THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AMERICAN ENGLISH AND BRITISH

ENGLISH

BY

MELIANA MARPAUNG

12 IPS 1

SMA NEGERI 2 TEBING TINGGI

2019/2020
What Are The Differences Between American And British English?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English at school, 09;00, Friday,

November 23 2019

Accent

It’s difficult to make clear distinctions between US and UK accents when there is
such a wide variety of accents within both the US and UK. A Texan and a New
Yorker are both Americans, but have very different accents. The same goes for
British accents in London, Manchester and Glasgow.

However, some very general distinctions can be made. Americans usually pronounce
every “r” in a word, while the British tend to only pronounce the “r” when it’s the
first letter of a word.

Spelling

American English British English

color colour
behavior behaviour
theater theatre
meter metre
organize organise
traveled travelled

 Here are some general differences between British and American spellings:

 Examples of words that end in -or in American English and -our in British
English: color/colour, humor/humour, flavor/flavour
  Examples of words that end in -ize in American English and -ise in British
English: recognize/recognise, patronize/patronise

The best way to make sure that you are being consistent in your spelling is to utilize
the spell check tool associated with your word processor and select the type of
English (American or British) you'd like to use.

Spelling

Vocabulary

American English British English

Apartment flat
College university
Theater theatre
Vacation holiday
Chips crisps
(french) fries chips
the movies the cinema
soda / pop / coke / soft drink soft drink / fizzy drink
sneakers / tennis shoes trainers
Sweater jumper
Mailbox postbox
band-aid plaster
Drugstore chemist’s
soccer football
cookie biscuit

 
Grammar

Prepositions

The differences below are only a general rule. American speech has influenced
Britain via pop culture, and vice versa. Therefore, some prepositional differences are
not as pronounced as they once were.

American English British English

I’m going to a party on the weekend. I’m going to a party at the weekend.

What are you doing on Christmas? What are you doing at Christmas?

Monday through Friday. Monday to Friday.

It’s different from/than the others. It’s different from/to the others.

Past Simple vs Present Perfect

Americans tend to use the past simple when describing something that has recently
occurred, while people in the UK are more likely to use the present perfect.

American English British English

I ate too much. I’ve eaten too much.

I went to the store. I’ve been to the shop.

Did you get the newspaper? Have you got the newspaper?

The past participle of get

In the UK, “gotten” as the past participle of “get” is considered archaic and was
abandoned long ago in favor of “got.” However, in the US people still use “gotten” as
the past participle.

American English British English

get — got — gotten get — got — got
I haven’t gotten any news about him. I’ve not got any news about him.

 Collective nouns: singular or plural?

In British English, a collective noun (like committee, government, team, etc.) can be
either singular or plural, but more often tends toward plural, emphasizing the
members of the group. Collective nouns in the US, by comparison, are always
singular, emphasizing the group as one whole entity.

American English British English

The government is doing everything it The government are doing everything

can during this crisis. they can during this crisis.

My team is winning. My team are winning.

Regular or irregular verbs?

This is a subtle difference that can be easily overlooked in speech, but is much more
apparent in written form. Many verbs that are irregular in the preterite in Britain
(leapt, dreamt, burnt, learnt) have been made regular in America (leaped, dreamed,
burned, learned).

As the most-spoken second language on the planet, English has to be flexible. After
all, it’s not solely spoken in the countries we’ve detailed above. So whether you
speak English like a Brit or like a ‘merkan, this should not be an obstacle when
communicating with people on the opposite side of the pond, or anywhere else in the
world for that matter.

To learn more about the differences between American and British English — and
hear a Brit and an American go toe-to-toe over these differences  — check out this
episode of the Chatty con Leche podcast!

While there are certainly many more varieties of English, American English and
British English are the two varieties that are taught in most ESL/EFL programs.
Generally, it is agreed that no one version is "correct," but there are certainly
preferences in use. The three major differences between American and British
English are:

 Pronunciation - differences in both vowel and consonants, as well as stress

and intonation
 Vocabulary - differences in nouns and verbs, especially phrasal verb usage
and the names of specific tools or items
 Spelling - differences are generally found in certain prefix and suffix forms

The most important rule of thumb is to try to be consistent in your usage. If you
decide that you want to use American English, then be consistent in your spelling (i.e.
"The color of the orange is also its flavour" - color is American spelling and flavour
is British). Of course, this is not always easy or possible. The following guide is
meant to point out the principal differences between these two varieties of English.

Minor Grammar Differences

There are very few grammar differences between American and British English.
Certainly, the words we choose might be different at times. However, generally
speaking, we follow the same grammar rules. With that said, there are a few
differences. 

Use of the Present Perfect

In British English, the present perfect is used to express an action that has occurred in
the recent past that has an effect on the present moment. For example:

I've lost my key. Can you help me look for it?

In American English, the following is also possible:

I lost my key. Can you help me look for it?

In British English, the above would be considered incorrect. However, both forms are
generally accepted in standard American English. Other differences involving the use
of the present perfect in British English and simple past in American English include
already, just and yet.

British English:

I've just had lunch.

