British vs American English: What Is Really Different?

British and American English are the same language. A British person and an American can talk for hours without problems. The differences are mostly a few hundred words, some spellings and the accent. You do not need to learn two languages, only to know the main differences.

Vocabulary

Some common things have different names:

• lift (British) / elevator (American)
• flat / apartment
• biscuit / cookie
• crisps / chips
• lorry / truck
• holiday / vacation
• rubbish / trash
• chemist / pharmacy

People understand both, because American films and British shows are known everywhere. Use the word you learned and you will be understood.

Spelling

American spelling is often shorter: colour / color, centre / center, travelling / traveling, organise / organize. Choose one style and use it consistently in the same piece of writing. That is more important than which one you choose.

Pronunciation

The biggest difference is the sound. Many British accents do not pronounce the "r" at the end of a word, while American English usually does: "car" and "better" sound different. Both have many regional accents inside them, so there is no single "correct" British or American voice.

Small grammar differences

British English uses the present perfect more: "I've just eaten", where an American might say "I just ate". British speakers say "at the weekend", Americans say "on the weekend". These differences are small and both are correct.

Which one should you learn?

Choose the one that matches your goals: the exam you will take, the country you will live in, or the speakers you meet most. If you have no strong reason, choose the one you enjoy listening to, because you will practise more. Pinglingo teaches British English, with British audio for every word and sentence, and you will understand American English too.

Hear British English for yourself in the minimal pairs game or the dictation game. Explore the English games →