Common Translations

One of the things we have noticed, living in both the United States and in Britain, is, that although we share the same language, there are many instances where things are known by different names, spelled or pronounced differently. This can, of course, lead to a great deal of confusion, misunderstanding and embarrassment.

We have therefore put together the following list of common translations of words and phrases…

Words

United States – Britain

Cab – Taxi
Car Fender – Bumper
Car Hood – Bonnet
Car Trunk – Boot
Cell Phone – Mobile Phone
Cigarette – Fag
Cigarette Butt – Dog End
Cops – Police or Bobbies
Creek – Stream/River
Divided Highway – Dual Carriageway
Drunk – Pissed
Duplex Housing – Semi Detached
Eraser – Rubber
Faucet – Tap
Interstate – Motorway
Gas – Petrol
Gas Station – Petrol Station
Lawyer – Solicitor
Main Street – High or Fore Street
Parking Lot – Car Park
Pavement – Road
Rail Road – Railway
Rest Area – Service Area
Restroom – Loo or Toilets
Sedan – Saloon
Sidewalk – Pavement
Single Story House – Bungalow
Station Wagon – Estate Car
Television – Telly or The Box
Townhouse – Terrace House
Tour Bus – Coach

Truck – Lorry

Phrases

United States – Britain

Good Morning – Just use ‘Morning’
Good Afternoon – Just use ‘Afternoon’
Good Evening – Just use ‘Evening’

How Are You Doing – ‘All Right Then?’… ‘All Right Mate?’… or just use ‘Right’

Try not to use phrases like ‘Have A Nice Day.’

The above are some of the most common differences that you will encounter as far as the use of English is concerned during your stay in Britain. There are, however, many more and we will try to add to them as we come across them.

Regional Dialects

If you plan to travel around Britain you will encounter many regional dialects, words and phrases, especially if you visit places like Cornwall, Wales, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Scotland. The most difficult accents to understand, in my opinion, are those around Newcastle and Glasgow. London also has its own particular brand of phraseology and accent, particularly in the East End, known as Cockney. You may be familiar with this if you ever watch the British TV Soap, “Eastenders,” which is sometimes shown on the Public Broadcast Network, or if you have ever seen “My Fair Lady.” In the main, people in the south speak with either what is known as a BBC accent, or a local accent common to the county in which they live. The local accents of the south of England are not too difficult to understand.

Pronunciations

Another language difference you will encounter is the different pronunciation of the same words. Some examples are ‘route,’ which is pronounced as ‘roote,’ ‘vitamin,’ which is pronounced as ‘vit (as in zit) -amin,’ and not as ‘vite-amin,’ ‘tomato,’ which is pronounced as ‘toe-mah-toe,’ ‘garage,’ which is pronounced as ‘gare-ridge’ and ‘yogurt,’ which is pronounced as ‘yawg-gurt’ and not ‘yoe-gurt.’ The letter ‘Z’ is pronounced ‘zed’ and not ‘zee.’

Spellings

Some words are also spelt differently, ‘color’ being ‘colour,’ ‘humor’ being ‘humour,’ ‘neighbor being

‘neighbour,’  ‘center’ being ‘centre,’ ‘check’ (as in bank check) being ‘cheque.’