UK-US Vocabulary Snapshot Tables
🎒 Teaching an 11–18-year-old? Read the young-learner edition →
Here's the thing — you don't always want the full lesson. Sometimes you just need to check whether it's pavement [US: sidewalk] before you hit send. So here it is: the common UK/US pairs, theme by theme, each one pointing home to where it's actually taught. Nothing new is claimed here — this is a finder, not a lecture.
How to read the middle column. Three plain labels, plus one flag:
- different word, same thing — two names for one thing; a straight swap.
- different sense — the same word (or the same shape) points at something different on each side.
- register nuance — both sides know the word; formality or habit tips the choice.
- ⚠ false friend — looks familiar, means something else. Mind these especially.
Every label links home to the article that teaches it — mostly P8, with P9 for register and P10 for the usage traps.
Transport
| UK term | US term | Note |
|---|---|---|
| boot | trunk | different word, same thing |
| bonnet | hood | different word, same thing |
| windscreen | windshield | different word, same thing |
| petrol | gas / gasoline | different word, same thing |
| petrol station | gas station | different word, same thing |
| lorry | truck | different word, same thing |
| motorway | freeway / highway | different word, same thing |
| dual carriageway | divided highway | different word, same thing |
| car park | parking lot | different word, same thing |
| flyover | overpass | different word, same thing |
| roundabout | traffic circle / rotary | different word, same thing |
| pavement | sidewalk | different word, same thing |
| railway | railroad | different word, same thing |
| underground / Tube | subway | different word, same thing |
| timetable | schedule | different word, same thing |
| taxi | cab | register nuance — both used both sides |
| car hire | car rental | register nuance |
| coach | (long-distance) bus | different sense — US coach usually means a trainer |
Housing & home
| UK term | US term | Note |
|---|---|---|
| flat | apartment | different word, same thing |
| block of flats | apartment building | different word, same thing |
| ground floor | first floor | ⚠ different sense — the floor count is off by one |
| first floor | second floor | ⚠ different sense — as above |
| lift | elevator | different word, same thing |
| tap | faucet | different word, same thing |
| bin / dustbin | trash can / garbage can | different word, same thing |
| rubbish | trash / garbage | different word, same thing |
| wardrobe | closet | different word, same thing |
| cupboard | closet | different sense — overlap, not an exact match |
| curtains | drapes | different word, same thing |
| torch | flashlight | different word, same thing |
| lounge / sitting room | living room | different word, same thing |
| garden | yard | different word, same thing |
| toilet / loo | bathroom / restroom | different word, same thing — US tends to avoid toilet for the room |
| estate agent | real-estate agent / realtor | register nuance |
| postcode | ZIP code | different word, same thing |
Education
| UK term | US term | Note |
|---|---|---|
| maths | math | different word, same thing — the word form differs |
| head teacher | principal | different word, same thing |
| primary school | elementary school | different word, same thing |
| secondary school | high school | different word, same thing |
| state school | public school | different word, same thing — but see the false friend below |
| public school | private (fee-paying) school | ⚠ false friend — UK public school is fee-paying; US public school is state-funded |
| term | semester | different word, same thing — partial overlap |
| mark / marks | grade / grades | different word, same thing |
| revise / revision | study / review | register nuance — US revise means edit |
| rubber | eraser | ⚠ false friend — US rubber reads as a condom |
| CV | résumé | different word, same thing |
| sit an exam | take an exam | register nuance |
Food & shopping
| UK term | US term | Note |
|---|---|---|
| biscuit | cookie | ⚠ false friend — a US biscuit is a savoury, scone-like roll |
| crisps | (potato) chips | different word, same thing — part of the chips muddle |
| chips | fries / French fries | different word, same thing — UK chips are the hot ones |
| sweets | candy | different word, same thing |
| aubergine | eggplant | different word, same thing |
| courgette | zucchini | different word, same thing |
| coriander | cilantro | different word, same thing |
| mince | ground beef / ground meat | different word, same thing |
| jam | jelly | different sense — US jelly is the seedless kind |
| jelly | Jell-O / gelatin dessert | different sense — the wobbly pudding |
| pudding | dessert | different sense — UK pudding can mean any dessert |
| starter | appetiser [US: appetizer] | different word, same thing |
| bill (restaurant) | check | different word, same thing |
| takeaway | takeout | different word, same thing |
| trolley | shopping cart | different word, same thing |
| chemist | pharmacy / drugstore | different word, same thing |
| fizzy drink / soft drink | soda / pop | different word, same thing |
| off-licence | liquor store | different word, same thing |
Clothing
| UK term | US term | Note |
|---|---|---|
| trousers | pants | different word, same thing |
| pants | underwear | ⚠ false friend — UK pants are underwear; US pants are trousers |
| knickers | panties | register nuance |
| jumper | sweater | different word, same thing |
| trainers | sneakers | different word, same thing |
| waistcoat | vest | different word, same thing — but see vest below |
| vest | undershirt / tank top | ⚠ false friend — US vest is a UK waistcoat |
| braces | suspenders | ⚠ false friend — US braces are for teeth |
| suspenders | garter belt | ⚠ false friend — US suspenders are UK braces |
| wellies / wellington boots | rubber boots / galoshes | different word, same thing |
| dressing gown | (bath)robe | different word, same thing |
| nappy | diaper | different word, same thing |
| handbag | purse | different word, same thing |
Everyday
| UK term | US term | Note |
|---|---|---|
| queue (noun) | line | different word, same thing |
| queue / queue up | line up / stand in line | different word, same thing |
| ring (someone) | call | register nuance |
| post (a letter) | different word, same thing | |
| hire (a car) | rent | different word, same thing |
| holiday | vacation | different word, same thing |
| fortnight | two weeks | different word, same thing — no everyday US single word |
| sacked | fired | register nuance |
| made redundant | laid off | different word, same thing |
| lend | loan (verb) | different sense — the lend / loan usage split |
| fancy (want / like) | — | different sense — the UK "desire" sense is rare in US use |
| get on (with someone) | get along (with someone) | register nuance |
| at the weekend | on / over the weekend | register nuance — the preposition shifts |
| table (a motion) | table (a motion) | ⚠ false friend — UK: bring it forward; US: postpone it |
| knock (someone) up | knock up | ⚠ false friend — UK (dated): wake by knocking; US: make pregnant |
| momentarily | momentarily | ⚠ different sense — UK: for a moment; US: in a moment |
The false friends, gathered
If you read nothing else, read these. They don't just swap a word — they swap the meaning, and that's where the accidental comedy (or worse) lives.
| UK use | The US misreading | Home |
|---|---|---|
| pants = underwear | read as trousers | P8 · P10 |
| public school = fee-paying private school | read as state-funded school | P8 · P10 |
| rubber = eraser | read as condom | P8 · P10 |
| biscuit = sweet baked snack | read as savoury bread roll | P8 · P10 |
| vest = undershirt | read as waistcoat | P8 · P10 |
| braces = trouser supports | read as dental braces | P8 · P10 |
| to table a motion = bring it forward | read as postpone it | P8 · P10 |
| momentarily = for a moment | read as in a moment | P8 · P10 |
| ground floor = street level | US first floor is street level | P8 · P10 |
Read on at home
- P8 · Spelling, Morphology & Word Choice — the owning article for UK/US vocabulary, confusables, and the spelling systems (-our/-or, -re/-er, -ise/-ize).
- P9 · Style, Formality & Register — how these near-equivalents land in different situations.
- P10 · Common Errors & Usage Problems — the false friends and usage traps in full.
- Master UK/US Index — the complete cross-Atlantic map for the whole library.
¶ Field Notes — free
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