Top 10 words that are different in American and British English but mean the same thing

There is an old saying that America and Britain are ???two nations divided by a common language???.

There are more of similarities than differences in British and American English. This article will tell you about the grammatical differences between the two and will also showcase top 10 words that are different in American and British English but means the same thing.

It is very difficult to make clear distinctions between American English and British English though they may seem similar on the surface but have very different accents, punctuations, grammar, and vocabulary. This is the most common difficulty faced by the English language learners.

Vocabulary

This is the most noticeable difference between British and American English. There are hundreds of word used on a daily basis having the same meaning but their spelling is entirely different.

For example- Americans go on vacations, while Britishers go on holidays.

Collective Nouns

The grammatical difference between the two varieties of English is very few. As we know collective nouns are referred to a group of individuals.

In American English, collective nouns are singular.

For example- In American English band is referred to a group of musicians whereas in British English band means a thin, flat piece of cloth or metal or other material put around something.

Auxiliary Verb

An auxiliary verb is another grammatical difference between American English and British English. They are helping verbs and forms grammatical functions. They generally give information about the time.

For example- Britishers use shall to express future. ???I shall go home now???. Americans rarely use auxiliary verb during their conversation. They probably use ???I will go home now???.

Past Tense

There is a very small difference in the past tense between American English and British English. In American English, the past tense of learn is learned. Whereas British English has the option of learned or learnt.

Spelling

If you compare British English with American English, you will notice an extra ???U??? in British English words like armour, colour, humour etc. In American English words tends to end with –ize rather than British English which ends with –ise. Words ending with –er like theater, center etc. are reversed in British English words like theatre, centre.

Top 10 words that are different in American and British English but mean the same thing

British English	American English
*biscuit*	*cookie, cracker*
*booking*	*reservation*
*cinema*	*movie theater*
*engine*	*motor*
*film*	*movie*
*football*	*soccer*
*handbag*	*purse*
*jumper*	*sweater*
*maize*	*corn*
*sweets*	*candy*