often means, \"The matter is trivial or boring\". However, in answering a question such as \"Tea or coffee?\", if either alternative is equally acceptable an American may answer, \"I don\'t care\", while a British person may answer, \"I don\'t mind\". Either can sound odd, confusing, or rude, to those accustomed to the other variant. \"To be *all set*\" in both BrE and AmE can mean \"to be prepared or ready\", though it appears to be more common in AmE.^\[[*[citation\ needed]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)\]^ It can also have an additional meaning in AmE of \"to be finished or done\", for example, a customer at a restaurant telling a waiter \"I\'m all set. I\'ll take the check.\" **Equivalent idioms**\[\] A number of English idioms that have essentially the same meaning show lexical differences between the British and the American version; for instance: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **British English** **American English** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *not touch something with a bargepole* *not touch something with a ten-foot pole* *sweep under the carpet* *sweep under the rug\** *touch wood* *knock on wood* *(can\'t) see the wood for the trees* *(can\'t) see the forest for the trees* *put a spanner in the works* *throw a (monkey) wrench in(to) (a situation)* *to put *(or *stick*)* your oar in*[^[\[19\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-19)\ *to put your two cents *(or *two cents\' worth*)* in*[^[\[21\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-21) but *it won\'t make a ha\'porth of difference*[^[\[20\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-20)\ *to put your two penn\'orth* (or *tuppence worth*) *in* *skeleton in the cupboard* *skeleton in the closet* *a home from home* *a home away from home* *to blow one\'s own trumpet* *to blow *(or *toot*)* one\'s own horn* *a drop in the ocean* *a drop in the bucket*[^[\[22\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-22) *flogging a dead horse* *beating a dead horse* *haven\'t (got) a clue* *don\'t have a clue* or *have no clue* (the British forms are also acceptable) *couldn\'t care less* *could care less* or *couldn\'t care less*[^[\[23\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-23) *a new lease of life* *a new lease on life* *lie of the land* or *lay of the land*^\[[*[citation\ needed]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)\]^ *lay of the land* *take it with a pinch of salt* *take it with a grain of salt* *a storm in a teacup* *a tempest in a teapot* (rare) *out of order* *out of line* *slowcoach* *slowpoke*[^[\[24\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-24) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \* In the US, a \"carpet\" typically refers to a [[fitted carpet]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitted_carpet), rather than a rug. **Social and cultural differences**\[\] Lexical items that reflect separate social and cultural development. **Education**\[\] **Primary and secondary school**\[\] *Main articles: [[Primary education]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_education), [[Secondary education in the United Kingdom]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_education#United_Kingdom), and [[Secondary education in the United States]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_education_in_the_United_States)* **The naming of school years in British (except Scotland) and American English** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------------- **Age range** **British English** **American English** **Name** **Alternative/old name** **Syllabus** **Name** **Alternative name** 1--4 **[[Preschool]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preschool) (optional)**   Nursery Playgroup [[Foundation Stage]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_Stage) 1 Daycare 3--5 **Primary school** ** ** Reception [[Infants]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infant_school) reception Foundation Stage 2 Preschool Pre-K 5--6 Year 1 Infants year 1 [[Key Stage]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_Stage) 1 [[Kindergarten]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindergarten#United_States) [**[Elementary school]**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elementary_school#United_States) 6--7 Year 2 Infants year 2 1st [[grade]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_stages#United_States_and_Canada)   7--8 Year 3 First year [[Junior]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_school) Key Stage 2 2nd grade   8--9 Year 4 Second year junior 3rd grade   9--10 Year 5 Third year junior 4th grade   10--11 Year 6 Fourth year junior 5th grade   11--12 **[[Secondary school]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_school#England_and_Wales) / [[High school]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_school)** [**[Middle school]**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_school#Canada_and_the_United_States) [**[Junior high school]**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_high_school#Canada_and_the_United_States) Year 7 First [[form](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Form_(education))[^\[25\]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-Blc45-25)] Key Stage 3 6th grade   12--13 Year 8 Second form 7th grade   13--14 Year 9 Third form 8th grade   14--15 Year 10 Fourth form Key Stage 4, [[GCSE]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Certificate_of_Secondary_Education) [**[High school]**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_school#United_States) 