The following verbs have two acceptable forms of the past simple/past participle in both American and British English, however, the irregular form is generally more common in British English (the first form of the two) and the regular form is more common to American English.
Burn
Burnt OR burned
Dream
dreamt OR dreamed
Lean
leant OR leaned
Learn
learnt OR learned
Smell
smelt OR smelled
Spell
spelt OR spelled
Spill
spilt OR spilled
Spoil
spoilt OR spoiled
Spelling.
Here are some general differences between British and American spellings:
Words ending in -or (American) -our (British) color, colour, humor, humour, flavor, flavour etc.
Words ending in -ize (American) -ise (British) recognize, recognise, patronize, patronise etc.
The best way to make sure that you are being consistent in your spelling is to use the spell check on your word processor (if you are using the computer of course) and choose which variety of English you would like. As you can see, there are really very few differences between standard British English and standard American English. However, the largest difference is probably that of the choice of vocabulary and pronunciation.
Vocabulary differences between the British and the American English.
If an Englishman reads "The floorwalker says to go to the notion counter," he knows at least one word he does not understand. If he reads a speech of President Roosevelt declaring "our industries have little doubt of black-ink operations in the last quarter of the year.' he is at least aware of a foreign usage, and may be trusted to go off and discover it.
But if I write "The clerk gave a biscuit to the solicitor," He will imagine something precise, if a little odd. The trouble is that, however lively his imagination, what he imagines may be precise but is bound to be wrong. For he is confronted with three nouns which mean different things in the United States and in England.
British to American.
Accumulator (automotive) = battery, car battery
Alsatian (dog) = German shepherd
Articulated lorry = tractor-trailer (truck), a "semi"
Ass = donkey; U.S. ass = G.B. "arse," i.e. one's backside (in addition to normal "donkey")
Athletics (an... meet) = track and field
Backlog = log-jam, pile-up (of business orders, for example). U.S. backlog = comfortable reserve of orders difference between the two is in opposite interpretation or connotation of same basic situation.
Bank holiday = holiday
Bap = bun, hamburger bun, hamburger roll
Mrs. Beeton = Fanny Farmer (standard cooking, household reference book)
Bespoke = custom-tailored, tailor-made
Big Dipper = roller coaster (at a "Fun-Fair" = "Amusement Park"
Bilberry = blueberry
"Bird" = "chick"
Biro = Papermate (ball-point pen trade name which equals "generic" name)
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Biscuit = cookie (U.S. "biscuit" is a baked bread, "bap," "scone"
Blancmange = vanilla pudding
Block, block of flats = apartment building (U.S. term "block" [city block] unknown as such in British English, though usually understandable.
"Bomb" (theater terminology) = a "hit," a great success. U.S. "bomb" = G.B. failure, critical disaster, i.e. the two are exact opposites in sentences like "The play was a bomb!"
Boiler suit = overalls
Bonnet (automotive) = hood (of a car...)
Boot (automotive) = trunk (of a car...)
Bottom drawer = hope chest
Bowler (hat) = derby (special connotations & different pronunc.)
Braces = suspenders; U.S. suspenders = G.B. garters, stocking fasteners
Brambleberry = blackberry
Bottom of the street = end of the street
Box (TV) = Tube (both slang, colloquial terms)
Bull = "mickey mouse" (unnecessary military drill); U.S. bull = G.B. cock
Bum = ass, rectum; U.S. bum = G.B. tramp, derelict
Bun in the oven = pregnant, eating for two
Call box = (tele)phone booth
Camp bed = cot; U.S. cot = G.B. baby bed
Car park = parking lot
Caretaker (for a building) = janitor (not same as "vahtimestari")
Carriage (railway) = railroad car, subway car
Carrier bag = shopping bag
Caucus = permanent group in a political party; U.S. caucus = G.B. ad hoc planning meeting of a group in a political party
Central reservation = median strip (between halves of a divided highway)
Charge sheet = police record
Chemist (drugstore) = druggist
Chips = french fries; U.S. chips often = dried buffalo, cow dung (other cases, i.e. poker chips, wood chips, the same)
Chucker-out = bouncer (doorman or "enforcer" in a bar/restaurant
"In the City" = "on Wall Street" (in main financial district)
City editor = financial editor; U.S. city editor = G.B. "community news editor"
Cloakroom = toilet; U.S. cloakroom = clothes closet, garment storage area
Coach = intercity bus
Combinations = union suit (colloquial for long underwear)
Comforter = scarf; U.S. comforter = heavy quilt, blanket
Compére = Master of ceremonies, M.C. (of TV game show, etc.)
