Understanding differences in British and American English



What is the British English equivalent of the American English expression "blow (or toot) one's horn"?
make some noise
blow one's flute
play one's own horn
blow one's own trumpet


Which of the following is a spelling typical of British English?
fetal
pediatric
anemia
oestrogen


In British English, the abreviation "WC" stands for...?
water closet
wool canister
wool closet
water casket


Choose the most common British usage: I took a week long ______ last summer.
wanderance
holiday
vacation


Which of the following is an example of a spelling typical of British English?
recognize
recognisse
recoggnise
recognise


When a British person is knackered, what is s/he feeling?
Confounded
Intrigued
Elevated
Exhausted


Which of the following is a spelling typical of British English?
monologue
catalog
dialog
homolog


Which of the following is the American English equivalent of the word "Lorry" in British English?
a car
a bicycle
a train
a truck


What British English word is used for the American English word "comforter"?
comforting
duvet
bedding
bed sheets


What is a UK quid?
An exchange of goods or services
A pound
Any small thing
An identity card
A measure of weight


What is the British English equivalent of the American English expression "a tempest in a teapot"?
a tempest over the ocean
a storm in a coffee cup
a storm in a teacup
a tempest in June


Which of the following is not a noun with a typical American English spelling?
mold
check
omelet
annexe


What is the British English equivalent for the American English work "trunk (of a car)"?
basket
chest
boot
backside


The American word "sneakers" is equivalent to _____ in British English.
snickers
track shoes
slippers
trainers


What is the British English equivalent of the American English expression "skeleton in the closet"?
dead body in the closet
skeleton in the cupboard
skeleton in the bedrom
skeleton in the dresser


Which of the following is a typically British English word?
motorway
freeway
interstate
highway


In British English, you would go where to pick up your prescription?
a drugstore
a grocery store
a chemist
a pizza parlor


A 'tyre' in British English is called what in American English?
a tiring exercise
a hand of cards
a nap
a car tire


In British English, a group of individuals is treated as a single entity. Which of the following would be a correct sentence, according to this rule?
The Parliament sits in its chairs.
The Parliament taps their feet in anticipation.
The Parliament complains that their chairs are too short.
The Parliament sits in their chairs.


Which of the following is unique to British English?
The garbage can
The trashcan
The wastebucket
The dust bin


In British English, what word is used to refer to the covering for the engine on a car?
a bonnet
a car hood
a car hat
a hood


The infant needed to get her napkin changed. Is "napkin" British or American English?
American
British


What is the American English word for the British English word "pavement"? 
passage
sidewalk
paving stone
road


What is the British English equivalent of the American English expression "take it with a grain of salt"?
take with a grain of sugar
take it or leave it
take it with a bit of salt
take it with a pinch of salt


Choose the most common usage in American English: He erased the drawing with a(n) ______.
marker
eraser
rubber
cleaner


Which of the following words is typical of British English?
postman
zip code
mail carrier
mailbox


What does the British term "uni" mean in American English
Together
Pen
College
Uniball


Which of the following is a spelling typical of British English?
labeled
canceled
traveling
traveller


In American English, the word "Caravan" is often used in association with gypsies and carnivals. In British English, what does this word identify?
a group of musicians
a large car
a car sales business
a trailer


There are some differences in pronounciation between British and American English. In American English, the h in the word "herb" is not pronounced. Is this the case with British English?
no, in British English you pronounce the h
no, with the exception of the phrase "herbal tea"
yes, with the exception of the phrase "herbal tea"
yes, no one pronounces the h


In British English, the idea of a main street or thoroughfare is called what?
a high street
a main street
a business street
a center street


There are several differences in vocabulary between British and American English. Which of the following represents a term used by speakers of British English?
counter-clockwise
back-clockwise
anti-clockwise
backwards-clockwise


What is the American English equivalent of the British English expression "flogging a dead horse"?
beating a dead horse
beating a dead animal
flogging a dead cow
beating a monkey


The plural of "Math" in British English is which of the following?
mathes
math
arithmetices
maths


The term "Lady Bird" is a British English word used to signify what animal in American English?
a stink bug
a song bird
a lady bug
a red beetle


What does the word "Jelly" refer to in British English?
a pen
industrial gel
a dessert made of colored gelatin
jelly, as in strawberry jelly


