British English

British English or UK English is the dialect of the English language spoken in the United Kingdom. It is different in some ways from other types of English, such as American English. British English is widely spoken throughout most countries that were historically part of the British Empire.
Use in other countries
American English is used in the United States. In Canada, the accent sounds extremely similar to American English but with few exceptions (see Canadian English). Canada has mixed the spelling rules of American and British English to form its own spelling rules.
All members of the Commonwealth of Nations learn British English, while American English is often learnt in the Americas, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. The United Kingdom and Ireland use British layout keyboards, while Australia, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and the US use American layout keyboards. In continental Europe, English as a second language is sometimes taught in American English, except in Scandinavia and the Netherlands where British English is taught.
Pronunciation
In the United Kingdom, the spelling remains the same but the pronunciation varies with local dialect. For example, a person from a place near London may not pronounce his "r"s the same as a person from Scotland. Across the country, the accent is different. In Liverpool, people may speak with a "Scouse" accent, in Birmingham with a "Brummie" accent.
In London the "Cockney" accent was once common, but is almost never heard today. All these regional accents became less extreme in the 20th century. This is generally attributed to the arrival of radio and television. Another factor is the increased mobility of people. A similar process has been noted in the United States, where regional differences are much less noticeable than they used to be.
Spelling
There are many words that sound the same in both American and British English but have different spellings. British English often keeps more traditional ways of spelling words than American English. Many of the British English rules are also used in other countries outside of the United Kingdom. Most of those countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations.
Vocabulary
In British English, "dock" refers to the water in the space between two "piers" or "wharfs". In American English, the "pier" or "wharf" could be called a "dock", and the water between would be a "slip".
Some common differences:
British English - American English
accelerator - throttle
autumn - fall
biscuit - cookie
bonnet - hood (of a car)
boot - trunk (of a car)
bum - butt
caravan - travel trailer, mobile home
chips - French fries
courgette - zucchini
crisps - chips (especially potato chips)
care home - assisted living facility\home
sweets - candy
face flannel - washcloth
flat - apartment
football - soccer
garden - yard
bungalow - ranch house
handbag - purse
jumper - sweater
lift - elevator
lorry - truck
manual gearbox - stick shift
metro, underground, tube - subway
motorway - freeway
mum - mom
nappy - diaper
number plate - license plate
pants - underpants
pavement - sidewalk
lower ground floor - basement
ground floor - first\main floor
let - rent or lease
fuzz\coppers - police, the cops
knackered - exhausted, tired
aeroplane - airplane
pram - stroller
petrol - gas or gasoline
phone box - phone booth
post - mail, mailbox
railway - railroad
shopping trolley - shopping cart
loo - toilet
take-away - take-out
trousers - pants - Only Superman wears his pants outside of his trousers
torch - flashlight
tram - streetcar
holiday - vacation
Other websites
British and American English differences
References