Constable = (police) officer
"To cop" = "to get" something unpleasant, i.e. "to cop a 15-pound fine." U.S. "to cop" = to plead guilty to a lesser charge in order to avoid prosecution & probable conviction on a more serious charge ("to cop a plea" = "plea-bargaining")
Corn = all grain crops; U.S. corn = G.B. "maize" only.
Costermonger = pushcart seller
(Sent to) Coventry = ostracized
Crisps = potato chips
Cupboard = closet; U.S. closet = G.B. w.c., or toilet
Davenport = antique folding writing desk; U.S. davenport = large sofa, often which folds out into a bed at night.
Deposit account = savings account
Dinner jacket = tuxedo ("black tie" formal dress)
Dormitory = bedroom; U.S. dormitory = G.B. residence hall
Dresser = kitchen sideboard; U.S. dresser = bedroom drawers, vanity
"Duck" = "goose egg" (a zero on the scoreboard of a sports match)
Dumb = mute; U.S. dumb usually means "stupid" rather than "mute," which is a secondary meaning in U.S. usage.
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Dustbin = garbage can, ashcan (exterior waste-disposal unit)
Dynamo (automotive) = generator (within automobile engine)
Earth wire = ground wire (in electricity, electronics)
Elastic band = rubber band
To Enjoin = to compel, to legally force; U.S. enjoin = to legally forbid i.e. same term in same general contextual usage has precisely the opposite meaning
Ex-serviceman = veteran; U.S. veteran = G.B. old ex-serviceman; (U.S. term has no special age connotation, only that the person have had prior military experience sometime)
Fag = (a) cigarette; (b) public-school underclass "servant"; U.S. fag = low-slang term for male homosexual.
Fanny = vagina (vulgar usage); U.S. fanny = light euphemism for "backside," either male or female.
First floor = second floor, etc. (Britain walks in ground floor, goes up 1 set of stairs to first floor; U.S. ground floor and first floor are the same.
Fish slice = pancake turner, spatula (kitchen tool); U.S. spatula = G.B. tongue depressor (medical instrument)
Fitted carpet = wall-to-wall carpeting
Flan = pie, fruit pie
Flannel = washcloth; U.S. flannel = heavy warm cotton fabric; "flannels" would be long underwear made from such heavy warm fabric.
Flat = apartment; U.S. flat = tenement flat = poor-standard slum apartment.
Flick knife = switch-blade knife, a switchblade
Flyover = overpass (as in a bridge over a road); U.S. flyover = airplane passing over a certain place, as in military parade "flyovers"; verb is "to overfly."
Form (school) = grade [i.e. first form = first grade in school]
Garden = yard; U.S. garden = vegetable garden, fljower garden, i.e. area of special cultivation. U.S. yard = G.B. paved area (lorry yards)
Goods (car, train) = freight; U.S. goods = supplies, commercial stock
Grind = sexual intercourse; U.S. grind = slang for "hard (routine) work."
Haberdasher = notions seller; U.S. haberdasher = men's clothing seller
To Hack = to (deliberately) kick; U.S. to hack = to chop, cut viciously.
High street = Main street
To Hire = to rent (in most cases); U.S. to hire = to employ Hire-purchase = (the "never-never") = installment plan
Hoarding = billboard (large advertising sign alongside road)
Hold up = traffic jam; U.S. holdup = robbery at gunpoint.
Homely = home-loving, domestic, pleasant; U.S. homely = plain- looking (female), therefore often "left" at home.
To Hoover = to vacuum (carpets, etc.) "Hoover" in the U.S. is a brand name only, never used as a verb.