I've already seen that film.
Have you finished your homework yet?
American English:

I just had lunch OR I've just had lunch.

I've already seen that film OR I already saw that film.
Have you finished your homework yet? OR Did you finish your homework yet?

Two Forms to Express Possession

There are two forms to express possession in English: have or have got.

Do you have a car?

Have you got a car?
He hasn't got any friends.
He doesn't have any friends.
She has a beautiful new home.
She's got a beautiful new home.

While both forms are correct (and accepted in both British and American English),
have got (have you got, he hasn't got, etc.) is generally the preferred form in British
English, while most speakers of American English employ the have (do you have, he
doesn't have etc.)

The Verb Get

The past participle of the verb get is gotten in American English.

American English: He's gotten much better at playing tennis.

British English: He's got much better at playing tennis.

"Have got" is used predominately in British English to indicate "have" in the sense of
possession. Strangely, this form is also used in the United States with the British
participle "got," rather than "gotten." Americans will also use "have got to" in the
sense of "have to" for responsibilities.

I've got to work tomorrow.

I've got three friends in Dallas.

Vocabulary

The largest differences between British and American English lie in the choice of
vocabulary. Some words mean different things in the two varieties, for example:

Mean: American English - angry, bad humored, British English - not generous, tight-
fisted.

American English: Don't be so mean to your sister!

British English: She's so mean she won't even pay for a cup of tea.

There are many more examples (too many for me to list here). If there is a difference
in usage, your dictionary will note the different meanings in its definition of the term.
Many vocabulary items are also used in one form and not in the other. One of the best
examples of this is the terminology used for automobiles.

 American English - hood / British English - bonnet

 American English - trunk / British English - boot
 American English - truck / British English - lorry
American and British Vocabulary and Word Choice

Many students are confused about word differences between American and British
English. Generally speaking, it's true that most Americans will understand British
English speakers and vice versa despite the many differences. As your
English becomes more advanced, however, it becomes more important to decide
which form of English you prefer. Once you've decided, try to stick to one form or
the other in all aspects including pronunciation differences: General American or
Received Pronunciation. This consistency is key to clear English communication.

The following list provides common American English vocabulary and word choices
and their British English equivalents arranged in alphabetical order. Which words are
already most familiar to you?

American English British English

Antenna aerial
Mad angry
Anyplace anywhere
Fall autumn
Bill bank note
Attorney barrister, solicitor
Cookie biscuit
Hood bonnet
Trunk boot
Suspenders braces
Janitor caretaker
drug store chemist's
french fries chips
the movies the cinema
Rubber condom
Patrolman constable
Stove cooker
Wheat corn, wheat
Crib cot
Thread cotton
Wreck crash
Intersection crossroads
Drapes curtains
Checkers draughts
Thumbtack drawing pin
divided highway dual carriageway
Pacifier dummy
Trashcan dustbin, rubbish-bin
garbage can dustbin, rubbish-bin
garbage collector dustman
Generator dynamo
Motor engine
Engineer engine driver
Movie film
Apartment flat
Overpass flyover
Yard garden
gear-shift gear-lever
Alumnus graduate
Boiler grill
first floor ground floor
Rubbers gumshoes, wellington boots
Sneakers gym shoes, tennis-shoes
Purse handbag
Billboard hoarding
Vacation holiday
vacuum cleaner hoover
Sick ill
Intermission interval
Sweater jersey, jumper, pullover, sweater
Pitcher jug
Elevator lift
Truck lorry
Baggage luggage
Raincoat mackintosh, raincoat
Crazy mad
Highway main road
Corn maize
Math maths
Stingy mean
Freeway motorway
Diaper nappy
vicious, mean nasty
Noplace nowhere
private hospital nursing home
Optometrist optician
liquor store off-license
Kerosene paraffin
Sidewalk pavement
Peek peep
Gasoline petrol
Mail post
Mailbox postbox
mailman, mail carrier postman
potato chips potato crisps
baby carriage pram
Bar pub
Restroom public toilet
blow-out puncture
Stroller push-chair
Line queue
Railroad railway
railway car railway carriage
spool of thread reel of cotton
round trip return (ticket)
call collect reverse charges
Raise rise (in salary)
Pavement road surface
traffic circle roundabout
Eraser rubber
garbage, trash rubbish

Sedan saloon (car)

Scotch tape sellotape

Store shop

Muffler silencer

one-way single (ticket)

Someplace somewhere

Wrench spanner

Faculty staff (of a university)

oil pan sump

Dessert sweet

Candy sweets

Faucet tap

Spigot tap (outdoors)

Cab taxi

dish-towel tea-towel

Semester term

Pantyhose tights

Schedule timetable

Can tin

Turnpike toll motorway

Flashlight torch

Hobo tramp

Pants trousers

Cuffs turn-ups

Subway underground railway

Shorts underpants

shoulder (of road) verge (of road)

Vest waistcoat

Closet wardrobe

wash up wash your hands

Windshield windscreen

Fender wing

Zipper zip
American to British English Vocabulary Quiz

Replace the American English word in italics with a British English word. 

