British and American Household Vocabulary Quiz

British and American household vocabulary quiz

Checking/ clarifying practice

Work in pairs with different worksheets. Take turns asking questions from your worksheet. The other person gets one point for each correct guess, and the questioner gets one point each time that the other person guesses wrongly, continuing until the other person gets the right answer or gives up (except for Yes/ No questions, for which only one guess is allowed). If the other person gives up before answering for the first time or before answering again, the questioner should just say the answer and no points are given.

Checking/ clarifying phrases presentation

After finishing the quiz, put one word into each gap. Some can go in more than one gap.

• Is “accommodation” countable ______ uncountable in British English? Uncountable.
• __________________ I check what “wash up” means in British and American English? Do the dishes in the UK and wash your hands before a meal in the USA.
• Can ___________ explain what the words “hob”, “burner” and “cooktop” all mean? The hot bits you put pans on to cook.
• Can you ________ an example of an American food processor brand? Cuisinart.
• Can you say “wardrobe” ______________________________ another way? Closet.
• Can you write _________ the American word “dryer” (meaning “tumble dryer”?)
• Clorox is a well-known brand of American washing powder. _____________ that right? No, it isn’t. (It’s a brand of bleach).
• __________ the American expression “front yard” mean “front garden”? Yes, it does.
• _______________________ can you translate “drapes” into British English? Curtains.
• How ___________________________________________________ you pronounce “M, O, R, T, G, A, G, E” (the British word for a home loan)? “More-gidge”
• How do ________ say “washing up” liquid in American English? Dishwashing liquid.
• How do you ____ “stroller” (the American word for a pushchair)? S, T, R, O, L, L, E, R.
• How many syllables are ________________________________ in “terraced house” (British English for “row house/ townhouse”)?
• How similar are a British aerial and an American antenna? They are ________ same.
• ___________________________________ a Hoover a vacuum cleaner? Yes, it is.
• Is an American tea kettle the same _____________ a teapot? No, it isn’t. It’s a kettle.
• Is there another way to ____________ the British word “rubbish”? “Trash” or “garbage”.
• Is “block of flats” British ____________________ American English? British English.
• Is “bin” __________________ right British English translation of “trashcan”? Yes, it is.
• What do the American expressions “bathroom” and “restroom” __________? Toilet.
• What is “semi” short _________________ in British English? Semi-detached house.
• What’s the difference ___________________________________________________ a British cooker and an American cooker? The American one is a person.

 

-------------------------------fold, cover or cut------------------------------

Use these mixed answers to help. Some can be used more than once.

as                                      between                           can                                    do/ does

down                                for                                      give                                   how

in                                       is                                       mean                                or

say                                    spell                                  the                                     there                                 you

 

Student A

Work in pairs with different worksheets. Take turns asking questions from your worksheet. The other person gets one point for each correct guess, and the questioner gets one point each time that the other person guesses wrongly (apart from Yes/ No questions, which can only be guessed once). If the other person gives up before answering, no one gets any points.

• Is “accommodation” countable or uncountable in British English? Uncountable. (It’s the plural word “accommodations” in American English).
• Can I check what “wash up” means in British and American English? Do the dishes in the UK and wash your hands before a meal in the USA.
• Can you explain what the words “socket” and “outlet” both mean? They are the places where you get electricity out of the wall.
• Can you give an example of an American reclining chair brand? La-Z-Boy.
• Can you say “wardrobe” in another way? Closet.
• Can you write down the American word “dryer” (meaning “tumble dryer”) for me?
• Clorox is a well-known brand of American washing powder. Is that right? No, it isn’t. (It’s a brand of bleach).
• Does the American expression “front yard” mean “front garden”? Yes, it does.
• How can you translate “drapes” into British English? Curtains.
• How do you pronounce “D, U, V, E, T” (the British word for the comforter on your bed)? “Doo-vey”
• How do you say “hot water tap” in American English? Hot water faucet.
• How do you spell “story” in “the third story of my house” in British English? S, T, O, R, E, Y.
• How many syllables are there in “terraced house” (British English for “row house/ townhouse”)? Three.
• How similar are a British aerial and an American antenna? They are the same.
• Is a Brillo Pad a scouring pad? Yes, it is.
• Is an American apartment the same as a British flat? Yes, it is.
• Is an American cot the same as a British cot? No, it isn’t. (A camp bed and a baby’s bed respectively).
• Is there another way to say the British word “rubbish”? “Trash” or “garbage”.
• Is “block of flats” British or American English? British. (It’s “apartment block” in the US).
• Is “bin” the right British English translation of “trashcan”? Yes, it is.
• What do the American expressions “bathroom” and “restroom” mean? Toilet.
• What is “dorm” short for in British and American English? Dormitory.
• What’s the difference between a British cooker and an American cooker? The American one is a person.

