vocabulary diferences

1. Tecnológico Nacional de Mexico
British and American English

2. .
Goals
Learn the difference between the American and the British
English.
Recognise the different accent and pronunciation of each
words.

3. Contents:
I. Introduction
II. Vocabulary
III. Conclusion
IV. References

4. I. Introduction
British people and American people can understand each
other but they do have some differences in vocabulary,
they might use different words for the same idea and also
they have very different pronunciation and accent when
speaking.

5. American British
Vacation Holiday
A vacation or holiday is a period of recreation
and fun. Some people stay at home and rest and
other spent time away from home or traveling.
For example:
We are going on vacation in one week.
For our last holiday, we went to the beach.

6. American British
Fries Chips
Fries or chips are pieces of potatoes sliced in
different shapes. They can be fried, baked or
dried. They are usually eaten as a snack.
For example:
Fries are usually eaten with hamburgers.
We love to eat chips when we have friends over.

7. American British
Elevator Lift
An elevator or lift is a platform that is used in
different buildings to help people or things
move to different floors or levels.
For example:
This elevator is out of service, we have to take
the stairs.
The lift is the best way to go to the last floor of
this building.

8. American British
Gas Petrol
It is a light fuel oil that we obtain from the distilled
petroleum. This is used in internal combustion
engines like vehicles.
For example:
My car need some gas or it will break down in the
middle of the road.
The machines in different companies also use petrol
for their function.

9. American British
Apartment Flat
An apartment is a very small house of one floor
that you can find in a large building. This
building contains different apartments.
For example:
I just bought a three room and two bathroom
apartment, on the sixth floor.
My friends and I spent all weekend in my new
flat.

10. American British
Garbage Rubbish
wasted or spoiled food and other things that are of no
use in the household.
For example:
My husband take out the garbage every night.
There is a lot of rubbish in the house, we need to
clean.

11. American British
Sweater Jumper
a garment typically with long sleeves, worn over
the upper body. We use it mostly when in a cold
environment.
For example:
Here in Cuautitlan Izcalli, we use sweaters in
December because it is so cold.
I want to buy a jumper with beautiful patterns like
flowers or butterflies.

12. American British
Sidewalk Pavement
a paved path for pedestrians at the side of a road.
For example:
Kids have to walk on the pavement so they do not
get hit by a car.
The sidewalk is important for pedestrians.

13. American British
Fall Autumn
The third season of the year, when crops and
fruits are gathered and leaves fall. During this
season, the leaves turn orange going to red.
For example:
I love Autumn because the streets are colorful
with all those orange leaves on the floor.
Fall is my favorite season of the year.

14. American British
Pants Trouser
A piece of underwear covering the area
between the waist and the tops of the leg.
For example:
Today, I have to go and buy new pants. I want
green ones.
Those trousers are too big for me. I need a
smaller size.

15. American British
Sneakers Trainers
a soft shoe with a rubber sole worn for sports or
casual occasions.
For example:
I need new sneakers to run 2 miles every day.
This trainers are trendy, every one has them in
different colors.

16. American British
Soccer Football
A game played by two teams of eleven players
with a round ball that may not be touched with the
hands or arms during the game. The purpose of
the game is to score goals by kicking or heading
the ball into the opponents' goal.
For example:
I don’t like soccer, I only see people running after
a ball.
Football is one of the biggest sports in the world.

17. American British
Cell phone Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a wireless handheld device that
allows users to make and receive calls and to send
text messages, among other features.
For example:
People use their mobile phone for everything, to call
someone, to play games, to watch movies and to
listen to music.
This new cell phone has all the features that I
needed.

18. American British
Store Shop
a building or part of a building where
goods or services are sold.
For example:
I need to go to the store and get some
milk.
This new clothing shop is amazing, they
have a lot of trendy clothes.

19. American British
Line Queue
a line or sequence of people or vehicles
awaiting their turn to be attended to or to
proceed.
For example:
Yesterday, we went to a concert and the
queue was so long that it took us 30 minutes
to get into the stadium.
The line at the bank was empty, it took me 5
minutes to do the transaction.

20. American British
Stove Cooker
A stove or cooker is used for cooking or
heating. It operates with fuel or electricity.
For example:
My stove is too small, I have to cook one meal
at a time.
This cooker is very big, we can cook the food
for the party very quickly.

21. American British
Truck Lorry
A truck or lorry is a big vehicle that can be
used to transport many things such as good,
furniture and even cars.
For example:
I moved houses i needed a big truck to help
me with my things.
There was a lorry in the middle of the road, it
crashed into a tree.

22. American British
Check Bill
A check or bill, is the piece of paper given to you after
you have bought or consumed something. It has the
amount of money you need to pay.
For example:
We ate so much at that restaurant that the bill was very
high.
“Could you give me the check, please”.

23. III. Conclusion
IV. References
- Traveller Level B1+,H.Q. Mitchell, MM Publications
To conclude this lesson, remember that the
British and the American English might be similar
relating to grammar but the pronunciation and the
spelling of some words can be different.

24. Tecnológico de Estudios
Superiores de Cuautitlán Izcalli
(TESCI)