About this quiz

British and American English share most of their words, but plenty of everyday things go by different names on each side of the Atlantic. This quiz gives you twenty word pairs, from courgette and zucchini to boot and trunk, and asks you to find the matching word.

Each answer explains a little about the difference, and some of the origins are surprising. It's a fun test whether you're British, American or somewhere in between.

Answers explained

Show the answers (spoilers)

  1. Americans say “zucchini”. What do Brits call it?

    Courgette. Courgette comes from French. Zucchini comes from Italian.

  2. Brits say “pavement”. What do Americans call it?

    Sidewalk. In the US, “pavement” usually means the surface of the road itself.

  3. A “faucet” in the US is a what in the UK?

    Tap. Americans do say “tap water”, though, and “on tap” for beer.

  4. Americans say “eggplant”. What do Brits call it?

    Aubergine. Early eggplants grown in Europe were small, white and shaped like eggs.

  5. Brits say “biscuit”. What do Americans call it?

    Cookie. An American biscuit is closer to a British scone, often served with gravy.

  6. The “trunk” of an American car is the what in the UK?

    Boot. And the US “hood” is the UK “bonnet”.

  7. Brits say “nappy”. What do Americans call it?

    Diaper. Nappy is short for napkin.

  8. Brits say “flat”. What do Americans usually call it?

    Apartment. Flat comes from an old word for a floor, because a flat takes up one level of a building.

  9. Americans call the season “fall”. What do Brits call it?

    Autumn. “Fall” was used in England first, from “the fall of the leaf”, before it crossed the Atlantic.

  10. Americans call the leafy herb “cilantro”. What do Brits call it?

    Coriander. In the US, “coriander” usually means the dried seeds of the same plant.

  11. Brits say “lorry”. What do Americans call it?

    Truck. A big lorry with a trailer is an “articulated lorry” in the UK and a “semi” in the US.

  12. Americans say “trash can”. What do Brits call it?

    Bin. A British “skip” is a big open container for building rubbish, which Americans call a dumpster.

  13. Brits say “crisps”. What do Americans call them?

    Chips. And what Brits call “chips”, Americans call “fries”.

  14. Americans say “elevator”. What do Brits call it?

    Lift. Americans still say “lift” for a ski lift or a ride in someone’s car.

  15. Brits say “jumper”. What do Americans call it?

    Sweater. In the US, a “jumper” is a sleeveless dress worn over a top, which Brits call a pinafore.

  16. Americans fill their cars with “gas”. What do Brits fill them with?

    Petrol. “Gas” is short for gasoline.

  17. Brits stand in a “queue”. What do Americans stand in?

    A line. “Queue” comes from the French word for a tail.

  18. Americans say “candy”. What do Brits say?

    Sweets. In Australia, people often call them “lollies”.

  19. Brits go on “holiday”. What do Americans go on?

    Vacation. In the US, a “holiday” usually means a public holiday like Thanksgiving.

  20. Americans say “cell phone”. What do Brits usually say?

    Mobile. “Cell” refers to the network of small areas, or cells, that each phone mast covers.