Inland = internal, domestic (Inland Revenue = Internal Revenue)
Inverted commas = quotation marks (GB = 'xx'; USA = "xx")
Inquiry agent = private detective
Jelly = Jello (deriving from brand name Jell-O, gelatin dessert)
"On the job" = having sexual intercourse; U.s. "on the job" = while working, learning, i.e. "on the job training."
Joint = pot roast; U.S. "joint" = marijuana cigarette
Juggernaut lorry = a very large truck, an overlong truck, a "double semi" truck
Jumble sale = rummage sale
Jumper = light pullover (sweater); U.S. jumper = type of knee- length woman's dress worn over blouse or sweater
Kirby grips = bobby pins (to fasten long hair...)
A Knock-up = (tennis) to warm up, to volley a few, to practice-volley
To Knock up = to awaken, call early in the morning; U.S. "to knock up" is colloquial for "to impregnate"
Lacquer = hairspray; U.S. lacquer = wood varnish, shellac (high-gloss), i.e. protective decorative wood coating
Ladder = (in women's stockings" = a runner, a run
Lay-by = (beside a road) = a pull-off, a rest area.
Left-luggage office = check room, baggage check (room)
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Level crossing = railroad crossing.
Lift = elevator
Lip balm = chapstick
Logic-chopping = splitting hairs, hair-splitting
Long jump (in athletics) = broad jump (in track and field)
Lorry = truck
Loud-hailer = bullhorn, amplified megaphone
Lucky dip = grab bag (children's party game or activity...)
Lumber room = spare room, storage room (in a home)
Mackintosh = raincoat, overcoat, trenchcoat
Mains = ordinary built-in home electrical network (no special word as equivalent in U.S.)
Market garden = truck farm
Marrow (vegetable) = squash, gourd
Mason = stoneworker; U.S. mason can be stone- or brickworker
Marriage lines = marriage certificate
Mean = stingy, tight with money; U.S. "mean" normally means nasty, spiteful, ill-meaning in action toward another
Mess kit = formal military dress for ceremonial dining; U.S. mess kit = army or boy scout utensils for cooking or eating a meal on the trail.
Minced meat = hamburger meat, ground beef; U.S. minc em eat = sweet, spicy ground meat/fruit/nut combination used for making pies, especially around Thanksgiving/Christmas
Mineral water = any carbonated soft drink; U.S. mineral water = bottled natural water (containing normal minerals) from spring or health spa, Perrier water, etc.
Mistress = teacher in girls' school; U.S. mistress = lover (extramarital)
Mob = gang, group (neutral); U.S. mob = angry crowd; "the mob" = Mafia
Motorist, motoring = driver, driving
Music Hall = vaudeville (generic entertainment type/place name)
Nappy = diaper (for infants not toilet-trained)
A Neat drink = a straight drink, i.e. "give me a straight whiskey" = whiskey without water or other additives
Nervy = nervous, jumpy; U.S. nervy = bold, impertinent, i.e. nearly the opposite of the British usage
Night club = private membership club; U.S. nightclubs are public (commercial) entertainment places
Number plate = license plate (on automobiles)
Off-license = liquor store
Old boy (girl) = alumni, alumnus, alumna [of a school]
Pantechnicon = moving van
Panda car = police patrol car, police cruiser
Patience (card game) = Solitaire
Pecker (keep your pecker up) = keep your chin up; U.S. pecker = penis
Pram (peramulator) = baby carriage, baby buggy, stroller, walker
Petrol = gasoline, gas (to go in automobiles, airplane, etc.)
Pie = meat pie; U.S. pie is always a fruit or fruit-derived pie, unless "a meat pie" is specifically indicated
Pillar-box = mailbox, post office box, letter box, letter drop
Pissed (he was really...) = drunk; U.S. "pissed = angry, upset
Pitch (soccer) = field (football) [GB "football" = US "soccer"]
Plimsolls = sneakers, tennis shoes, gym shoes
Point = electric outlet, railroad switch (depending on context)
Polka dots = chocolate chips (food product for baking)
Prawn = shrimp
Prom, prom concert = music concerts where most of the audience is standing; U.S. prom = dance, semi-formal, especially at end of year in high schools, colleges
Rates = local, municipal property taxes
Redundant = laid off (from a job); U.S. redundant = superfluous (no connotation of connection with jobs at all)
Return ticket = round-trip ticket
Ringway = circular road (around a city), bypass
Rise = raise in salary
To Roger = to "screw," have sex with; to exploit, take advantage of, to use
Roll neck (pullover) = turtleneck (sweater).
