British English vs. American English

Though British and American spelling is the same in most cases, it differs in a few details, which sometimes leads an inexperienced student to failures in his attempts to find some unknown words in the dictionary.

If a student looks for the word "reflexion" in a small dictionary he may be unable to identify the word, unless he recollects that there may be some difference in spelling, and that the American "exion" looks "ection" in the British usage.

A few other examples of different spelling are as follows:

British English American English

honour honor

colour color

theatre theater

centre center

catalogue catalog

programme program

The changes introduced into the American variety of English are to be found in grammar and structure as well, but they are especially evident in the vocabulary. Some English words have developed new meanings, and many of these are traceable to the development of American institutions and American ways of life. Yet the striking feature of American English innovations is their close correspondence to characteristics of the temperament and the ways of life of the people who developed them.

British English American English

minister secretary

secondary school high school

biscuits cookies

flat apartment

form (school) grade

lift elevator

post mail

pavement sidewalk

lorry truck

petrol gasoline (gas)

wash up do the dishes

wash your hands wash up

There are many lists of equivalent British and American words, but they must not be taken too seriously. Americans do not usually say "first floor" for "second floor", they do not call a "trillion" a "billion" (in British English a billion is a million millions, whereas in American English it is what the British call a "milliard" — a mere thousand millions). But most educated Americans are quite aware of the British equivalents. Valid differences in the use of words are not really very numerous or very significant.