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US English
bank holiday3   public holiday
basin   *sink
big wheel   Ferris wheel
biscuits   cookies
bonnet   hood
boot   trunk
braces   suspenders
candyfloss   cotton candy
car park   parking lot
chest (set) of drawers   bureau
chips   French fries
cinema   movie theater
crisps   chips
crossroads   intersection
current account   checking account
curtains   drapes
drawing-pin   thumbtack
drink-driving   drunk driving
dummy   pacifier
dustbin   trashcan
engaged   busy
film   movie
fish fingers   fish sticks
flannel   washcloth
flat   apartment
flu   grippe
frying-pan   skillet
funfair   carnival
garden   yard
ground floor   first floor
handbag   purse
holiday   vacation
hoover   vacuum cleaner
jam   jelly
jug   pitcher
jumper   sweater
kerb   curb
ladder   run
last post   taps
lift   elevator
lorry   truck
mackintosh   slicker
main road   highway
minced beef   ground beef
motorway   freeway / turnpike
nail varnish   nail polish
nappies   diapers
page   bellboy
pants   panties
pavement   sidewalk
petrol   gas
plait   braid
plaster   band-aid
porridge   oatmeal
postcode   zip code
pram   baby buggy
public school   private school
pupil   student
removal van   moving van
! rubber !   eraser
rubbish   garbage
rucksack   knapsack
saloon car   sedan
school report   report card
Sellotape   Scotch tape
shares   stocks
spare time   free time
spring onion   scallion
!suspenders (used
to hold up ladies
stockings)
  garters
tap   faucet
tights   panty hose
tin   can
toffee apple   candy apple
toilet   bathroom
torch   flashlight
tram   streetcar
trolley car
trousers   !pants
vest   undershirt
washing powder   detergent
washing up liquid   dishwashing liquid
wellies / wellingtons   rubber boots
windscreen   windshield
yard2   yard
zip   zipper
 
US
 
Union Jack
US English
A-Z
 
British English
apartment   flat
baby buggy   pram
band-aid   plaster
bathroom   toilet
bellboy   page
braid   plait
bureau   office
busy   engaged
can   tin
candy apple   toffee apple
carnival   funfair
checking account   current account
chips   crisps
cookies   biscuits
cotton candy   candyfloss
curb   kerb
detergent   washing powder
diapers   nappies
dishwashing liquid   washing up liquid
drapes   curtains
drunk driving   drink-driving
elevator   lift
eraser   !rubber
faucet   tap
Ferris wheel   big wheel
fish sticks   fish fingers
flashlight   torch
free time   spare time
freeway / turnpike   motorway
French fries   chips
garbage   rubbish
garters   !suspenders
gas   petrol
grippe   flu
ground beef   minced beef
first floor   ground floor
highway   main road
hood   bonnet
intersection   crossroads
jelly   jam
knapsack   rucksack
motorway exit   ramp
movie   film
movie theater   cinema
moving van   removal van
nail polish   nail varnish
oatmeal   porridge
pacifier   dummy
!pants   knickers
panty hose   tights
parking lot   car park
pitcher   jug
private school   public school
public holiday   bank holiday3
purse   handbag
ramp1
  slip road
report card   school report
! rubber !   condom
rubber boots   wellies / wellingtons
run   ladder
scallion   spring onion
Scotch tape   Sellotape
sedan   saloon car
sidewalk   pavement
*sink   basin
skillet   frying-pan
slicker   mackintosh
stocks   shares
streetcar   tram
student   pupil
!suspenders   braces
sweater   jumper
taps   last post
thumbtack   drawing-pin
toilet   !toilet (but the loo not the room)
trashcan   dustbin
trolley car   tram
truck   lorry
trunk   boot
undershirt   vest
vacation   holiday
vacuum cleaner   hoover
washcloth   flannel
windshield   windscreen
yard   garden
zip code   postcode
zipper   zip

1 - When used to talk about roads and motorways. Someone I know took over 4 hours to complete a 25 minute drive, because he didn't know what his sat nav system meant when it said "Take the ramp".

2 - When a Brit hears the word "yard" in connection with houses, we think of a concrete area, usually full of building materials, or work tools.

3 - Bank holidays have to follow certain rules, otherwise they are also known as public holidays in the UK. You can read more about what makes a bank holiday here in the British Culture section.

Another huge difference that causes great confusion is writing the date. When you write the date in numbers British and American English differ. To write the date 7th of September 2007 a Brit would write dd/mm/yy (07/09/07) and an American would write mm/dd/yy (09/07/07). This often causes great confusion. It's better to write the date in full (7th September 2007 or September 7th 2007). It also looks nicer.

Spelling - some spellings in AmE are different to BrE. Here are a couple:-

ise vs ize
! - watch out! These words could prove embarassing.
!Note - *if the sink is in the kitchen - it's a sink, but if it's in the bathroom it's a basin.
Do you know any more? Let me know on the forum.
Click here for a collection of common mistakes and their explanation.
Click here for more mistakes
Click here for a collection of real horror mistakes made by some of the best known companies in the world.
Click here for a collection of medical howlers.

(Thanks to Hermine and Naveen for a couple of additions on the forum and to Stuart from the English club for admitting his error.)