 

Student B

Work in pairs with different worksheets. Take turns asking questions from your worksheet. The other person gets one point for each correct guess, and the questioner gets one point each time that the other person guesses wrongly (apart from Yes/ No questions, which can only be guessed once). If the other person gives up before answering, no one gets any points.

• Is a British flannel (meaning a facecloth) countable or uncountable? Countable.
• Can I check what “third floor” means in British and American English? The third floor above the ground in British English and the second floor above the ground in American English.
• Can you explain what the words “hob”, “burner” and “cooktop” all mean? The hot bits you put pans on to cook.
• Can you give an example of an American food processor brand? Cuisinart.
• Can you say “washer” in a different way? Washing machine.
• Can you write down the British expression “electric razor” (meaning “electric shaver”)?
• Dumpster is a well-known American brand of skip? Is that right? Yes, it is.
• Does the American expression “easy chair” mean “armchair”? Yes, it does.
• How can you translate “clothes peg” into American English? Clothes pin.
• How do you pronounce “M, O, R, T, G, A, G, E” (the British word for a home loan)? “More-gidge”
• How do you say “washing up” liquid in American English? Dishwashing liquid
• How do you spell “stroller” (the American word for a pushchair)? S, T, R, O, L, L, E, R.
• How many syllables are there in “chest of drawers” (British English for “bureau” or “dresser”)? Three.
• How similar are the British and American meanings of “hamper”? They are quite different (a picnic basket in the UK and a laundry basket in the USA).
• Is a Hoover a vacuum cleaner? Yes, it is.
• Is an American tea kettle the same as a teapot? No, it isn’t. (It’s a kettle.)
• Is a British pram the same as an American baby carriage? Yes, it is.
• Is there another way to say the British action “lay the table”? Set the table.
• Is “kitchen roll” British or American English? British English. (It’s “paper towel” in the US).
• Is “saucepan” the right British English translation of “dishpan”? No, it isn’t. (The right British English translation of “dishpan” is “washing up bowl”).
• What does the American expression “front walk” mean? Garden path.
• What is “semi” short for in British English? Semi-detached house. (It’s a “semi-trailer truck” in American English).
• What’s the difference in meaning between a tea towel and a dish towel? There is no difference.

 

First of all without looking above, match the British and American words with the same meaning in each section below:

accommodation                                                                                    antenna

socket                                                                                                     closet

wardrobe                                                                                               drapes

front garden                                                                                           …faucet

curtains                                                                                    outlet

hot water tap                                                                                         row…/ town…

terraced house                                                                       …s

aerial                                                                                                      trash/ garbage

rubbish                                                                                     yard

 

block of flats                                                                                          apartment block

bin                                                                                                           bathroom/ restroom     

toilet                                                                                                        burner/ cooktop

flannel                                                                                                    dishwashing… 

hob                                                                                                         facecloth          

washing machine                                                                                 home loan                     

clothes peg                                                                                            … pin

mortgage                                                                                               trashcan

washing up liquid                                                                                 washer

 

pushchair                                                                                               baby carriage  

chest of drawers                                                                                   bureau/ dresser

hoover                                                                                      dish…                              

pram                                                                                                       dishpan

lay the table                                                                                          front walk                       

washing up bowl                                                                                  paper towel

kitchen roll                                                                                             set…

garden path                                                                                           stroller

tea towel                                                                                                vacuum cleaner

 

Check above.

Try to remember the two meanings of each expression below, the check above.

• wash up
• cot
• cooker
• third floor
• hamper
• semi

Make at least one checking/ clarifying question from each key word below. Many phrases not above are also possible.

check

 

difference/ different

 

example

 

explain

 

how

 

is

 

mean

 

or

 

pronounce/ pronunciation

 

right

 

same

 

say

 

short

 

similar

 

spell

 

syllables

 

translate/ translation

 

way

 

write

 

Check above. Many other suitable phrases are possible (including with the same key words), so please check if you wrote something different.

Ask similar questions about spelling etc to each other, starting with household vocabulary if you can, but including any vocabulary you like if you run out of household questions.