1. I'd like to hang the drapes tonight. Do you have time?

2. We took the elevator to the 10th floor.
3. Would you like to see a movie tonight?
4. Have you seen Tim's new apartment yet? It's very nice.
5. Run down to the drug store and buy some aspirin, please. 
6. Let's go to the bar and get a drink.
7. I'll take the garbage out before I leave tomorrow morning.
8. Take the second exit at the traffic circle.
9. Let's get have some potato chips with lunch. 
10. Could you hand me the flashlight so I can take a look in the closet?
11. Peter wore a pair of slim fitting pants to the party.
12. She opened the tap and watered the garden.
13. Have you ever worn a vest with a suit?
14. I'll pick up the mail on the way home from work.
15. Could you buy me a pair of pantyhose at the mall?

Answers

1. curtains
2. lift
3. film
4. flat
5. chemist's
6. pub
7. rubbish
8. roundabout
9. crisps
10. torch
11. trousers
12. spigot 
13. waistcoat
14. post
15. tights

British to American English Vocabulary Quiz

Replace the British word in italics with an American English word.

 1. We need to find a public toilet soon.
2. Let's get the pram and take a walk with Jennifer. 
3. I'm afraid I had a puncture and had to get it fixed.
4. Could you bring in that tin of tuna over there?
5. He puts his trousers on like any other person.
6. She's very mean with her money. Don't ask her for any help.
7. I generally don't wear a suit with a waistcoat.
8. We should ask a constable for help.
9. Let's go to the off-license and get some whiskey. 
10. Get on queue and I'll get us something to eat.
11. Grab a tea-towel and clean that up.
12. Look at the schedule and see when the train leaves.
13. The car has a dent in the wing.
14. Choose a sweater from the wardrobe and let's get going.
15. The lights have gone out, and we'll need a torch.

Answers

1. restroom
2. baby carriage
3. blow-out
4. can
5. pants
6. stingy
7. vest
8. patrolman
9. liquor store
10. line
11. dish-towel
12. time table
13. fender
14. closet 
15. flashlight

The English language was first introduced to the Americas by British

colonization, 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, which, by 1921,
included about 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.
Over the past 400 years, the forms of the language used in the Americas
especially in the 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, vocabulary (lexis), spelling, punctuation, idioms,
and formatting of dates and numbers. However, the differences in written and
most spoken grammar structure tend to be much less 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 formalizing these
differences came from Noah Webster, who wrote the first American
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.
This divergence between American English and British English has provided
opportunities for humorous comment: e.g. in fiction George Bernard Shaw
says that the United States and United Kingdom are "two countries divided by
a common language" and Oscar Wilde says that "We have really everything in
common with America nowadays, except, of course, the language". 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 globalization 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;] and a British fanny refers to
the female pubic area, while the American fanny refers to an ass (US) or an
arse (UK).
Word derivation and compounds
• Directional suffix -ward(s): British forwards, towards, rightwards, etc.;
American forward, toward, rightward. In both dialects distribution varies
somewhat: afterwards, towards, and backwards are not unusual in America;
while in the United Kingdom upward and rightward are the more common
options, as is forward, which is standard in phrasal verbs such as look forward
to. The forms with -s may be used as adverbs (or preposition towards) but
rarely as adjectives: in the UK, as in America, one says "an upward motion".
The Oxford English Dictionary in 1897 suggested a semantic distinction for
adverbs, with -wards having a more definite directional sense than -ward;
subsequent authorities such as Fowler have disputed this contention.
• American English (AmE) freely adds the suffix -s to day, night,
evening, weekend, Monday, etc. to form adverbs denoting repeated or
customary action: I used to stay out evenings; the library is closed Saturdays.
This usage has its roots in Old English but many of these constructions are
now regarded as American (for example, the OED labels nights "now chiefly
N. Amer. colloq." in constructions such as to sleep nights, but to work nights
is standard in British English).
• In British English (BrE), the agentive -er suffix is commonly attached
to football (also cricket; often netball; occasionally basketball and volleyball).
AmE usually uses football player. Where the sport's name is usable as a verb,
the suffixation is standard in both dialects: for example, golfer, bowler (in
Ten-pin bowling and in Lawn Bowls), and shooter. AmE appears sometimes
to use the BrE form in baller as slang for a basketball player, as in the video
game NBA Ballers. However, this is derived from slang use of to ball as a
verb meaning to play basketball.
• English writers everywhere occasionally make new compound words
from common phrases; for example, health care is now being replaced by
healthcare on both sides of the Atlantic. However, AmE has made certain
words in this fashion that are still treated as phrases in BrE.
• In compound nouns of the form <verb><noun>, sometimes AmE
prefers the bare infinitive where BrE favours the gerund. Examples include
(AmE first): jump rope/skipping rope; racecar/racing car; rowboat/rowing
boat; sailboat/sailing boat; file cabinet/filing cabinet; dial tone/dialling tone;
drainboard/draining board.
• Generally AmE has a tendency to drop inflectional suffixes, thus
preferring clipped forms: compare cookbook v. cookery book; Smith, age 40
v. Smith, aged 40; skim milk v. skimmed milk; dollhouse v. dolls' house;
barber shop v. barber's shop.
• Singular attributives in one country may be plural in the other, and
vice versa. For example, the UK has a drugs problem, while the United States
has a drug problem (although the singular usage is also commonly heard in
the UK); Americans read the sports section of a newspaper; the British are
more likely to read the sport section. However, BrE maths is singular, just as
AmE math is: both are abbreviations of mathematics.
• Some British English words come from French roots, while American
English finds its words from other places, e.g. AmE eggplant and zucchini are
aubergine and courgette in BrE.
• Similarly, American English has occasionally replaced more
traditional English words with their Spanish counterparts. This is especially
common in regions historically affected by Spanish settlement (such as the
American Southwest and Florida) as well as other areas that have since
experienced strong Hispanic migration (such as urban centers). Examples of
these include grocery markets' preference in the U.S. for Spanish names such
as cilantro and manzanilla over coriander and camomile respectively.