Which of the following is not commonly used as a past tense or past participle in British English? 
gave
got
forgotten
gotten


Which of the following is not a typical American English wording?
sailing boat
rowboat
file cabinet
racecar


In American English, a wallet is typically a folding container used to store money. What is this called in British English?
a billfold
a waller
a moneywall
a wallette


Which of the following words is typical of British English?
gasoline
petrol
wrench
windshield


In American English, the word Randy is often a name. This is a completely different concept in British English. What does the word "randy" mean in British English?
to be cold
to desire a person intimately
to be hungry
to be tired


The word "garbage" is often used in American English to refer to household waste. What is the British English equivalent?
rubbish
exhaust
trash
lost property


What is the British English equivalent of the American English expression "sweep under the rug"?
sweep under the sofa
sweep beneath the rug
hide under the rug
sweep under the carpet


Which of the following vehicle nouns is not typical of American English?
station wagon
lorry
truck
sedan


The term "dustman" is not an American English word. What does the word "dustman" mean in British English?
a broom
a small broom and dustpan
a trash collector
a trash can


In British English, a rubber is an eraser. What does the term "rubber" typically mean in American English?
an eraser
a condom
an eraser made for pens
an eraser specifically made of rubber


In Britain, political candidates "stand for election". What would be the American English equivalent?
stand for public office
cannot vote seated
run for office
get up for election


Which of the following is a spelling typical of British English?
liter
fiber
centre
none of these


In British English, a sweet treat typically made with flour, butter and water is called what?
a cinnamon stick
a brownie
a biscuit
a cookie


What is the American English equivalent of the British English expression "touch wood"?
knock on wood
knock on furniture
touch oak
touch and go


True or false? A British motorbike is the same thing as an American dirtbike.
True
False


What is the British English equivalent of the American English term "counter-clockwise"?
clockwise
twice clockwise
never use a clock
anti-clockwise


In American English "( )" marks are known as "parentheses". What are they often referred to as in British English?
colon
book ends
brackets
parting


Which of the following is not typically used in British English?
gotten
has got
did get
got


If you use British English and are eating chips, what are you eating in American English?
you are not eating, you are playing poker
rice crisps
french fries
potato chips


Choose the most common American usage: It's dark outside, I'm going to go grab a ______.
flashlight
flashbulb
torch
flasher


What is the British English equivalent of the American English expression "a drop in the bucket"?
a drop in the sea
a drop in the bathtub
a drop in the ocean
a drop in the lake


Which of the following is an example of a spelling typical of American English?
recognizze
recognize
recoggnize
recognise


Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is quoted as saying "Terrorism is wrong, full stop". What would be the American English equivalent? 
Terrorism is wrong, semicolon
Terrorism is wrong, got it
Terrorism is wrong, period
Terrorism is a matter of perspective


Choose the correct spelling in American English:
The fire place made the room quite cozey.
The fire place made the room quite cosey.
The fire place made the room quite cosy.
The fire place made the room quite cozy.


In American English, tick-tack-toe is a game involving crosses and zeros. What is this game called in British English?
nos and yeses
tick-tock-too
naughts and crosses
tick-tock-doe


What does the term "curriculum vitae (or CV)" refer to in American English?
life experience
academic background
rèsumè
hobbies


What is the American English equivalent of the British English word "autumn"?
August
winter
spring
fall


In American English, the word "cupcake" identifies a small cake that typically fits in the palm of one's hand. What is this cake called in British English?
a hand cake
a palm cake
a fairy cake
a little cake


What do you commonly call a zipper in British English?
A zipper, the same as American English
A rotor
A zip
A track


In British English, which of the following is the definition of the word "Juggernaut"?
a flat bed trailer
a moving truck
a truck with a flat bed trailer
an 18 wheel truck


In American English, the word "undershirt" is used to describe a shirt worn under an outer shirt like a sweater. What word is used in British English?
a basic shirt
a vest
a whiteshirt
an undershirt


Which of the following is not a typical American English spelling?
recognize
subsidize
organise
realize


In British English, chips are equivalent to the American term ____.
chocolate
policemen
fries
potato chips


"Hello" is a common greeting in both the UK and America. Which of the following is a more common, shortened version of this greeting used in America?
Hi
Hello
Good Morning
Hi There


Select the sentence that implements British English:
We had a great dialog about the issue.
You must fulfil your duties.
I love the color of leaves in the fall.


