American English: What Everyday Things Are Called in the US
You can speak fluent English and still draw a blank in an American store. Ask for the toilet, the till, or a packet of crisps and you may get a puzzled look, because the words for everyday things often change completely on this side of the Atlantic. Here is a starter glossary to get you through the first few weeks.
The grammar is the same, but a surprising amount of daily vocabulary is different. The tables below pair the word you probably grew up with (UK, South African, or Australian) against the American English version you will hear and see on signs, menus, and product labels. South African and Australian English mostly follow the UK term, so where they differ we have called it out.
Food and groceries
The grocery store (not the supermarket aisle alone) is where the gaps show up fastest, especially with fresh produce and snacks. A few of these can genuinely change what lands in your basket.
| What you might say (UK / SA / AU) | American English |
|---|---|
| Coriander (the leaf) | Cilantro |
| Aubergine | Eggplant |
| Courgette | Zucchini |
| Rocket | Arugula |
| Fizzy drink / cooldrink (SA) | Soda (or pop, in the Midwest) |
| Takeaway | Takeout (or to go) |
| Biscuit (sweet) | Cookie |
| Chips (hot) | Fries |
| Crisps | Chips |
| Sweets / lollies (AU) | Candy |
| Starter | Appetizer |
On the road and the car
Driving vocabulary is worth learning early, both for buying a car and for understanding directions. South African drivers in particular should note the famous one: a "robot" is a traffic light here, and nobody will know what you mean.
| What you might say (UK / SA / AU) | American English |
|---|---|
| Petrol | Gas (or gasoline) |
| Boot | Trunk |
| Bonnet | Hood |
| Windscreen | Windshield |
| Motorway | Highway / freeway / interstate |
| Indicator | Blinker (or turn signal) |
| Robot (SA) | Traffic light (or stoplight) |
| Gearbox | Transmission |
| Car park | Parking lot |
| Pavement | Sidewalk |
Around the house and daily life
These come up constantly: in apartment listings, in shops, and in conversation. Getting them right helps you sound at home and, more practically, find what you need.
| What you might say (UK / SA / AU) | American English |
|---|---|
| Flat | Apartment |
| Tap | Faucet |
| Rubbish / bin | Trash / garbage (can) |
| Lift | Elevator |
| Queue | Line |
| Nappy | Diaper |
| Torch | Flashlight |
| Toilet / loo | Restroom / bathroom |
| Cupboard (storage) | Closet |
| Ground floor | First floor |
Clothing and shopping
Clothes shopping mixes a few false friends with some outright different words. The one to memorize is "pants": in the US that means trousers, not underwear, so "I like your pants" is a compliment, not an embarrassment.
| What you might say (UK / SA / AU) | American English |
|---|---|
| Trainers / takkies (SA) | Sneakers |
| Jumper / jersey (SA) | Sweater |
| Trousers | Pants |
| Pants / underwear | Underwear (pants means trousers here) |
| Trolley | Cart (or shopping cart) |
| Till | Checkout / register |
| Vest (undershirt) | Tank top / undershirt |
| Wellies / gumboots (SA) | Rain boots |
One more thing: regional variation
America is big, and even Americans disagree on some of these. The classic example is the fizzy drink: it is "soda" on the coasts, "pop" across much of the Midwest, and simply "Coke" (for any brand) in parts of the South. A "sub" sandwich is a "hoagie" in Philadelphia and a "grinder" in New England. So do not be thrown if the word you just learned gets a different label a few states over. People will almost always understand you anyway, and asking is part of settling in.
This list covers the words that trip up newcomers most, but it is far from everything. If you hit a term that is not here, look it up in the app's Lingo tool and get a plain explanation in seconds.