9th grade Freshman year 15--16 Year 11 Fifth form 10th grade Sophomore year 16--17 **[[Sixth form]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_form) / [[FE College]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Further_education)**[^[\[26\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-26) 11th grade Junior year Year 12 Lower sixth (first year) Key Stage 5, [[A level]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GCE_Advanced_Level_in_the_United_Kingdom) 17--18 Year 13 Upper sixth (second year) 12th grade Senior year The US has a more uniform nationwide system of terms than does the UK, where terminology and structure varies among constituent countries, but the division by grades varies somewhat among the states and even among local school districts. For example, *elementary school* often includes kindergarten and may include sixth grade, with *middle school* including only two grades or extending to ninth grade. In the UK, the US equivalent of a *high school* is often referred to as a \"secondary school\" regardless of whether it is state funded or private. US Secondary education also includes *middle school* or *junior high school*, a two- or three-year transitional school between elementary school and high school. \"Middle school\" is sometimes used in the UK as a synonym for the younger *junior school*, covering the second half of the primary curriculum, current years four to six in some areas. However, in [[Dorset (South England)]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorset), it is used to describe the second school in the three-tier system, which is normally from year 5 to year 8. In other regions, such as [Evesham] and the surrounding area in [[Worcestershire]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcestershire), the second tier goes from year 6 to year 8, and both starting secondary school in year nine. In [Kirklees], [[West Yorkshire]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Yorkshire), in the villages of the [Dearne Valley] there is a three tier system: first schools year reception to year five, middle school (Scissett/Kirkburton Middle School) year 6 to year 8, and high school[^[\[27\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-27) year 9 to year 13. A *public school* has opposite meanings in the two countries. In American English this is a government-owned institution open to all students, supported by public funding. The British English use of the term is in the context of \"private\" education: to be educated privately with a tutor.[^[\[28\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-28) In England and Wales the term strictly refers to an ill-defined group of prestigious [[private independent schools]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_school_(United_Kingdom)) funded by students\' fees, although it is often more loosely used to refer to any independent school. Independent schools are also known as \"private schools\", and the latter is the term used in Scotland and [[Northern Ireland]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland) for all such fee-funded schools. Strictly, the term *public school* is not used in Scotland and Northern Ireland in the same sense as in England, but nevertheless [Gordonstoun], the Scottish private school, is sometimes referred to as a *public school*, as are some other Scottish private schools. Government-funded schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland are properly referred to as \"state schools\" but are sometimes confusingly referred to as \"public schools\" (with the same meaning as in the US), and in the US, where most public schools are administered by local governments, a *state school* typically refers to [[a college or university]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_university_system) run by one of the [[U.S. states]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._state). Speakers in both the United States and the United Kingdom use several additional terms for specific types of secondary school. A US *prep school* or [*[preparatory school]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University-preparatory_school) is an independent school funded by tuition fees; the same term is used in the UK for a [[private school for pupils under 13]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preparatory_school_(United_Kingdom)), designed to prepare them for fee-paying public schools. In the US, [*[Catholic schools]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_school) cover costs through tuition and have affiliations with a religious institution, most often a [[Catholic]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_the_United_States) church or diocese. In England, where the state-funded [[education system]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_Kingdom) grew from parish schools organised by the local [[established church]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Established_church), the [[Church of England]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_England) (C of E, or CE), and many schools, especially [[primary schools]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_education) (up to age 11) retain a church connection and are known as [*[church schools]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_school#United_Kingdom), *CE schools* or *CE (aided) schools*. There are also *faith schools* associated with the Roman Catholic Church and other major faiths, with a mixture of funding arrangements. In Scotland, Catholic schools are generally operated as government-funded state schools for