American English to British English: Letter B
B.S. BSc.
Baby bottle Baby’s bottle
Baby pram Baby’s pram
Back-up light Reverse light
Backhoe JCB ™, digger
Backpack (n.) Rucksack
Backstretch Back straight (horse racing)
Backward Backwards
Backyard Back garden
Baggage = full travel bags Luggage = full travel bags
Baggage room Left luggage room
Bail out Bale out
Baked Potato Jacket potato
Balk Baulk
baloney Boloney
Band-AidTM Plaster
Bangs Fringe
Banister Banister or bannister
Bank account Banking account
Bank clerk Bank teller
Bank swallow (bird) Sand martin (bird)
Bankroll Foot the bill
Baptize Baptise
Bar Pub
Barbeque Barbecue
Barrage = burst torrent stream
Barreled Barrelled
Barreling Barrelling
Baseboard Skirting board
Basin = bathroom sink
Basketball player Basketballer
Bass viol/viola da gamba Double bass (instr.)
Bath/shower (take/took) Bath/shower (had/have)
Bathe (v.) = take a bath Bathe (v.) = swim
Bathrobe Dressing-gown
Bathroom Lavatory
Bathtub/tub Bath
Battle stations Action stations
Battleax Battleaxe
Beachfront Seafront
Beef boullion Beef tea
Beet Beetroot
Behavior Behaviour
Behavioral Behavioural
Behaviorism Behaviourism
Behoove Behove
Belabor Belabour
Bell pepper Green pepper
Bell pepper Red pepper
Bellboy/doorman Porter
Bellhop Bellboy
belowground underground
Beltway, loop Ring road
Benefitted Benefited
Benefitting Benefiting
Bereavement/compassionate leave Compassionate leave
Bet Punt
Beveled Bevelled
Beveling Bevelling
Bill [£10 ~/$10 ~] Note [£10 ~/$10 ~]
Bill Bank note
Bill of goods Consignment of merchandise
Billboard Hoarding
Billion Milliard (now billion) n+9 zeros
Binder clip Bulldog clip
Binging Bingeing
Bird band Bird ring
Biscuit Scone
Bitter = fresh-tasting beer made with hops
Bleachers (sports ground) Terraces (sports ground)
Bleachers Stands
Blighter =
Blinders Blinkers
Blinkers Indicators
Blizzard Flurry
Block (area between streets) Block (building)
Blood pudding Black pudding
Blue collar (worker) Working class
Blue denim Jeans (normal blue)
Blush (wine) Rosé (wine)
Boardwalk Promenade
bobby pin Hair grip
Bobsled Bobsleigh
Bogie = railway undercarriage set
Book club Book society
Book cover Dustjacket / jacket
Bookstore Bookshop
Booth Kiosk (telephone)
Bootlace =
Borstal Remand home =
Botanize Botanise
Bouillion cube Stock cube
Boxcar Freight wagon
Braces (teeth) Brace (a ~) teeth
Brackets Square brackets
Braid Plait
Brant goose Brent goose
Breadbox Bread bin
Breathalyze Breathalyse
Brickyard Brickfield
British pound = £ Pound (sign) UK=£ US=#
Britisher Briton/Brit
Broad jump Long jump
Broil (v.) Grill (verb)
Broke Skint (infml.)
Brutalize Brutalise
Bryozoa Polyzoa
Buggy/baby carriage Pram, pushchair
Building permit Planning permission
Bulldoze Demolish
Bulletin board Noticeboard
Bullhorn Loudhailer
Bullhorn Megaphone/loud-hailer
Bumf = stack of paper/paperwork
Bun Bap
Burglarized Burgled
Burlap Hessian
Burned Burnt
Bus Coach (inter-city ~)
Bus/Bus Bus/Coach
Bushel = 2,150 cu in Bushel = 2,219 cubic inches
Busses Buses
Busy (phone) Engaged (phone)
Buzz saw Circular saw
Bylaw/Ordinance Bye law
Have I missed anything? Send in your American/British differences now.
