different words which are ‘tuxedo’ and ‘dinner-jacket’. ‘Dinner-jacket’ sounds uncommon for usbut it is actually British vocabulary of American tuxedo, they are
different words that name the same things which are mans short jacket without tails, and usually worn with matching trousers and a bow tie for formal occasions.
Other differences that also create confusion are such as British and American vest, although the word vest is use in both languages, but actually they are referred to
the different things. British vest is what American call undershirt, and what Americans mean with vest is the British waistcoat. Following are two pictures
which used to clarify the meaning between BrE vest and AmE undershirt with BrE waistcoat and AmE vest.
Graphic 4. Differences of the word ‘vest’ between BrE and AmE Picture
BrE AmE
Vest Undershirt
Waistcoat Vest
b. “Building” Vocabulary
Buildings terminology might be quite confusing in these two countries, table below will show those differences with the similar meanings.
Table 4.2 Buildings Vocabulary Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary No
British English
No American
English Meaning
6BB Shop 6BA
Store a building where you buy
things 7BB Chemist’s 7BA
PharmacyDrug Store
a shopstore
that sells
medicines, soap and other personal goods, or a place in a
hospital where medicines are prepared
8BB Flat 8BA
Apartment a group of rooms for living in,
usually on one floor of a house or big building
The nouns shop and store are used somewhat differently in American and British English. In general, Americans use store the way British use shop. Most
British shops would be called stores in the US where the noun shop is more often used to mean a small retail establishment, such as an antique shop or a gift shop.
Other differences about building vocabulary are the words chemist’s and pharmacy or drugstore, British would say go to the chemist’s, while Americans go
to a pharmacy or a drugstore, where they can buy medicines and other items such as body care products and other personal goods. Pharmacy can be a shop, part of a
shop, or part of a hospital. Pharmacy or drugstore are the usual words in American English, but in British English usually it refer to the part of a hospital that
prepares and gives out medicines as a pharmacy, but the ususal word for a shop where medicines are prepared and sold is call a chemist’s in British. Other
differences in building which are already known by these two varieties they are apartment and flat. Apartment is called in American which meant a set of rooms
for living in, while in British is called flat, which meant a set of rooms for living PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
in, including a kitchen, usually on one floor of a building, but these both words are referred to the same things.
c. “Street objects” vocabulary
Certain words are shared by British and American English such as, ‘parking meter’, ‘pedestrian’, and ‘traffic’ they are shared by the two varieties.
However, there are still some street objects that have different name between these two varieties but referred to the same thing. Table 4.3 below will show some
different noun vocabularies of ‘street objects’.
Table 4.3 Street Objects Vocabulary Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary No
British English
No American
English Meaning
9SB Pavements 9SA
Sidewalk a flat part at the side of a road for
people to walk on 10SB Flyover
10SA Overpass a bridge that carries one road over
another one
The term ‘pavement’ is BrE which mean the flat part at the side of road that people usually use to walk on. Many Americans will be confused if someone
uses the term ‘pavement’when referring to the pedestrian walkway because the alongside the street which is designated for pedestrians is called ‘sidewalk’ in
AmE. And what is British call ‘flyover’ is called ‘overpass’ in American.
d. “Sport” Vocabulary
There are also some differences in sport vocabulary. Table 4.4 below will show the differences.