Vocabulary
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 globalization of
telecommunication, they are often but not always recognized as foreign to the
speaker's dialect, and words from other dialects may carry connotations
(deserved or not) with regard to register, social status, origin, and intelligence.
Words and phrases with different meanings
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] 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, the opposite meanings of the verb to
table created a misunderstanding during a meeting of the Allied forces;[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, also known as
soccer. In AmE, "football" means American football. The standard AmE term
"soccer", a contraction of "association (football)", is actually of British origin,
derived from the formalization 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 incorrectly as an
Americanism.[citation needed] In international (i.e. non-American) context,
particularly in sports news outside English-speaking North America,
American (or US branches of foreign) news agencies also use "football" to
mean "soccer", especially in direct quotes.
Similarly, the word "hockey" in BrE refers to field hockey and in AmE,
"hockey" means 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/or meaning can cause confusion or
embarrassment. For example, the word fanny is a slang word for vulva in BrE
but means buttocks in AmE—the AmE phrase 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
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 (slang but commonly used to mean "not
very good") are unheard of in American English.[citation needed]
Speakers of BrE are likely to understand most common AmE terms, examples
such as "sidewalk (pavement or footpath)", "gas (gasoline/petrol)",
"counterclockwise (anticlockwise)" or "elevator (lift)", without any problem,
thanks in part to considerable exposure to American popular culture and
literature. Certain terms that are heard less frequently, especially those likely
to be absent or rare in American popular culture, e.g., "copacetic
(satisfactory)", are unlikely to be understood by most BrE speakers.

Other examples:
• In the UK the word whilst is commonly used as a conjunction (as an
alternative to while, especially prevalent in some dialects). Whilst tends to
appear in non-temporal senses, as when used to point out a contrast. In AmE
while is used in both contexts,[11] and whilst may even be unknown. Other
conjunctions with the -st ending are also found even in AmE as much as in
BrE, despite being old-fashioned or an affection.
• In the UK generally the term fall meaning "autumn" is obsolete.
Although found often from Elizabethan literature to Victorian literature,
continued understanding of the word is usually ascribed to its continued use in
America.[12]
• In the UK the term period for a full stop is not used; in AmE the term
full stop is rarely, if ever, used for the punctuation mark and commonly not
understood whatsoever. For example, Tony Blair said, "Terrorism is wrong,
full stop", whereas in AmE, the equivalent sentence is "Terrorism is wrong,
period."[13] The use of the interjection: period to mean "and nothing else; end
of discussion" is beginning to be used in colloquial British English, though
sometimes without conscious reference to punctuation.
American British
math maths
trapezoid
trapezium
buck (slang for a dollar) quid (slang for multiple pounds)
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, winter solstice,
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 summer when most people take
time off from work, and travel; AmE does not use holiday in this sense,
instead using vacation for recreational excursions.
In AmE, the prevalent Christmas greeting is "Merry Christmas", which is the
traditional English Christmas greeting, famously found in the English
Christmas carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and which appears
several times in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.[14] In BrE, "Happy
Christmas" is a common alternative to "Merry Christmas".
Idiosyncratic differences
Omission of "and" and "on"
Generally in British English numbers over one hundred have the word "and"
inserted before the last two digits. For example, the number 115 would be
written or said, "One hundred and fifteen". This is typical in American
English as well, though a variant without "and", for example written or said
"One hundred fifteen", is also very common in the USA.
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
"Derby County won the match on Saturday."

