| UK | US | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aubergine | Eggplant | |
| Bacon | Back bacon | Almost impossible to find in the US. "Canadian bacon" is somewhat similar. |
| Beef Mince | Ground Beef | Same for other meat types. |
| Beetroot | Beet | |
| Biscuit | Cookie | Cookie in the US is much more general than in the UK, covering pretty much anything you might call a biscuit. |
| ? | Biscuit | A scone-like savoury quickbread, commonly used as a side dish at breakfast. |
| Candyfloss | Cotton candy | |
| Caster sugar | Superfine sugar | |
| Chickpeas | Garbanzo beans | Chickpeas also sometimes used in the US. |
| Chips | French/Steak fries | French fries are thin; steak fries are thick. |
| Chocolate bar | Candy bar | |
| Coriander | Cilantro | But you might find the spice version still called coriander. |
| Cornflour | Cornstarch | There's also a "cornflour" in the US, but it's not what you're looking for. |
| Courgette | Zucchini | |
| Crisps | Chips | The US also seems to have only 4ish flavours, too. |
| Double cream | Heavy (whipping) cream | |
| Egg mayonnaise | Egg salad | |
| Gelatine leaves | Gelatin powder | 6 leaves = 7g of powder (one standard sachet). You'll also need to pre-soak the powder first and dissolve it. |
| ? | Half-and-half | Half milk, half light cream. Do not confuse with semi-skimmed milk. |
| Ice Lolly | Popsicle | |
| Icing | Frosting | |
| Icing sugar | Powdered/Confectioner's sugar | |
| Jam | Jelly | |
| Jelly | Jello | |
| Macaroni cheese | Mac and cheese | |
| Mangetout | Snow pea | |
| Mixed spice | Baking spice | Or maybe even pumpkin spice. |
| (Red, yellow, green) Pepper | Bell pepper | |
| Porridge | (Cooked) Oatmeal | |
| Prawn | Small shrimp | Don't even ask about prawn cocktail crisps. |
| Profiterole | Cream puff | Also called profiterole in the US. |
| Rapeseed oil | Canola oil | Can sound very bad out of context in the US. |
| Rocket | Arugula | |
| Semi-skimmed milk | Reduced fat (2%) milk | The US also has a 1% fat milk for which there is no traditional UK equivalent. |
| Plain Flour | All-purpose flour | |
| Self-raising flour | 150g plain flour + 2tsp baking powder | You can find "self-rising flour" in the US but it has extra salt compared to the UK one, so try to avoid. |
| Single cream | Light cream | |
| Spring onions | Green onions | Or maybe scallions. |
| Streaky bacon | Bacon | The overwhelmingly dominant kind in the US. |
| Sweets | Candy | |
| Treacle | Molasses | |
| Tomato sauce | Ketchup | Ketchup is used in the UK too. |
| Watercress | Alfalfa sprouts | |
| White sauce | Gravy | Gravy in the US is a more general term for anything gloopy you pour on food. |
Notes:
- In the US an entree is a main course. In the UK, an entree is a starter.
- UK Cheddar cheese and US Cheddar cheese are quite different in flavour.
- In the US veggie is usually short for vegetable, rather than vegetarian.
| UK | US | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cider | Hard cider | Alcoholic, fermented apple juice. |
| Apple juice (unfiltered) | Cider | Non-alcoholic, often spiced. |
| Cafetiere | French press | |
| Filter coffee | Drip coffee | |
| ID'ed | Carded | When you get your ID checked buying alcohol. |
| Lemonade | Sprite | Sprite seems to be a generic enough term that you'll get what you want even if it's not actually Sprite. |
| Off-licence | Liquor store | |
| Predrinking | Pregaming | |
| Stag / hen night | Bachelor / bachelorette party | |
| Strong beer | Malt Liquor | Usually 6% or above. |
| Traditional Lemonade | Lemonade | Generally not quite as sugary as the UK version, but it depends on region. |
Notes:
- A UK pint is about a fifth larger than a US pint.
- US beer is generally slightly stronger than the UK equivalents, sometimes even the same brand.
| UK | US | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bain-marie | Double boiler | |
| Baking tray | Baking pan/Cookie sheet | |
| Chopping board | Cutting board | |
| Clingfilm | Plastic/Saran wrap | |
| Cutlery | Silverware | In the US, can mean "knives". |
| Greaseproof paper | Parchment paper | US wax paper is similar but not oven safe (it will smoke) |
| Grill | Broiler | |
| Hob | Stovetop/Hotplate | |
| Tinned | Canned |
Notes:
- A lot of US recipes will measure in cups. 1 US cup is 250ml.