American and British English Activity

This is a downloadable ESL classroom activity to practise some differences in American English and British English vocabulary.

Keith Taylor
Updated 4 December, 2024
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Activity to practise American and British English

Download this activity for free!

Here’s some more info about the activity:

Aim To compare British English and American English vocabulary.
Activity Students match British English words with their American English equivalents.
Organisation Pair work or group work
Preparation Make enough copies of the activity for each pair or group in your class. Cut and mix up words.
What do I do?
  1. Put students into pairs or groups.
  2. Give a copy of the cut up activity to each pair or group.
  3. Students match the British English words with their American English equivalents.
  4. Students turn all the words face down and play a memory game:
    Student A turns over two words. If they match, student A keeps the words and tries again. If they don’t match, play passes to student B. When all the words have been taken, the student with the most words wins!

apartment | flat
garbage | rubbish
candy | sweets
cookie | biscuit
elevator | lift
yard | garden
pants | trousers
gas | petrol
truck | lorry

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