Figures of speech
Both BrE and AmE use the expression "I couldn't care less" to mean 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,[citation needed]
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
sounds odd to the other.
"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] 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
see the wood for the trees see the forest for the trees
put a spanner in the works throw a (monkey) wrench in(to) (a situation)
put (or stick) your oar in[15]
but it won't make a ha'porth of difference[16]
to put your two penn'orth (or tuppence worth) in to put your two cents (or
two cents' worth) in[17]

skeleton in the cupboard skeleton in the closet

a home from home a home away from home
blow one's own trumpet blow (or toot) one's own horn
a drop in the ocean a drop in the bucket,[18]

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[19]

a new lease of life a new lease on life

lie of the land 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)
slowcoach slowpoke
* In the US, a "carpet" typically refers to a fitted carpet, rather than a rug.
Social and cultural differences
Lexical items that reflect separate social and cultural development.
Education
The US has a more uniform nationwide system of terms than does the UK, 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), 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, the second tier goes from year 6 to year 8, and both starting
secondary school in year nine. In Kirklees, 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 ([23])year 9 to year 13.
A public school has opposite meanings in the two countries. In AmE this is a
government-owned institution open to all students, supported by public
funding. The BrE use of the term is in the context of "private" education: to be
educated privately with a tutor.[24] In England and Wales the term strictly
refers to an ill-defined group of prestigious private independent schools
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 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 run by one of the U.S. states.
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 is an independent school funded by tuition fees; the same
term is used in the UK for a private school for pupils under thirteen, designed
to prepare them for fee-paying public schools. In the US, catholic schools
cover costs through tuition and have affiliations with a religious institution,
most often a Catholic church or diocese. In England, where the state-funded
education system grew from parish schools organized by the local established
church, the Church of England (C of E, or CE), and many schools, especially
primary schools (up to age 11) retain a church connection and are known as
church schools, 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 the US, a 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, which are independent
privately sponsored schools run with public funding and which can select up
to 10% of pupils by aptitude. Moreover, in the UK 36 local education
authorities retain selection by ability at 11. They maintain grammar schools
(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, 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. 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."
"She studied biology at Cambridge."
"She did biology at Cambridge." (informal)
AmE:
She majored in biology at Harvard."
"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 or
tutor; professor is the job-title of a senior academic (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 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.) 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 or NVQs can be taken and 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). In the case of Oxford, Cambridge, Aberdeen, London,
Lancaster, Durham, Kent and 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 and hence 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,
Dartmouth College and the College of William & Mary are examples of
colleges that offer advanced degrees, while 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 system, the details of which may vary but generally involve
common living and dining spaces as well as college-organized 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, 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).
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."
"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, 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;
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, 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".
16. 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 at any
educational institution or level, 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).
17. The names of individual institutions can be confusing. There are several
"University High Schools" 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, which 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.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. Government and politics
21. 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 in BrE commonly
known as a party manifesto. 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), EU Parliamentary Elections and by-elections; whereas
in AmE, it refers to an election for any government position in the US, in
AmE the term is differentiated from the term primary (an election that
determines a party's candidate for the position in question).
22. 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.
23. In the UK, the term government only refers to what is commonly known in
America as the executive branch or the particular administration.
24. Business and finance
25. In financial statements, what is referred to in AmE as revenue or sales is
known in BrE as turnover.
26. A bankrupt firm goes into administration in BrE; in AmE it goes bankrupt, or
files for Chapter 7 (liquidation) or Chapter 11 (reorganization). An insolvent
individual or partnership goes bankrupt in both jurisdictions.
27. If a finance company takes possession of a mortgaged property from a debtor,
it is called foreclosure in AmE and repossession in BrE. In some, limited
scenarios, repossession may be used in AmE, but it is much less common
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 Repoman.
28. Employment and recruitment
29. 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.
30. Transport
31. Americans refer to transportation and British people to transport.[25]
(Transportation in the UK has traditionally meant the punishment of criminals
by deporting them 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 specialized objects, such as a tape transport or a military transport
(e.g., a troop transport, a kind of vehicle, not an act of transporting).
32. Road transport
33. Differences in terminology are especially obvious in the context of roads. The
British term dual carriageway, in American parlance, would be divided
highway or perhaps, simply 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 is more commonly used, 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, in the stead of frontage road.
34. 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).
35. In the UK drink driving is against the law, while in the US, where the action is
also outlawed, the term is drunk driving. The legal term in the US is driving
while intoxicated (DWI) or 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.[26]
36. In the UK, a 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 people and the term "rent" is applied to goods. To an
American, a "hired car" would therefore imply a driver is being hired with the
car, such as a taxi, limousine, Uber driver, etc.
37. In the UK, a saloon is a vehicle that is equivalent to the American sedan. 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). Coupé 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).
38. In the UK, a silencer is the equivalent to the US muffler. In the US, the word
silencer has only one meaning: an attachment on the barrel of a gun designed
to stop the distinctive crack of a gunshot.
39. Specific auto parts and transport terms have different names in the two
dialects, for example:
40. UK US
41. accelerator gas [pedal], accelerator
42. bonnet hood[27]
43.
44. boot trunk[27][28]
45.
46. mudguard, wheel arch, wing fender[29]
47.
48. hood, soft/hard top convertible top, soft/hard top
49. car park parking lot[30]
50.
51. driving licence driver's license[31]
52.
53. dual carriageway divided highway[27]
54.
55. estate car station wagon[30]
56.
57. flyover overpass,[30] flyover
58.
59. gearbox transmission[27]
60.
61. hard shoulder shoulder
62. hired car, hire car rental car, rental
63. juggernaut, lorry semi, semi-truck, 18 wheeler, tractor-trailer[32]
64.
65. lorry truck[28]
66.
67. articulated lorry trailer truck, semi[30]
68.
69. manual stick shift, manual
70. motorway freeway,[32] highway or expressway
71.
72. pavement, footpath sidewalk[32]
73.
74. roadworks construction zone, roadwork
75. petrol gasoline or gas[27]
76.
77. saloon sedan[33]
78.
79. shield bumper
80. silencer muffler[27]
81.
82. spanner wrench[27][28]
83.
84. ticking over idling[32]
85.
86. windscreen windshield[27]
87.
88. car valeting
There are also differences in terminology in the context of rail transport. The
best known is railway in the UK and railroad in America, but there are several
others. A railway station in the UK is a railroad station or train station in the
US; trains have drivers (often called engine drivers) in the UK, while in
America trains are driven by engineers; trains have guards in the UK and
conductors in the US; a place where two tracks meet is called a set of points in
the UK and a switch in the US; and a place where a road crosses a railway line
at ground level is called a level crossing in the UK and a grade crossing in
America. In the UK, the term sleeper is used for the devices that bear the
weight of the rails and are known as ties or crossties in the United States. The
British term platform in the sense "The train is at Platform 1" would be known
in the US by the term track, and used in the phrase "The train is on Track 1".
Also, the British term Brake Van or Guard's Van, is a Caboose in the US.
Finally the American English phrase "All aboard!" when getting on a train is
rarely used in the UK; the nearest British equivalent is "Take your seats!", and
when the train reaches its final stop, in the UK the phrase used by announcers
is "All change!" while in America it is "All out!"
Television
This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by
adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged
and removed.

