🇬🇧🇺🇸

British vs American: 20 Words Said Differently

Same spelling, two accepted pronunciations depending which side of the Atlantic you're on.

eitherEE-ther (US) / EYE-ther (UK)

Both are correct — a genuine dialect split.

scheduleSKEJ-ool (US) / SHED-yool (UK)

The first consonant sound differs entirely.

aluminiumuh-LOO-muh-num (US: "aluminum") / al-yoo-MIN-ee-um (UK)

Different spelling too — 4 vs 5 syllables.

tomatotuh-MAY-toh (US) / tuh-MAH-toh (UK)

The classic example — literally a song lyric.

vitaminVY-tuh-min (US) / VIT-uh-min (UK)

The first vowel sound differs.

garageguh-RAHZH (US) / GA-rij (UK)

Stress falls on opposite syllables.

herbURB (US, silent H) / HURB (UK)

Americans drop the H; the British keep it.

advertisementad-ver-TYZE-ment (US) / ad-VER-tis-ment (UK)

Stress falls on a different syllable.

mobileMOH-bul (US) / MOH-byle (UK)

The ending vowel sound differs.

routeROWT or ROOT (US, both used) / ROOT (UK)

Americans use both; the British stick to "root".

leisureLEE-zher (US) / LEZH-er (UK)

The first vowel sound differs.

privacyPRY-vuh-see (US) / PRIV-uh-see (UK)

The first vowel sound differs.

addressAD-ress or uh-DRESS (US) / uh-DRESS (UK)

Americans accept both stress patterns.

fragileFRAJ-ul (US) / FRAJ-eyel (UK)

The ending vowel sound differs.

missileMISS-ul (US) / MISS-eyel (UK)

Same pattern as "fragile".

laboratoryLAB-ruh-tor-ee (US) / luh-BOR-uh-tree (UK)

Very different syllable count and stress.

clerkKLURK (US) / KLARK (UK)

The vowel sound differs entirely.

z (the letter)ZEE (US) / ZED (UK)

Not a word, but the most-argued-about letter name.

basilBAY-zul (US) / BAZ-ul (UK)

The first vowel sound differs.

dataDAY-tuh (US) / DAH-tuh (UK)

Both are heard on both sides of the Atlantic today.

More mispronounced word lists

See all 30 lists →