Catholic communities, particularly in large cities such as [[Glasgow]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasgow). In the US, a [*[magnet school]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnet_school) receives government funding and has special admission requirements: in some cases pupils gain admission through superior performance on admission tests, while other magnet schools admit students through a lottery. The UK has [[city academies]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_(English_school)), which are independent privately sponsored schools run with public funding and which can select up to 10% of pupils by [[aptitude]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aptitude). Moreover, in the UK 36 local education authorities retain selection by ability at 11. They maintain [[grammar schools]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammar_school) (state funded secondary schools), which admit pupils according to performance in an examination (known as the 11+) and comprehensive schools that take pupils of all abilities. Grammar schools select the most academically able 10% to 23% of those who sit the exam. Students who fail the exam go to a [[secondary modern school]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_modern_school), sometimes called a \"high school\", or increasingly an \"academy\". In areas where there are no grammar schools the comprehensives likewise may term themselves high schools or academies. Nationally only 6% of pupils attend grammar schools, mainly in [[four distinct counties]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_grammar_schools_in_England). Some private schools are called \"grammar schools\", chiefly those that were grammar schools long before the advent of state education. **University**\[\] In the UK a university student is said to \"study\", to \"read\" or, informally, simply to \"do\" a subject. In the recent past the expression \'to read a subject\' was more common at the older universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. In the US a student *studies* or *majors in* a subject (although a student\'s *major*, *concentration* or, less commonly, *emphasis* is also used in US colleges or universities to refer to the major subject of study). *To major in* something refers to the student\'s principal course of study; *to study* may refer to any class being taken. BrE: \"She read biology at [[Cambridge]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Cambridge).\"\ \"She studied biology at Cambridge.\"\ \"She did biology at Cambridge.\" (*informal*) AmE: \"She majored in biology at [[Harvard]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_University).\"\ \"She studied biology at Harvard.\"\ \"She concentrated in biology at Harvard.\" At university level in BrE, each *module* is taught or facilitated by a [*[lecturer]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lecturer) or *tutor*; *professor* is the job-title of a [[senior academic]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor#Most_English-speaking_countries) (in AmE, at some universities, the equivalent of the BrE lecturer is instructor, especially when the teacher has a lesser degree or no university degree, though the usage may become confusing according to whether the subject being taught is considered technical or not; it is also different from adjunct instructor/professor). In AmE each *class* is generally taught by a *professor* (although some US tertiary educational institutions follow the BrE usage), while the position of *lecturer* is occasionally given to individuals hired on a temporary basis to teach one or more classes and who may or may not have a doctoral degree. The word *course* in American use typically refers to the study of a restricted topic or individual subject (for example, \"a course in Early Medieval England\", \"a course in integral calculus\") over a limited period of time (such as a semester or term) and is equivalent to a *module* or sometimes *unit* at a British university. In the UK, a *course of study* or simply *course* is likely to refer to the entire programme of study, which may extend over several years and be made up of any number of *modules,* hence it is also practically synonymous to a degree programme. A few university-specific exceptions exist: for example, at [[Cambridge]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Cambridge) the word *paper* is used to refer to a *module*, while the whole course of study is called *tripos*. A *dissertation* in AmE refers to the final written product of a doctoral student to fulfil the requirement of that program. In BrE, the same word refers to the final written product of a student in an undergraduate or taught master\'s programme. A dissertation in the AmE sense would be a thesis in BrE, though *dissertation* is also used. Another source of confusion is the different usage of the word *college*. (See a full international discussion of the various meanings at [[college]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College).) In the US, it refers to a post-high school institution that grants either associate\'s or bachelor\'s degrees, and in the UK, it refers to any post-secondary institution that is not a university (including *sixth form college* after the name in secondary education for years 12 and 13, the *sixth form*) where intermediary courses such as [[A levels]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Level_(UK)) or [[NVQs]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NVQ) can be taken and [[GCSE]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GCSE) courses