America and Britain are said to be two countries separated by a common language. Ironic, right? Although we both technically speak the same language, there are so many alternative spellings, terms and whole words all together that we are sometimes left trying to bridge the cultural and language divide.

If you're spending time in either country, here's a list of some helpful alternative vocab to help you communicate more clearly.

British vs. American

Food and Drink:
Jam...............Jelly

Jelly...............Jello

Mince ...........Ground meat/ hamburger

Crisps ..........Potato chips

Chips...........French Fries

Biscuit.........Cookie

Pudding.......Dessert

Rocket.........Arugula

Courgette....Zucchini

Capsicum....Pepper

Coriander....Cilantro

Gherkin.......Pickle

Hob.............Stove, stovetop

Serviette.....Napkin

Clothing:

Frock..........Dress

Jumper.......Sweater

Vest...........Undershirt

Waistcoat....Vest

Trainers....Sneakers, tennis shoes, gym shoes

Trousers....Pants

Pants.........Underwear

Around Town:

Chemist's..Pharmacy, drug store

Flat...........Apartment

Queue......Line

Cashpoint machine....ATM

First floor.....The lift always starts on the ground floor and goes up to the first floor then the second floor.

Mobile.....Cell phone

Note........Paper money

WC..........Short for water closet and means the loo, toilet or restroom.

Bathroom....Literally, the bath room. Does not have a toilet.

Bobby......Policeman.

Odds and Ends

Dodgy.....Tricky, chancy

Dummy....Pacifier (for a baby)

Football....Soccer (Brits call this American Football)

Full stop....Period (punctuation)

Rubber......Eraser (not condom!)

Torch.........Flashlight

Boot..........Trunk

Lorry.........Truck

Zebra Crossing....crosswalk, pedestrian crossing

Fortnight....Two weeks

Barrister.....Attorney

Anti-clockwise....Counter-clockwise

Elastoplast (plaster)....Band aids

Fag..........Cigarette

There are also a number of spelling differences between American English and British English words, the most common of which are:

Words ending in -or (American) -our (British) color, colour, humor, humour, flavor, flavour, etc.
Words ending in -ize (American) -ise (British) recognize, recognise, patronize, patronise, etc.

If you've got the slang down, but still can't figure out how far 3 kilometers is? http://metricconversioncharts.org/

Now, go forth and annoy all your friends for the day by talking with a bad accent whenever you answer your mobile!

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