131 British English Words That Can Be Confusing to American Speakers

Some of them look like American English words but mean something completely different. Examples include pissed, dishy, homely, jumper, mooch, and others.

Originally published in Counter Arts on Medium on June 4, 2024

According to the current edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, there are 171,476 words in use today, along with 47,156 archaic ones, which seems enormous, until you consider that idioms and other various expressions also require a dictionary.

But this article will be only about words, and common words at that — mostly simple and compound nouns, along with a few verbs and adjectives.

I’ve spent a good portion of my time on earth so far learning English, so this should be fun.

The list below is one with regulars in British English that often puzzle American speakers. Some of these words may be familiar to you, while others may still be opaque, especially if you read paperbacks and don’t have the option of using the dictionary on the spot, as I often do on my Kindle — though sometimes with limited results, as it will define an adjective by referring to the noun, for instance, and then you wouldn’t have an easy way to see the definition for the noun. Or you would encounter a word with different meanings and it will offer definitions only for the first dictionary entry.

So anyway, let’s do this. I’ve included some of the better-known ones too — but only if they could be confusing — for those who have just gotten started on British English / American English differences. I’ll keep it PG.

British English / American English

Alice band / hair band

aerial / antenna, as in a TV antenna

aubergine / eggplant

banknote / bill, as in paper money

banger / sausage, as in bangers and mash; also: something that’s very good

banjaxed / ruined, broken down; in Irish slang, also: tired

bap, burger bap / soft burger bun made with lard or butter

big dipper / roller coaster

biscuit / (various types of) sweet cracker, cookie

blowsy / frowsy

bobby / police officer, cop

bonnet / hood of a car

boot / trunk of a car

bottom drawer / hope chest

bridge roll / hot dog bun

brolly / umbrella

bloke / a man

bum / bottocks

butty (as in a bacon butty) / sandwich

candy floss / cotton candy

capsicum / bell pepper

caravan / trailer, as in a mobile home that can be towed by a car

carriageway / one of the two sides of a highway, where traffic moves in the same direction; also part of the road used by vehicles

catapult / slingshot

chap / a man, used in a friendly way (old-fashioned)

cheesed off / fed up, annoyed; disappointed; bored

Cheerio! / Goodbye!

chicory / endive

chinwag / nice conversation with a friend or friendly acquaintance

chips / French fries

chuffed / very pleased, happy

collywobbles / feeling of nerves in the stomach; also: stomachache

cornflour / cornstarch

cotton wool / absorbent cotton

court shoe / pump

cow gum / rubber cement

cracking / excellent (of both things and people); used by itself or in the phrase cracking good

cream cracker / savory cracker, similar to saltines, but made with fermented dough

crisps / chips

cuppa / cup of tea

daft / silly, foolish, often in a way that amuses; insane, crazy; Scot.: merry, playful. Often used in the phrase a bit daft.

diary / planner, calendar

dishy / physically attractive

dodgy / questionable, seemingly dishonest; evasively tricky; risky. 2. Not working well, likely to break or cause problems, as in a dodgy knee

dosh / money

draughts / checkers

drawing pin / tack

dummy / pacifier (and other meanings)

estate, or estate car / station wagon

face flannel / washcloth

to fancy / to be attracted to a person

fag / cigarette

fish slice / slotted spatula

form / a grade in a school (and other meanings)

fortnight / two weeks

fringe / bangs

fusspot / fussbudget, fault-finding person who often attaches undue importance to small things

geezer / a man, without the disparaging connotation of a strange, unreasonable old man

geyser [ˈgi:zə(r)] / (gas) water heater

goon / stupid or silly person

goose pimples / goosebumps

gormless / stupid

gymkhana / a day event with horse-riding competitions, usually for children

hair slide / barrette and other hair clips

hire purchase / installment plan

homely / simple and pleasant, vs. the American word, which can mean both “simple and unaffected” and “plain and unattractive”