Roundabout = traffic circle
Rubber = eraser; U.S. rubber = condom, prophylactic device
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Saloon = "sedan" car (automobile); US saloon = western-style bar
Saloon bar = one section of an English pub
Sanitary towel = sanitary napkin, feminine hygienic item
A good screw = a good salary; U.S. "good screw" equals good "fuck" or good sexual experience
To Screw = to cajole, persuade, extract money from; U.S. "to screw" = to have sex with, fornicate
Season ticket = commuter (train, bus) weekly or monthly ticket; U.S. season ticket is admission ticket to all home games in one season of a particular sports team
To Second to = to temporarily loan staff to another job or unit
Sellotape = Scotch tape (both brand names now used as "generics"
"Semi" = duplex, duplex house; U.S. "semi" = tractor-trailer truck rig
Seminary = Roman Catholic seminary only; U.S. Seminary can be ANY religion, i.e. Lutheran, Methodist seminaries
Sherbet = powdered, fruit-flavored candy; U.S. sherbet = G.B. sorbet (pronounced "soorbay")
Shorthand-typist = stenographer
To shy = to throw something (he shied a rock at the stray dog...)
Sideboards = sideburns (in a hairstyle)
Single = one-way ticket; U.S. "single" in context would mean "only one" as opposed to "several" tickets
To Snog = to neck (i.e. kissing, hugging, etc., esp teenagers)
Spinster = any unmarried woman; U.S. spinster is always OLD unmarried woman
Standard lamp = floor lamp (as opposed to table or wall lamp)
S.T.D. (subscriber trunk dialling) = direct distance dialling [on the telephone, as opposed to dialling through operator]
Steps = ladder; U.S. "steps" always would mean staircase, built- in stairway or staircase
To stream (pupils in a school) = to track (streaming = tracking)
Stroke (punctuation) = diagonal, slash
To Stuff = to fornicate, have sex with; U.S. "I'm stuffed..." = to be comfortably, pleasantly full of food, satiated
Sub-editor = copy reader or rewrite person, in journalism
Subs = dues, as in union dues, etc.
Subway = underground walking passage, underpass, pedestrian tunnel; U.S. subway = G.B. "underground," i.e. underground railway system for public transportation
Superannuation scheme = retirement pension plan
Supply teacher = substitute teacher
Supertax = surtax
Surgery = a doctor's office, office hours, reception time; U.S. "surgery" refers to "surgeon" operating on a patient
Suspenders = garters, for socks or stockings only; U.S. suspenders = G.B. braces, for holding up trousers
Sweet = dessert, or piece of candy
Sweetshop = candy store
To Table (parliamentary procedure, conference terminology) = to put on agenda for immediate handling; U.S. "to table" = to put aside [indefinitely], to delay further handling
Tannoy = public address (p.a.) amplification system
Teat = baby bottle nipple; US teat = GB nipple = breast nipple
Terrace house = row house, garden apartment, town house
Are you Through? (telephone) = are you connected; U.S. "are you through"? = are you finished, completed, with your call
To tick = to check, place check mark beside
Tights = hose, panty hoseh, nylons, nylon stockings; U.S. tights = leotards, skin-tight exercise suit, knit stocking pants
Tinkle = telephone call [give me a tinkle sometime]; U.S. "tinkle" = children's talk for "to urinate"
Tip = garbage dump; U.S. tip = hint, advice, clue
Torch = flashlight; U.S. torch = burning, flaming light or weapon
Touchline = sideline (in sports, such as on soccer pitch, etc.)
