Differences in UK and US English Vocabulary: In the House

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Do you know the differences between UK and US English vocabulary? Practice words about the house with today's video from Spotlight!

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[crazypianocovers]

Wow I love it . You are really really awesome. I like British English who else is there who likes British English

[Melloorr]

I do not agree with most of these. Clearly written by an American.

[Sophsenn]

1:23 bureau- three drawers( or desk in French)
Wardrobe- a closet space with smaller drawers connected (one big box thing that isn’t connected to the wall)
Dresser- more like a bureau, but with smaller drawers at the tops and bigger at the bottom
Closet-a door leading to a space inside the wall/not protruding out.

[Tom-Lahaye]

I'm from Netherlands, in the northwest of England, where I often visit friends, most of these words are used, except box, they just say telly, and dustbin is simply a bin (when something is of no use anymore, they say; just bin it!).
A flat can be in a multi story building, but it can be in a single story row of apartments as well, it means a single story dwelling (a story in US english is a floor).
The English on schools in the Netherlands is usually US English, but in the past I had a teacher who thought British English.
But as said, there are many regional differences, not only in dialect, but in words used as well.
Same is true in Dutch, in some parts of the coutry they say toilet (yes the same, the word comes from French) but we use to call it WC (from water closet, which is an English word!)

[neowisecomet]

I like British English I'm studying it/saya suka Inggris Britania saya sedang mempelajarinya

[Pamela_Anzoa]

Okay I got this!!! I was born in Africa and learned British English and that’s what we usually speak in Africa!!!But right now I’m in the United is America and I mix both British English and American English together, no wonder sometimes the American people be like can u repeat what u just said, and I will remember that I’m in America so I have to differentiate between them!!!! And I speak British accent tooo

[martyjewell]

Many, many years ago in the 1970's/80's I worked for a British company located in NYC. It was the american office of "Mothercare Stores" (529 5th ave). The UK office was in Watford, Herts (I think). I learned quickly of the language differences. I actually had a guy (bloke) ask me for a rubber. I thought why in the world would he ask me for a condom? He wanted an eraser. I grew up in Brooklyn and have a strong Brooklyn accent, one coworker (workmate) had a Cockney accent. We had a heck of a time communicating. Best company I ever worked for and the nicest people. We had awesome Christmas parties at Mothercare!

[ethancarroll]

the way everyone gets British English wrong 😣

[anniiixx]

in england (well i do) say apartment and tv and elevator and loo it normally toilet

[stephenshoemate]

Some Americans call a faucet a tap, or a hydrant. A trash can might be called a garbage can, too. That bandage looked suspiciously like a (generic term) bandaid. Many of us think of a bandage as being a much larger wound dressing, with a bigger gause pad held by multiple wraps of adhesive tape of one sort or another. That 'flat' is sometimes called a block, with a flat being a single unit inside, whereas a block to me is a city area encompassed by 4 streets. My first story is the ground floor, not a flight of stairs up, too. When I lived in England, the toilet was called a wc.

[SpotlightEnglish]

Wow, thanks for all of the great comments! Obviously even people in different places of the same country call things by different names and nicknames. We've tried to highlight that there are differences. With television, movies and the internet there is a lot of terms that are used in both places.

As someone once said, "The United States and Great Britain are two countries separated by a common language!":)

Can you think of any others terms that are different?

[memethekitty]

The first time I heard the word loo I was confused and didn't know what It mean but I never question it and now I know what it meant
(It means bathroom or restroom...or toilet?)
Idk ._.

[narindersehgal]

I really liked this video bathroom one i also was knowing our teacher has told this in school and please make for party pronounciation also

[expositores]

Yanki english is used too in England as the maasiv yanki influence there in Europe.

[xannie_artxart]

A plaster is for a paper cut and a bandage is for a sprained ankle in the UK.

[nauvuvwevwevweonyetenyevwe]

I gotta know them so as to be my British English perfect

[candyfloss]

What we say in Malta (when talking in English): Flat, tap, T.V, torch, lift, bathroom, plaster/bandage, wardrobe/closet, dustbin

[imogenfaith]

For all the Americans-
England: is the country,
Britain: England Scotland Wales
UK: England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland and the iles
Surrounding us

[callumplaysgames]

Alright um, the UK doesn't call a TV a box

[katiegilbertx]

I’m British and most of these r wrong 😩😫e.g
I’ve never heard anyone in the uk say box we say tv or television
Loo is the informal way of saying it in English it’s toilet/bathroom
And tbh idk if anyone else in the uk says dust bin I just say bin 😂😂
EDIT: Don’t put any hate I’m just saying what I think