American English to British English: Letter S
Saber Sabre
Saccharin Saccharine
Sack (paper ~) Bag (paper ~)
Sailboat Sailing boat
Salable Saleable
Sales clerk Sales assistant
Sales clerk Shop assistant
Sales tax VAT
Salesroom Saleroom
Saltshaker Saltcellar???
Sandbox Sandpit
Sanitarium Sanatorium
Sanitary pad/ sanitary/Feminine napkin Sanitary towel
Sanitize Sanitise
Santa Claus Father Christmas
Savings and loan Building society
Savior Saviour
Savor Savour
Savoury Savoury
Scallion Spring onion
Scalper Ticket tout
Scandalize Scandalise
Scepter Sceptre
Schedule Time-table
Scheduling Schedulling???
Scholarship Bursary
Scimeter Scimetar
Scotch tape™ Sellotape ™
Scotch Whisky
Scour Scour
scrap/ditch (plans) Scupper
Scratch pad Scribble pad
Scratchpad Notepad
scrip = certificate of indebtedness in lue of government currency
Scroling crolling
Scrutinize Scrutinise
Second floor First floor
Second thought Second thoughts
Secularize Secularise
Sedan Saloon (car)
Seeing Eye dog Guide dog
Self-contained apartment Service flat
Self-fulfilling SAME Self-fulfilling
Self-fulfillment Self-fulfilment
selvage Selvedges
Semester Term/trimester
Senior Citizen OAP (Old-age pensioner)
Senior Citizen Old Age Pensioner/OAP
Senior Pensioner
Senior Undergraduate (4th year ~)
Sensationalize Sensationalise
Sensitize Sensitise
Sentimentalize Sentimentalise
Septendecillion AE n+54 zeros Septendecillion BE n+102 zeros
Septillion AE n+24 zeros Septillion BE n+42 zeros
Sepulcher Sepulchre
Serialize Serialise
Service flats Apartment hotel
Severance pay Redundancy pay
Sexdecillion AE n+39 zeros Sexdecillion BE n+72 zeros
Sextillion AE n+21 zeros Sextillion BE n+36 zeros
Shade (window) Blind (window)
Share of Common stock Ordinary share
Sheik Sheikh
Sherbet Sorbet
Shiftstick Gear stick
Shoestring Shoelace
Shopping bag Carrier bag
Shorts (underwear) Pants
Shot (injection) Jab/jag (injection)
Shoulder (traffic) Verge (traffic)
Shredded coconut Desiccated coconut
Shrimp cocktail Prawn cocktail
Sick = poor health Sick/ill = poor health
Sick Ill
Sick/unwell Poorly
Sidewalk Footpath
Sidewalk Footpath
Sidewalk Pavement
Signaled Signalled
Signaler Signaller
Signaling Signalling
Singeing Singeing
Single person Singleton/Single
Siphon Syphon
Sirloin (steak) Scotch Fillet
sissy Cissy
Sixteenth Note Semiquaver
Sixty-fourth note Hemidemisemiquaver
Sizable Sizeable
Skeptic Sceptic
Skeptical Sceptical
Skeptically Sceptically
Skepticism Scepticism
Ski mask Balaclava
Skillful Skilful
Skillfully Skilfully
Skillfulness Skilfulness
Skim milk Skimmed milk
skin diving Free diving
Slash (/) Stroke (/)
Slaughterhouse Abattoir
Slavic Slavonic
Sled Sledge/toboggan
Sleeper Sleeping car
Slices of bacon Rashers
Slingshot Catapult
Slot machine Fruit machine
Slowpoke Slowcoach
Smelled Smelt or smelled
Smoked herring Kipper
Smolder Smoulder
Sneakers Tennis shoes
Snicker Snigger
Sniveled Snivelled
Sniveling Snivelling
Snowplow Snowplough
Soccer Football
Socialize Socialise
Socket/outlet Power point
Soda cracker Cream cracker
Soda Fizzy drink, pop, softdrink
Soda Soft drink
Soda water Mineral water
Sodomize Sodomise
Soliloquize Soliloquise
Solitaire (cards) Patience (cards)
Somber Sombre
Sophomore Undergraduate (2nd year ~)
Sour Sour
Southward Southwards
Sparkplugs Sparking plugs
Specialised (in) Specialising (in)
Specialize Specialise
Specialized equipment Specialist equipment
Specialties Specialities
Specialty Speciality
Specter Spectre
Sped (up) Speeded (up)
Spell, Spelled, Spelled Spell, Spelt, Spelt
Spigot Tap (outdoors)
Spilled Spilt
Spiraling Spiralling
Spiritualize Spiritualise
Spit, Spit, Spit Spit, Spat, Spat
Splendor Splendour
Spoiled Spoilt
Spool (thread) Reel (thread)
Spool Cotton reel
Squash Marrow
Squirt gun Water pistol
Sr. Snr.
Stabilize Stabilise
Stack Pile
Stacks Loads
Stake (~ in a company) Share (~ in a company)
Stand in line Queue
Standardization Standardisation
Standardize Standardise
Station wagon Estate car
Stationary store (not common) Stationer’s
STDs STIs
Stenography Shorthand
Sterilize Sterilise
Stigmatize Stigmatise
Stingy/Tight with money Mean
Stockholder Shareholder
Stocking stuffer Stocking filler
Stockings and socks Hosiery
Stocks Shares
Stop lights/stop signals Traffic lights
Store (small/large) Shop (small)
Store Store (larger shop)
Stories Storeys
Story Storey
Story Storeyed
Stove/Range Cooker
Stovetop Hob
Straight Neat (drink)
Strawberry Blonde Blonde (red)
Street lamp Lamp post
Street light Streat lamp
Street musician Busker
Streetcar, trolley Tram
strike action Industrial action
String bean Runner bean
Stringbean Green Bean
Stroller Pushchair
Stub/receipt Counterfoil
Studio apartment Bedsit = comb living bedroom
Stupor Stupor
Stylize Stylise
Styrofoam Polystyrene
Sub-division Housing estate
Subsidize Subsidise
Subway Underground
Succor Succour
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SID) Cot Death
Sulfate Sulphate
Sulfide Sulphide
sulfites Sulphites
Sulfur Sulphur
Summarize Summarise
Sunscreen Sunblock/Suncream
Suspect (v.) Dodgy
Suspenders Braces
swap meet Carboot sale
Sweater Jumper
Sweet pepper Capsicum
Sweetpea/sugarsnap/snowpea Mange tout
Swinging door Swing door
Switch Railway point
Switchblade Flick knife
Symbolize Symbolise
Sympathize Sympathise
Synchronize Synchronise
Synthesize Synthesise
Have I missed anything? Send in your American/British differences now.