can be retaken. College may sometimes be used in the UK or in Commonwealth countries as part of the name of a secondary or high school (for example, [[Dubai College]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai_College)). In the case of Oxford, Cambridge, [[Aberdeen]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Aberdeen), [[London]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_London), [[Lancaster]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancaster_University), [[Durham]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durham_University), [[Kent]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Kent) and [[York]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_York) universities, all members are also members of a college which is part of the university, for example, one is a member of [[King\'s College, Cambridge]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%27s_College,_Cambridge) and hence of the university. In both the US and UK *college* can refer to some division within a university that comprises related academic departments such as the \"college of business and economics\" though in the UK \"faculty\" is more often used. Institutions in the US that offer two to four years of post-high school education often have the word *college* as part of their name, while those offering more advanced degrees are called a *university*. (There are exceptions: [[Boston College]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_College), [[Dartmouth College]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dartmouth_College) and [[the College of William & Mary]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_College_of_William_%26_Mary) are examples of colleges that offer advanced degrees, while [[Vincennes University]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincennes_University) is an unusual example of a \"university\" that offers only associate degrees in the vast majority of its academic programs.) American students who pursue a *bachelor\'s degree* (four years of higher education) or an *associate degree* (two years of higher education) are *college students* regardless of whether they attend a college or a university and refer to their educational institutions informally as *colleges.* A student who pursues a master\'s degree or a doctorate degree in the arts and sciences is in AmE a *graduate student*; in BrE a *postgraduate student* although *graduate student* is also sometimes used. Students of advanced professional programs are known by their field (*business student*, *law student*, *medical student*). Some universities also have a [[residential college]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residential_college) system, the details of which may vary but generally involve common living and dining spaces as well as college-organised activities. Nonetheless, when it comes to the **level** of education, AmE generally uses the word *college* (e.g., going to college) whereas BrE generally uses the word *university* (e.g., going to university) regardless of the institution\'s official designation/status in both countries. In the context of higher education, the word *school* is used slightly differently in BrE and AmE. In BrE, except for the University of London, the word school is used to refer to an academic department in a university. In AmE, the word school is used to refer to a collection of related academic departments and is headed by a dean. When it refers to a division of a university, school is practically synonymous to a college. \"Professor\" has different meanings in BrE and AmE. In BrE it is the highest [[academic rank]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_rank), followed by reader, senior lecturer and lecturer. In AmE \"professor\" refers to academic staff of all ranks, with (full) professor (largely equivalent to the UK meaning) followed by associate professor and assistant professor. \"Tuition\" has traditionally had separate meaning in each variation. In BrE it is the educational content transferred from teacher to student at a university. In AmE it is the money (the fees) paid to receive that education (BrE: [[tuition fees]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuition_payments)). **General terms**\[\] In both the US and the UK, a student *takes* an exam, but in BrE a student can also be said to *sit* an exam. When preparing for an exam students *revise* (BrE)/*review* (AmE) what they have studied; the BrE idiom *to revise for* has the equivalent *to review for* in AmE. Examinations are supervised by *invigilators* in the UK and *proctors* (or *(exam) supervisors*) in the US (a *proctor* in the UK is an official responsible for student discipline at the University of Oxford or Cambridge). In the UK a teacher first *sets* and then *administers* exam, while in the US, a teacher first *writes*, *makes*, *prepares*, etc. and then *gives* an exam. With the same basic meaning of the latter idea but with a more formal or official connotation, a teacher in the US may also *administer* or *proctor* an exam. BrE: \"I sat my Spanish exam yesterday.\"\ \"I plan to set a difficult exam for my students, but it isn\'t ready yet.\" AmE: \"I took my exams at [[Yale]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yale).\"\ \"I spent the entire day yesterday writing the exam. I\'m almost ready to give it to my students.