Tower block = high-rise apartment building
Trade union = labor union (but usually organized by "trades" in England, by "industry" in the U.S. US "Auto Workers' Union" would be represented by different "trades" in GB)
Tram = streetcar, trolley car
Transport cafe = truck stop (roadside cafeteria, restaurant, popular with truck [lorry] drivers
Traveller = travelling salesman
Treacle = molasses
Trousers = pants; U.S. pants = G.B. underwear shorts
Trunk call = long-distance call (on a telephone)
Turn it up (colloquial) = stop it, cut it out! U.S. "turn it up" = increase the volume
Undercarrige = landing gear (aircraft)
Underdone = rare (extent to which you wish your meat cooked)
Underground= subway (cf "subway")
Vest = undershirt; U.S. Vest = G.B. waistcoat
Windscreen (automotive) = windshield
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Wing (automotive) = fender, bumper (pre-70s designs...)
White spirit = turpentine, paint thinner; U.S. "white lightning" (spirits) = potent home-distilled backwoods alcohol!
Wholemeal = whole-wheat (bread, flour, etc.)
Yankee/Yank = any American in general, U.S. Yankee = Northeast erner ONLY, i.e. specific regional, historical definition
Zebra crossing = crosswalk, pedestrian crossing (Ped Xing)
"Zed" = "Zee" (pronunciation of last letter in alphabet)
American to British.
Bathroom = toilet, w.c. (G.B. bathroom will have bath, washbasin or shower only)
Billboard = hoarding
Biscuit = scone; G.B. biscuit = U.S. cookie
Billy club = truncheon
Blank = empty form, i.e. telegraph blank
Block (city block) = city block bounded by streets on 4 sides, distance between 2 streets or crossings in same direction
Block-busting = "penetration" of a residential area by an ethnic or minority group unwelcome by original residents, who often then sell and leave
Blotter = police official daily record of happenings in local precinct office
Blowout = puncture (flat tire on car, bicycle, etc.)
Blue book = local social register of high-status families
Blue Cross/Blue Shield = two different large health-insurance companies
Blue laws = restrictive community "moral" laws dating from Puritan times, such as prohibition of liquor sales on Sunday, limits on public entertainment on Sundays, etc.
Bomb (theater) = a failure; G.B. bomb (theatre) = great success
Boner = gaffe, mistake, faux pas
Boot camp = military basic training period/location
Boondocks = backwoods
Bourbon = corn- (maize-) derived whiskey
Box car = good waggon (U.S. spelling "wagon")
Bronx cheer = raspberry (critical noise...)
Brownie = small, "heavy," rich-chocolate baked biscuit; also young Girl scout
Brunch = mid-morning meal (combination of "breakfast & lunch")
Bush league = baseball "minor" training leagues; also connotes "amateurism," unprofessionalism, etc.
Caboose = last waggon on a goods train
Candy = sweets
Car fare = money for transportation fares
Carry-out (food) = take-away (food)
Catch (to play catch [baseball]) = "playing tag" (US "playing tag" is children's game where one tries to run and "catch" or touch ("tag") one of the other children playing)
"Catch up with him" = "Catch him up"
Checkers = draughts (the game, played on checker/chess board)
Checking account = current account (banking)
Comfort station = public convenience
Cone = cornet ("ice cream" cones--British "ice cream" also quite a different commodity)
Cord (electrical) = flex, lead, wire
Corn = maize; G.B. corn = all types of grain, unless specified
Cotton candy = candy floss
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) = Chartered Pub. Account. (CPA)
Cube sugar = lump sugar
Diaper = nappy
Dishpan = washing-up bowl
Distaff = female
Double header = two sports games played as a single event; also used metaphorically
Draft (military) = conscription into the armed forces
Druggist = chemist (in commercial drugstore or pharmacy)
Editorial = leading article (in a newspaper, periodical)
Eggnog = egg flip (special Christmas drink in U.S. only)
Engineer = railroad engine-driver
Enjoin = to forbid from doing; GB enjoin = to compel to do
Eraser = rubber; G.B. rubber is U.S. condom
"Fairy" = male homosexual, or highly effiminate-acting male
Field hockey = hockey; U.S. hockey (by itself) = ice hockey
Filling station = petrol station
Flashlight = torch
Football = U.S. (American) football, not "soccer"
Formula = baby's prepared liquid food, replaces breast milk
"Freebee" = anything given away free
Freeway = motorway
Freight car = goods waggon (on a train)
Gangway! = exclamation to "clear a path!"; G.B. gangway = U.S. aisle (in a theater, etc.), U.S. gangway [naval term] = entrance "bridge" from shore onto a ship
Glee club = club or group for choral singing
Glue factory = knacker's yard
"Gofer" [to GO out FOR something... ] = "dogsbody"
Goldbrick(er) = loaf(er)
Good Humor Man = ice cream peddler in residential areas
Graham cracker = wholemeal biscuit
Grandstand play = done to impress the audience in the grandstands rather than as a requirement of the game, "showy" action
Ground rules= specific local rules for particular event or action, sports or otherwise
Half & Half = dairy mixture of half cream, half milk (to put in coffee, for use in baking, etc.)