Traditionally, a show on British television would have referred to a light-

entertainment program (BrE programme) with one or more performers and a
participative audience, whereas in American television, the term is used for
any type of program. British English traditionally referred to other types of
program by their type, such as drama, serial etc., but the term show has now
taken on the generalized American meaning. In American television the
episodes of a program first broadcast in a particular year constitute a season,
while the entire run of the program—which may span several seasons—is
called a series. In British television, on the other hand, the word series may
apply to the episodes of a program in one particular year, for example, "The
1998 series of Grange Hill", as well as to the entire run. However, the entire
run may occasionally be referred to as a "show". The term telecast, meaning
television broadcast and uncommon even in the US, is not used in British
English. A television program would be broadcast, aired or shown in both the
UK and US.
Telecommunications
A long-distance call is a "trunk call" in British English, but is a "toll call" in
American English, though neither term is well known among younger
Americans. The distinction is a result of historical differences in the way local
service was billed; the Bell System traditionally flat-rated local calls in all but
a few markets, subsidising local service by charging higher rates, or tolls, for
intercity calls, allowing local calls to appear to be free. British Telecom (and
the British Post Office before it) charged for all calls, local and long distance,
so labelling one class of call as "toll" would have been meaningless.
Similarly, a toll-free number in America is a freephone number in the UK.
The term "freefone" is a BT trademark.

Style
Use of that and which in restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses
Generally, a non-restrictive relative clause (also called non-defining or
supplementary) is one that contains information that is supplementary, i.e.
does not change the meaning of the rest of the sentence, while a restrictive
relative clause (also called defining or integrated) is, one which contains
information essential to the meaning of the sentence, effectively limiting the
modified noun phrase to a subset that is defined by the relative clause. An
example of a restrictive clause is "The dog that bit the man was brown." An
example of a non-restrictive clause is "The dog, which bit the man, was
brown." In the former "that bit the man" identifies which dog the statement is
about. In the latter, "which bit the man" provides supplementary information
about a known dog. A non-restrictive relative clause is typically set off by
commas, whereas a restrictive relative clause is not, but this is not a rule that
is universally observed. In speech, this is also reflected in the intonation.
Writers commonly use which to introduce a non-restrictive clause, and that to
introduce a restrictive clause. That is rarely used to introduce a non-restrictive
relative clause in prose. Which and that are both commonly used to introduce
a restrictive clause; a study in 1977 reported that about 75 percent of
occurrences of which were in restrictive clauses.
H. W. Fowler, in A Dictionary of Modern English Usage of 1926 followed
others in suggesting that it would be preferable to use which as the non-
restrictive (what he calls non-defining) pronoun and that as the restrictive
(what he calls defining) pronoun, but he also stated that this rule was observed
neither by most writers nor by the best writers.[37] He implied that his
suggested usage was more common in American English.[38] Fowler notes
that his recommended usage presents problems, in particular that that must be
the first word of the clause, which means, for instance, that which cannot be
replaced by that when it immediately follows a preposition (e.g. "the basic
unit from which matter is constructed")[39] – though this would not prevent a
stranded preposition (e.g. "the basic unit that matter is constructed from").[40]
Style guides by American prescriptivists, such as Bryan Garner, typically
insist, for stylistic reasons, that that be used for restrictive relative clauses and
which be used for non-restrictive clauses, referring to the use of which in
restrictive clauses as a "mistake".[34] According to the 2015 edition of
Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage, "In AmE which is "not
generally used in restrictive clauses, and that fact is then interpreted as the
absolute rule that only that may introduce a restrictive clause", whereas in BrE
"either that or which may be used in restrictive clauses", but many British
people "believe that that is obligatory".
Writing