\" In BrE, students are awarded *marks* as credit for requirements (e.g., tests, projects) while in AmE, students are awarded *points* or \"grades\" for the same. Similarly, in BrE, a candidate\'s work is being *marked*, while in AmE it is said to be *graded* to determine what mark or grade is given. There is additionally a difference between American and British usage in the word *school*. In British usage \"school\" by itself refers only to primary (elementary) and secondary (high) schools and to *sixth forms* attached to secondary schools---if one \"goes to school\", this type of institution is implied. By contrast an American student at a university may be \"in/at school\", \"coming/going to school\", etc. US and British law students and medical students both commonly speak in terms of going to \"law school\" and \"med\[ical\] school\", respectively. However, the word *school* is used in BrE in the context of higher education to describe a division grouping together several related subjects within a university, for example a \"School of European Languages\" containing *departments* for each language and also in the term \"art school\". It is also the name of some of the constituent colleges of the University of London, for example, [[School of Oriental and African Studies]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_of_Oriental_and_African_Studies), [[London School of Economics]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_School_of_Economics). Among high-school and college students in the United States, the words *freshman* (or the gender-neutral terms *first year* or sometimes *freshie*), *sophomore*, *junior* and *senior* refer to the first, second, third, and fourth years respectively. It is important that the context of either high school or college first be established or else it must be stated directly (that is, *She is a high-school freshman*. *He is a college junior.*). Many institutes in both countries also use the term *first-year* as a gender-neutral replacement for *freshman*, although in the US this is recent usage, formerly referring only to those in the first year as a graduate student. One exception is the [[University of Virginia]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Virginia); since its founding in 1819 the terms \"first-year\", \"second-year\", \"third-year\", and \"fourth-year\" have been used to describe undergraduate university students. At the [[United States service academies]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_service_academies), at least those operated by the federal government directly, a different terminology is used, namely \"fourth class\", \"third class\", \"second class\" and \"first class\" (the order of numbering being the reverse of the number of years in attendance). In the UK first-year university students are sometimes called *freshers* early in the academic year; however, there are no specific names for those in other years nor for school pupils. Graduate and professional students in the United States are known by their year of study, such as a \"second-year medical student\" or a \"fifth-year doctoral candidate.\" Law students are often referred to as \"1L\", \"2L\", or \"3L\" rather than \"nth-year law students\"; similarly, medical students are frequently referred to as \"M1\", \"M2\", \"M3\", or \"M4\". While anyone in the US who finishes studying at any educational institution by passing relevant examinations is said to *graduate* and to be a *graduate*, in the UK only degree and above level students can *graduate*. *Student* itself has a wider meaning in AmE, meaning any person of any age studying any subject at any level (including those not doing so at an educational institution, such as a \"piano student\" taking private lessons in a home), whereas in BrE it tends to be used for people studying at a post-secondary educational institution and the term *pupil* is more widely used for a young person at primary or secondary school, though the use of \"student\" for secondary school pupils in the UK is increasingly used, particularly for \"sixth form\" (years 12 and 13). The names of individual institutions can be confusing. There are several high schools with the word \"university\" in their names in the United States that are not affiliated with any post-secondary institutions and cannot grant degrees, and there is one public high school, [[Central High School of Philadelphia]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_High_School_of_Philadelphia), that does grant bachelor\'s degrees to the top ten per cent of graduating seniors. British secondary schools occasionally have the word \"college\" in their names. When it comes to the admissions process, applicants are usually asked to solicit *letters of reference* or reference forms from referees in BrE. In AmE, these are called *letters of recommendation* or recommendation forms. Consequently, the writers of these letters are known as *referees* and *recommenders*, respectively by country. In AmE, the word *referee* is nearly always understood to refer to an umpire of a sporting match. In the context of education, for AmE, the word *staff* mainly refers to school personnel who are neither administrators nor have teaching loads or academic responsibilities; personnel who have academic responsibilities are referred to as members of their institution\'s *faculty.