Hoover (TM) / vacuum cleaner; and to hoover / to vacuum

interval / intermission

J-cloth (TM) / a type of absorbent cloth for wiping surfaces

juggernaut / a very large truck, e.g. an 18-wheeler

jumper / pullover, sweater

knackered / exhausted, extremely tired

jam sandwich, jam butty / police car

jar / a glass of beer, a pint (also other meanings)

larder / pantry

loo / toilet

lorry / truck

mackintosh, mac / raincoat

manky / unpleasantly dirty, filthy — and often old and much-used; of inferior quality, worthless; in bad taste

minger / unattractive person

marrow / a type of long summer squash with dark green skin

mince pie / Christmas pie filled with mincemeat

mincemeat / a pie mix of dried fruit (such as currants and raisins), sugar, spirits, spices, suet, etc.; also: minced (ground) meat

minted / super rich

mooch / to stroll aimlessly and at a leisurely pace; to loiter about not doing much

mug / a stupid person, one that is easy to fool (as well as a person’s face and other meanings, but not so much “thug” as in the US) — to be mugged, to be made to look like a fool

muppet / a fool, a stupid person

muzzy / having a fuzzy head, unable to think clearly — from the basic meaning of indistinct or hazy

naff / tacky, in poor style or taste, of poor quality

nappy / diaper

narky / easily irritated, having an ill temper

nervy / nervous, anxious, jittery, fidgety, jumpy (and other meanings)

off-licence (a.k.a. offy)/ liquor store. The off in off-licence indicates that you can’t drink on the premises.

pants / underpants, underwear; also rubbish, as in “not of good quality”

pavement / sidewalk, not top of a paved road

pillar box / mail box (as in those red ones)

pissed / drunk

plait / braid

plimsolls / canvas tennis shoes

porter / doorman (and other meanings)

pram / baby carriage

public school (in England and Wales) / private school, often a boarding school as well — and public school is called state school in England and Wales

pudding / dessert

pukka / of excellent quality; also (old-fashioned): a genuine article or something suitable

pushchair / stroller

quay [ki:] / wharf, pier

quid, pl. quid / pound, as in the money unit

saloon / sedan

Sellotape (TM) / Scotch (TM) tape

semolina / cream of wheat

sideboards / sideburns

singlet / tank top

skint / broke, having no money

slosh / hit (someone) hard

smalls / underwear

solid / difficult work, or difficult or resilient person (also other meanings)

stone, pl. stone / weight unit measuring 14 pounds

stone / pit of a fruit (and other meanings)

sultana / golden raisin

surgery / doctor’s, dentist’s, or vet’s office

Ta! / Thank you!

tiddly / slightly drunk

tip, rubbish tip / dump

toboggan / sled

torch / flashlight

tosh / nonsense

trainers / sneakers

tram / streetcar

trolley / shopping cart; also drinks or tea cart

trug / shallow, boat-shaped (trog) basket made of strips of wood

vest / undershirt, but also used in bullet-proof vest and running vest

waistcoat / vest, as in a vest with buttons and no arms, worn over a shirt

to wash up / to do the dishes; to get washed up: to wash one’s face and hands

I could go on, but I meant this as a 101 list, and I already went past that, even as I excluded many easier-to-parse words like footy for soccer, chemist’s for drugstore, or box room for storeroom.

I hope you’ve enjoyed browsing these potentially confusing British English words!

I would love to know which words appealed to you the most! I’d also love to hear from you about common and confusing (PG) words I may have missed.

I’ll be back with confusing British English expressions, including some Cockney rhyming slang! British English is a rich variety of English and I’ve spent a significant amount of time over the past three decades looking up such words and phrases in dictionaries and online, so it would be my pleasure to draft a list or several of fun, puzzling idioms and other phrases, along with some examples as to how they may be used.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you’ve had fun!

To a happier, healthier life,

Mira