Spelling
Before the early 18th century English spelling was not standardized. Different
standards became noticeable after the publishing of influential dictionaries.
For the most part current BrE spellings follow those of Samuel Johnson's
Dictionary of the English Language (1755), while AmE spellings follow those
of Noah Webster's An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828).
In the United Kingdom, the influences of those who preferred the French
spellings of certain words proved decisive. In many cases AmE spelling
deviated from mainstream British spelling; on the other hand it has also often
retained older forms. Many of the now characteristic AmE spellings were
popularized, although often not created, by Noah Webster. Webster chose
already-existing alternative spellings "on such grounds as simplicity, analogy
or etymology".[42] Webster did attempt to introduce some reformed spellings,
as did the Simplified Spelling Board in the early 20th century, but most were
not adopted. Later spelling changes in the UK had little effect on present-day
US spelling, and vice versa.

Punctuation
Full stops and periods in abbreviations
There have been some trends of transatlantic difference in use of periods in
some abbreviations. These are discussed at Abbreviation § Periods (full stops)
and spaces. Unit symbols such as kg and Hz are never punctuated.[43]

Parentheses/brackets
In British English, "( )" marks are often referred to as brackets, whereas "[ ]"
are called square brackets and "{ }" are called curly brackets. In formal
British English and in American English "( )" marks are parentheses (singular:
parenthesis), "[ ]" are called brackets or square brackets, and "{ }" can be
called either curly brackets or curly braces.[44] Despite the different names,
these marks are used in the same way in both dialects.
Quoting
British and American English differ in the preferred quotation mark style,
including the placement of commas and periods.