* In BrE, the word *staff* refers to both academic and non-academic school personnel. As mentioned previously, the term *faculty* in BrE refers more to a collection of related academic departments. **Government and politics**\[\] In the UK, political candidates *stand for election*, while in the US, they *run for office*. There is virtually no crossover between BrE and AmE in the use of these terms. Also, the document which contains a party\'s positions/principles is referred to as a *party platform* in AmE, whereas it is commonly known as a *party manifesto* in BrE. (In AmE, using the term *manifesto* may connote that the party is an extremist or radical organisation.) The term *general election* is used slightly differently in British and American English. In BrE, it refers exclusively to a nationwide parliamentary election and is differentiated from local elections (mayoral and council) and [[by-elections]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/By-election); whereas in AmE, it refers to a final election for any government position in the US, where the term is differentiated from the term *primary* (an election that determines a party\'s candidate for the position in question). Additionally, a *by-election* in BrE is called a *special election* in AmE. In AmE, the term *swing state*, *swing county*, *swing district* is used to denote a jurisdiction/constituency where results are expected to be close but crucial to the overall outcome of the general election. In BrE, the term *marginal constituency* is more often used for the same and *swing* is more commonly used to refer to how much one party has gained (or lost) an advantage over another compared to the previous election. In the UK, the term *government* only refers to what is commonly known in America as the [*[executive branch]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_branch) or the particular *administration*. A local government in the UK is generically referred to as the \"council,\" whereas in the United States, a local government will be generically referred to as the \"City\" (or county, village, etc., depending on what kind of entity the government serves). **Business and finance**\[\] In financial statements, what is referred to in AmE as *revenue* or *sales* is known in BrE as *turnover.* In AmE, having \"high turnover\" in a business context would generally carry negative implications, though the precise meaning would differ by industry. A bankrupt firm [*[goes into administration]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administration_(law)) or liquidation in BrE; in AmE it *goes bankrupt*, or [*[files for Chapter 7]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapter_7,_Title_11,_United_States_Code) (liquidation) or [*[Chapter 11]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapter_11,_Title_11,_United_States_Code) (reorganisation). An insolvent individual or partnership *goes bankrupt* in both BrE and AmE. If a finance company takes possession of a mortgaged property from a debtor, it is called [*[foreclosure]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreclosure) in AmE and [*[repossession]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repossession) in BrE. In some limited scenarios, [*[repossession]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repossession) may be used in AmE, but it is much less commonly compared to *foreclosure*. One common exception in AmE is for automobiles, which are always said to be *repossessed*. Indeed, an agent who collects these cars for the bank is colloquially known in AmE as a *repo man*. **Employment and recruitment**\[\] In BrE, the term *curriculum vitae* (commonly abbreviated to *CV*) is used to describe the document prepared by applicants containing their credentials required for a job. In AmE, the term *résumé* is more commonly used, with *CV* primarily used in academic or research contexts, and is usually more comprehensive than a *résumé*. **Insurance**\[\] AmE distinguishes between *coverage* as a noun and *cover* as a verb; an American seeks to buy enough insurance coverage in order to adequately cover a particular risk. BrE uses the word \"cover\" for both the noun and verb forms. **Transport**\[\] AmE speakers refer to *transportation* and BrE speakers to *transport*.[^[\[29\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-29) (*Transportation* in the UK has traditionally meant the punishment of criminals by [[deporting them]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_transportation) to an overseas penal colony.) In AmE, the word *transport* is usually used only as a verb, seldom as a noun or adjective except in reference to certain specialised objects, such as a *tape transport* or a *military transport* (e.g., a troop transport, a kind of vehicle, not an act of transporting). **Road transport**\[\] Differences in terminology are especially obvious in the context of [[roads]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road). The British term [*[dual carriageway]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_carriageway), in American parlance, would be [*[divided highway]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divided_highway) or perhaps, simply [*[highway]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway). The *central reservation* on a *motorway* or *dual carriageway* in the UK would be the *median* or *center divide* on a *freeway*, *expressway*, *highway* or *parkway* in the US. The one-way lanes that make it possible to enter and leave such roads at an intermediate point without disrupting the flow of traffic are known as *slip roads* in the UK but in the US, they are typically known as *ramps* and both further distinguish between *on-ramps* or *on-slips* (for entering onto a highway/carriageway) and *off-ramps* or *exit-slips* (for leaving a highway/carriageway). When American engineers speak of *slip roads*, they are referring to a street that runs alongside the main road (separated by a berm) to allow off-the-highway access to the premises that are there; however, the term [*[frontage