The differences between British English and American English can be endlessly fascinating. While most most of the time, small differences in pronunciation and vocabulary don’t cause confusion because of context, there is one area of the language where different vocabulary can cause some funny mix-ups between British and American English speakers. To help you out, here are five food words in that mean different things in the UK and US.
biscuit
In the UK, this is a sweet treat that Americans would call a ‘cookie’. ‘Biscuit’ in the US is a savoury dish made out of soft dough and is often served with gravy – a combination that definitely wouldn’t work with a British biscuit!
chips
If you ask for a bag of chips in the US, you will be given crispy deep-fried thin sliced potato. In the UK, ‘chips’ are a thicker version of what people in the US call ‘fries’. If you want a bag of what Americans call ‘chips’ in the UK, just ask for crisps.
sorbet / sherbet
A refreshing dessert made of frozen sweetened water with (usually fruit) flavouring. People from the UK prefer to call it ‘sorbet’, Americans prefer ‘sherbet’.
courgette / zucchini
Both of these are borrowed words but they mean the same thing. A vegetable from the squash family, usually with green skin. In the UK, people borrow the French word ‘courgette’ and in the US people borrow the word ‘zucchini’ from Italian.
fish fingers / fish sticks
Small strips of fish covered in breadcrumbs or batter, British people call them ‘fish fingers’, Americans give them the much more sensible name – ‘fish sticks’.
So, those five differences will get you started. Can you think of any more to add to the list? Use the comments section below to share any food expressions you know that mean different things in the UK and the US.
FAQs
Candy. A little packaged good for your candy craving would be called “sweets” or “sweeties” in Britain. Just don't call that Cadbury's bar a sweet: it's chocolate. Chocolate bars are their own category, but sweets can be any other confection, from fruity gummies to hard toffees.
What are words in English used differently in the UK and the US provide examples? ›
List of American vs. British English Words
| American English | British English |
|---|
| thumbtack | drawing pin |
| divided highway | dual carriageway |
| pacifier | dummy |
| trashcan | dustbin, rubbish bin |
120 more rowsWhile known for hearty dishes of stews and meats, people in England enjoy a variety of foods.
- Yorkshire Pudding. This light and airy bread is a true staple in English cuisine. ...
- Fish and Chips. ...
- English Pancakes. ...
- Shepherd's Pie. ...
- Black Pudding. ...
- Trifle. ...
- Full English Breakfast. ...
- Toad in the Hole.
Candy. A little packaged good for your candy craving would be called “sweets” or “sweeties” in Britain. Just don't call that Cadbury's bar a sweet: it's chocolate. Chocolate bars are their own category, but sweets can be any other confection, from fruity gummies to hard toffees.
What do British call different foods? ›
Food
| British English | American English |
|---|
| Scone | Biscuit |
| Fairy Cake | Cup Cake |
| Courgette | Zucchini |
| Sweets | Candy |
35 more rowsgarbage (American) vs. rubbish (British) cookie (American) vs. biscuit (British) green thumb (American) vs. green fingers (British) parking lot (American) vs. car park (British)
Why are some words different in American and British English? ›
Some British English words come from French roots, while American English finds its words from other places, e.g. AmE eggplant and zucchini are aubergine and courgette in BrE. Similarly, American English has occasionally replaced more traditional English words with their Spanish counterparts.
What are the top 5 British meals? ›
filters
- 1 Fish and Chips86%
- 2 Roast Chicken86%
- 3 Chips85%
- 4 Soup81%
- 5 English Breakfast80%
- 6 Roast Beef79%
- 7 Mashed Potatoes78%
- 8 Bangers and Mash77%
The top dishes in their rankings include:
- Fish and chips.
- Roast chicken.
- English breakfast.
- Soup.
- Bangers and mash.
- Beans, eggs and chips.
- Pigs in blankets.
Hard or crisp cookies are called biscuits in the U.K. while the chewier dessert can be identified as a cookie.
Donuts are called doughnuts in England, although some people also call them donuts. To be fair, the word “doughnut” was actually coined in New York, and the variant spelling also originated in the US, so both versions are also considered American.
What is the British word for lollipop? ›
In the U.K., a lolly is short for lollipop, a word derived from lolly, meaning tongue in an old British dialect and the word pop, which means all sweet-flavored things.
What do Brits call chips? ›
If you ask for a bag of chips in the US, you will be given crispy deep-fried thin sliced potato. In the UK, 'chips' are a thicker version of what people in the US call 'fries'. If you want a bag of what Americans call 'chips' in the UK, just ask for crisps.
What do British call crackers? ›
In British English, crackers are sometimes called water biscuits, or savoury biscuits.
What do Brits call fish and chips? ›
Fish and chips
| A standard serving of fish and chips with a wedge of lemon and garnish of parsley |
|---|
| Alternative names | Fish supper / Fish 'n' chips |
|---|
| Place of origin | England |
| Region or state | Northwestern Europe |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
3 more rows“Both also can”
| Word | British Pronunciation | American Pronunciation |
|---|
| 1. Advertisem*nt | uhd-VER-tis-muhnt | AD-ver-ties-muhnt |
| 2. Bald | bor-ld | bold |
| 3. Clique | cleek | clik |
| 4. Either | eye-thuh | ee-thuhr |
18 more rowsAug 4, 2014
The difference is most common for words ending -bre or -tre: British spellings calibre, centre, fibre, goitre, litre, lustre, manoeuvre, meagre, metre, mitre, nitre, ochre, reconnoitre, sabre, saltpetre, sepulchre, sombre, spectre, theatre (see exceptions) and titre all have -er in American spelling.
Do you know any other English words which are different in the UK the US and Australia? ›
However, there are some regular words and phrases that are completely different in all three versions of English. A schedule is a rota in the UK and a roster in Australia. We might talk about candy, but they say sweets and lollies. Sneakers in the US are known as trainers in Britain and runners in Australia.
Why is English in the United States so different from that in England? ›
Eventually, the American colonies gained independence from Great Britain and became the United States. As the US continued to grow and integrate different world cultures, the American people developed linguistic differences from their British counterparts. Phrases that already existed in British English changed.