Commas in headlines
American newspapers commonly use a comma as a shorthand for "and" in
headlines. For example, The Washington Post had the headline "A TRUE
CONSERVATIVE: For McCain, Bush Has Both Praise, Advice."[45]
Numerical expressions
There are many differences in the writing and speaking of English numerals,
most of which are matters of style, with the notable exception of different
definitions for billion.
The two countries have different conventions for floor numbering. The UK
uses a mixture of the metric system and Imperial units, where in the US,
United States customary units are dominant in everyday life with a few fields
using the metric system. Monetary amounts in the range of one to two major
currency units are often spoken differently. In AmE one may say a dollar fifty
or a pound eighty, whereas in BrE these amounts would be expressed one
dollar fifty and one pound eighty. For amounts over a dollar an American will
generally either drop denominations or give both dollars and cents, as in two-
twenty or two dollars and twenty cents for $2.20. An American would not say
two dollars twenty. On the other hand, in BrE, two-twenty or two pounds
twenty would be most common.
It is more common to hear a British-English speaker say one thousand two
hundred dollars than a thousand and two hundred dollars, although the latter
construct is common in AmE. In British English, the "and" comes after the
hundreds (one thousand, two hundred and thirty dollars). The term twelve
hundred dollars, popular in AmE, is frequently used in BrE but only for exact
multiples of 100 up to 1900. Speakers of BrE very rarely hear amounts over
1900 expressed in hundreds, for example twenty-three hundred.
In BrE, particularly in television or radio advertisements, integers can be
pronounced individually in the expression of amounts. For example, on sale
for £399 might be expressed on sale for three nine nine, though the full Three
hundred and ninety-nine pounds is at least as common. An American
advertiser would almost always say on sale for three ninety-nine, with context
distinguishing $399 from $3.99.[citation needed] In British English the latter
pronunciation implies a value in pounds and pence, so three ninety-nine
would be understood as £3.99.
In spoken BrE the word pound is sometimes colloquially used for the plural as
well. For example, three pound forty and twenty pound a week are both heard
in British English. Some other currencies do not change in the plural; yen and
rand being examples. This is in addition to normal adjectival use, as in a
twenty-pound-a-week pay-rise. The euro most often takes a regular plural -s
in practice despite the EU dictum that it should remain invariable in formal
contexts; the invariable usage is more common in Ireland, where it is the
official currency.
In BrE the use of p instead of pence is common in spoken usage. Each of the
following has equal legitimacy: 3 pounds 12 p; 3 pounds and 12 p; 3 pounds
12 pence; 3 pounds and 12 pence; as well as just 8 p or 8 pence. In everyday
usage the amount is simply read as figures (£3.50 = three pounds fifty) as in
AmE.
AmE uses words such as nickel, dime, and quarter for small coins. In BrE the
usual usage is a 10-pence piece or a 10p piece or simply a 10p, for any coin
below £1, but pound coin and two-pound coin. BrE did have specific words
for a number of coins before decimalisation. Formal coin names such as half
crown (2/6) and florin (2/-), as well as slang or familiar names such as bob
(1/-) and tanner (6d) for pre-decimalization coins are still familiar to older
BrE speakers but they are not used for modern coins. In older terms like two-
bob bit (2/-) and thrupenny bit (3d), the word bit had common usage before
decimalisation similar to that of piece today.
In order to make explicit the amount in words on a check (BrE cheque),
Americans write three and 24⁄100 (using this solidus construction or with a
horizontal division line): they do not need to write the word dollars as it is
usually already printed on the check. On a cheque UK residents would write
three pounds and 24 pence, three pounds ‒ 24, or three pounds ‒ 24p since the
currency unit is not preprinted. To make unauthorized amendment difficult, it
is useful to have an expression terminator even when a whole number of
dollars/pounds is in use: thus, Americans would write three and 00⁄100 or
three and no⁄100 on a three-dollar check (so that it cannot easily be changed
to, for example, three million), and UK residents would write three pounds
only. Dates
Dates are usually written differently in the short (numerical) form. Christmas
Day 2000, for example, is 25/12/00 or 25.12.00 in the UK and 12/25/00 in the
US, although the formats 25/12/2000, 25.12.2000, and 12/25/2000 now have
more currency than they had before Y2K. Occasionally other formats are
encountered, such as the ISO 8601 2000-12-25, popular among programmers,
scientists and others seeking to avoid ambiguity, and to make alphanumerical
order coincide with chronological order. The difference in short-form date
order can lead to misunderstanding, especially when using software or
equipment that uses the foreign format. For example, 06/04/05 could mean
either June 4, 2005 (if read as US format), 6 April 2005 (if seen as in UK
format) or even 5 April 2006 if taken to be an older ISO 8601-style format
where 2-digit years were allowed.
When using the name of the month rather than the number to write a date in
the UK, the recent standard style is for the day to precede the month, e. g., 21
April. Month preceding date is almost invariably the style in the US, and was
common in the UK until the late twentieth century. British usage often
changes the day from an integer to an ordinal, i.e., 21st instead of 21. In
speech, "of" and "the" are used in the UK, as in "the 21st of April". In written
language, the words "the" and "of" may be and are usually dropped, i.e., 21
April. The US would say this as "April 21st", and this form is still common in
the UK. One of the few exceptions in American English is saying "the Fourth
of July" as a shorthand for the United States Independence Day. In the US
military the British forms are used, but the day is read cardinally, while
among some speakers of New England and Southern American English
varieties and who come from those regions but live elsewhere, those forms are
common, even in formal contexts.
Phrases such as the following are common in the UK but are generally
unknown in the US: "A week today", "a week tomorrow", "a week Tuesday"
and "Tuesday week"; these all refer to a day more than a week in the future.
"A fortnight Friday" and "Friday fortnight" refer to a day two weeks after the
coming Friday). "A week on Tuesday" and "a fortnight on Friday" could refer
either to a day in the past ("it's a week on Tuesday, you need to get another
one") or in the future ("see you a week on Tuesday"), depending on context.
In the US the standard construction is "a week from today", "a week from
tomorrow", etc. BrE speakers may also say "Thursday last" or "Thursday
gone" where AmE would prefer "last Thursday". "I'll see you (on) Thursday
coming" or "let's meet this coming Thursday" in BrE refer to a meeting later
this week, while "not until Thursday next" would refer to next week. The 24-
hour clock (18:00, 18.00 or 1800) is considered normal in the UK and Europe
in many applications including air, rail and bus timetables; it is largely unused
in the US outside military, police, aviation and medical applications. British
English tends to use the full stop or period (.) when telling time, compared to
American English which uses colons (:) (i.e., 11:15 PM or 23:15 for AmE and
11.15 pm or 23.15 for BrE).[47] Usually in the military (and sometimes in the
police, aviation and medical) applications on both sides of the Atlantic 0800
and 1800 are read as (oh/zero) eight hundred and eighteen hundred hours
respectively.
Fifteen minutes after the hour is called quarter past in British usage and a
quarter after or, less commonly, a quarter past in American usage. Fifteen
minutes before the hour is usually called quarter to in British usage and a
quarter of, a quarter to or a quarter 'til in American usage; the form a quarter
to is associated with parts of the Northern United States, while a quarter 'til is
found chiefly in the Appalachian region.[citation needed] Thirty minutes after
the hour is commonly called half past in both BrE and AmE; half after used to
be more common in the US. In informal British speech, the preposition is
sometimes omitted, so that 5:30 may be referred to as half five. The AmE
formations top of the hour and bottom of the hour are not used in BrE. Forms
such as eleven forty are common in both dialects. To be simple and direct in
telling time, no terms relating to fifteen or thirty minutes before/after the hour
are used; rather the time is told exactly as for example nine fifteen, ten forty-
five.
Demographics
Linguist Braj Kachru, quoted by the Christian Science Monitor in 1996, stated
that "American English is spreading faster than British English". The Monitor
stated that English taught in Europe, India, and parts of Asia and Africa is
more British-influenced, while English taught in Latin America, Philippines,
Japan, Mainland China, Taiwan and South Korea is more American-
influenced; however, most English use outside the classroom is more
influenced by the United States: Americans greatly outnumber Britons; in
addition, as of 1993, the United States originated 75 percent of the world's TV
programming.[48] A BBC columnist assessed in 2015 that "American English
is the current dominant force globally, like it or not".[49]