British English is the version of the English language which is used in the United Kingdom and some other countries. British English is a redundant expression because the English language comes from England, which is a part of Britain.

American English is similar to English with alterations in spellings and usage of some words.

Spelling in British English

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• American words ending in "er" often end in "re" when written in British English. Examples: center becomes centre - liter becomes litre - meter becomes metre.
• American words are less likely to contain the letter "u" than British words. Examples: color becomes colour - favor becomes favour - honor becomes honour.
• American words may not contain the "ph" sound. Example: Sulphur is the British spelling of Sulfur.
• American words may use a "z" instead of an "s". Example: colonisation is the British spelling of colonization

Vocabulary in British English

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In British English, "dock" refers to the water in the space between two "piers" or "wharfs". In American English, the "pier" or "wharf" could be called a "dock", and the water between would be a "slip".

Some simpler differences:

British - American

• flat - apartment
• to let - to rent
• garden - yard
• lift - elevator
• lorry - truck
• metro, underground, tube - subway
• pavement - sidewalk
• petrol - gas or gasoline
• football, footy - soccer
• railway - railroad
• shopping trolley - shopping cart
• tap - faucet
• trousers - pants
• jumper - sweater
• boot - trunk (of a car)
• bonnet - hood (of a car)

Dialects of English

Britisches Englisch | British English | Inglés británico | Anglais britannique | 영국 영어 | אנגלית בריטית | イギリス英語 | อังกฤษบริเตน | 英國英語