In British English prom might refer to a _____, while it would likely refer to a _____ in American English.
concert; high school dance
Prom means the same thing in both dialects
hair product; high school dance
high school dance; concert


Which of the following is a spelling typical of American English?
humour
flavour
colour
honor


In British English the phrase "Zebra Crossing" is used to describe what in American English?
a road dividing line
a pedestrian crosswalk
the shoulder of a highway
an sign displaying a running zebra


What does the "ground floor" in British English typically correspond to in American English?
rooftop
second floor
first floor
penthouse


In American English, what does it mean to ask for the check after a meal?
None of these
You are asking for a receipt
You are asking the waiter to check you water
You are asking for the bill


In American English, the words mad and angry have the same meaning. What does the term "mad" mean in British English?
indecisive
bothered
angry
insane


Which of these statements is true?
A UK pint is larger than a US pint
A UK pint is smaller than a US pint
A UK pint is the same as a US pint


Which of the following is a spelling typical of British English ?
honour
neighbor
labor
rumor


In American English, the word "football" is used to name a sport played with a lemon shaped ball and large shoulder pads. What sport does the word "football" identify in British English?
soccer
basketball
rugby
dodgeball


What is a British English word synonymous with the word cookie?
cracker
cake
chip
cupcake
biscuit


In British English, if your milk has "gone off" is has done what in American English?
frozen
almost gone bad
turned into butter
gone bad


Which of the following is a noun commonly used in British English which is used in American English to signify an Elevator?
a person lift
a lift
a lifter
an elevator


In American English the term intersection is used to describe when two or roads meet. What is this term in British English?
a crossroads
an intersection
a meetroad
a roadmeeting


What can "buck" mean to an American person?
A person
All choices are correct
A deer
A dollar


Which of the following is an example of a spelling typical of American English?
flavour
honour
color
humour


In British English, a sweater might be called a:
A jumper
A jersey
All of these are possible options
A pull-over


In British English, a "scrappy" person is likely:
tough and tenacious
messy and disorganized
hungry and angry
angry and irritable
fiesty and opinionated


Choose the most common British usage: I need to stop and fill my car with some _____, my tank is empty.
petrol
gas
diesel
gasoline


The word "skip" is not only a verb in British English. Which of the following is it used to identify?
a dumpster
a speed bump
a friendly dog
a jump rope


A British first aid kit contains paracetamol, which should be replaced with ______ in a US first aid kit.
aspirin
calamine lotion
cortisone cream
ibuprofen
acetaminophen


Which of the following is an example of a spelling typical of British English?
colour
flavor
color
humor


Which of the following is a spelling typical of American English?
catalyse
paralyse
analyze
hydrolyse


What is the American English equivalent of the British English word "flat"
house
building
tent
apartment


In British English, an "articulated lorry" is used to describe what in American English?
a tractor trailor
a passenger bus
a hinged bus
a large truck


Which British English word is used for the American English word "elevator (of a building)"?
elevation
stairwell
lift
cage


In American English, the word "pants" is typically used to describe outerwear worn over the legs and abdomen. What word is used in British English?
trowsers
trousers
outer pants
over pants


What is the British English equivalent of elevator?
elevatre
dumbwaiter
elevater
trolley
lift


The closest American English expression to the British English expression "Going on holidays" is
Taking a day off from work
Working overtime
Going on a shopping spree
Taking a vacation


The word "biscuit" in British English refers to what word in American English?
cookie
cake
baking
business


She got a great price on her flat. What is the American term for "flat"?
Sandals
Convertible
Table
Apartment


Is the following usage acceptable in British english? Which company are coming to the event.
No
Yes


In American English, if a discussion ends in a "moot point" the subject is no longer discussing. Is this the case with the British English definition of "moot"?
this is not the case
the term "moot" is not actually used in British English
yes, this is the case
yes, but only for presently occurring situations


What American word is equivalent to the British term "tom"?
None of these
Prostitute
Policemen
Feral cat


___ is a British term for greenhouse.
planthouse
actuary
garden house
stove