Handball = game played by hitting a small, hard ball with bare hand against a wall in room similar to a squash court European "handball" is not 'known' in the U.S.
Hard-on = male sexual erection
High school = secondary school, senior (upper) secondary school
Home free (colloquial) = home & dry
Homely = plain-featured, -looking; GB homely = domestic, pleasant
Horny = randy
Housing project = housing development, housing estate
Huddle = planning, tactics conference, especially in American football, but also metaphorically in other situations
Hung jury = jury that is divided, cannot reach a verdict
Jello = jelly; U.S. "jelly" = G.B. "jam"; U.S. "jam" = G.B. "thick [GB] jelly with fruit embedded"
Kerosene = paraffin, U.S. paraffin = GB paraffin wax
Longshoreman = docker, dock worker
Lox = smoked salmon, especially American Jewish usage
Martini = gin & vermouth (combined) cocktail (does not refer to "Vermouth" brand name)
Mean = nasty
Mobile home = (trailer) house on wheels, can be moved behind truck, auto
Mononucleosis, "Mono" = glandular fever
Nervy = impudent, impertinent, with a lot of nerve (cf. GB Nervy)
Night crawler = fishing worm
Oatmeal = porridge
Ordinance = by-law (law at local city, municipal level)
Overpass = flyover
Pacifier = dummy (what baby uses to suck on when not eating)
Parakeet = budgerigar
Parka = anorak
Patrol wagon, Paddy wagon = black maria
Pegged pants = tapered trousers
To pinch-hit for = to substitute for in a particular tactical situation (batting in Am baseball, or metaphorically)
Plexiglass = Perspex glass (brand names used as generics)
Potato chips = potato crisps
Quarterback = Am. football team leader, also to direct, manage, in other situations
Railroad = railway; U.S. railway = tracks, roadbed which trains run ON; U.S. "railroad" refers to the enterprise, i.e. the Union Pacific Railroad
Raise = rise; U.S. "rise" is slang for male erection, or, "to get a sensation from..."
Realtor = estate (real estate) agent
Retroactive = retrospective
Roomer = lodger
Roster = rota
Rubber = condom; GB rubber = US eraser
Rube Goldberg = Heath Robinson (stereotyped creators of wacky, bizarre "inventions" in USA, GB)
Sedan = saloon car
Shellac = high-gloss varnish
Slingshot = catapult; U.S. "catapult" = G.B. "sling"
Special Delivery = Express (postal) Mail
Station wagon = estate car
Thumbtack = drawing pin (small, flat-headed tack used on bulletin boards or to attach papers to wooden surfaces; U.S. "drawing pin" a long, narrow, sharp pin used in sewing, clothing design, always with soft fabrics or paper)
Thread = cotton; U.S. cotton = plant, fiber, material only
Trash = rubbish
Trashcan = dustbin; trashman = dustman
Turtleneck = polo neck (sweaters or pullovers)
Vaudeville = Music hall (type of entertainment, style of theater)
Wash up = to wash oneSELF, not the dishes; G.B. to wash up = to do the dishes
Wax paper = greaseproof paper
Yard = garden; U.S. garden = vegetable or flower garden (cultivated area); GB yard = US paved area, not grassy lawn)
ZIP code = postal code
Zucchini (squash) = courgette (marrow)