road]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontage_road) is more commonly used, as this term is the equivalent of *service road* in the UK. However, it is not uncommon for an American to use *service road* as well instead of *frontage road*. In the UK, the term *outside lane* refers to the higher-speed *overtaking lane* (*passing lane* in the US) closest to the centre of the road, while *inside lane* refers to the lane closer to the edge of the road. In the US, *outside lane* is used only in the context of a turn, in which case it depends in which direction the road is turning (i.e., if the road bends right, the left lane is the \"outside lane\", but if the road bends left, it is the right lane). Both also refer to *slow* and *fast* lanes (even though all actual traffic speeds may be at or around the legal speed limit). In the UK [*[drink driving]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drink_driving) refers to driving after having consumed alcoholic beverages, while in the US, the term is *drunk driving*. The legal term in the US is *driving while intoxicated* (DWI) or *[[driving under the influence]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_under_the_influence) (of alcohol)* (DUI). The equivalent legal phrase in the UK is *drunk in charge of a motor vehicle* (DIC) or more commonly *driving with excess alcohol*.[^[\[30\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-30) In the UK, a [[hire car]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hire_car) is the US equivalent of a rental car. The term \"hired car\" can be especially misleading for those in the US, where the term \"hire\" is generally only applied to the employment of people and the term \"rent\" is applied to the temporary custody of goods. To an American, \"hired car\" would imply that the car has been brought into the employment of an organisation as if it were a person, which would sound nonsensical. In the UK, a saloon is a vehicle that is equivalent to the American [[sedan]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedan_(automobile)). This is particularly confusing to Americans, because in the US the term *saloon* is used in only one context: describing an old bar (UK pub) in the American West (a [[Western saloon]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_saloon)). [*[Coupé]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup%C3%A9) is used by both to refer to a two-door car, but is usually pronounced with two syllables in the UK (coo-pay) and one syllable in the US (coop). In the UK, *van* may refer to a lorry (UK) of any size, whereas in the US, *van* is only understood to be a very small, boxy truck (US) (such as a *moving van*) or a long passenger automobile with several rows of seats (such as a [*[minivan]*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minivan)). A large, long vehicle used for cargo transport would nearly always be called a *truck* in the US, though alternate terms such as *eighteen-wheeler* may be occasionally heard (regardless of the actual number of tires on the truck). In the UK, a silencer is the equivalent to the US [[muffler]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muffler). In the US, the word [[silencer]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silencer_(firearms)) has only one meaning: an attachment on the barrel of a gun designed to stop the distinctive crack of a gunshot. Specific [[auto parts]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_parts) and transport terms have different names in the two dialects, for example: **UK** **US** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- accelerator gas pedal, accelerator bendy bus articulated bus bonnet hood[^[\[31\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-Baugh389-31) boot (of a car) trunk (of a car)^[[\[31\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-Baugh389-31)[\[32\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-Blunt-32)]^ breakdown lorry tow truck car journey road trip car park parking lot[^[\[33\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-Hargis63-33) (railway) coach, carriage (railroad) passenger car crash barrier guardrail driving licence driver\'s license[^[\[34\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-34) dual carriageway divided highway[^[\[31\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-Baugh389-31) estate car station wagon[^[\[33\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-Hargis63-33) exhaust pipe tail pipe, exhaust fire engine fire truck, fire engine flyover overpass,[^[\[33\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-Hargis63-33) flyover gearbox transmission[^[\[31\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-Baugh389-31) gear lever gear shift, shifter give way yield goods train freight train goods wagon/truck freight car hard shoulder shoulder hired car, hire car rental car, rental hood, soft/hard top convertible top, soft/hard top indicator turn signal; blinker juggernaut, lorry semi, semi-truck, 18-wheeler, big rig, tractor-trailer[^[\[35\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-Hargis64-35) jump lead jumper cable junction fork (in the road) lorry truck[^[\[32\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-Blunt-32) articulated lorry semi-trailer truck, semi[^[\[33\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-Hargis63-33) manual stick shift, manual marshalling yard classification yard metalled road cobblestone road, paved road motorway freeway,[^[\[35\]]^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#cite_note-Hargis64-35) highway, expressway mudguard, wheel arch, wing fender[^