What happens when you go to England and speak American English? You get laughed at. A lot. I discovered this personally when I left California and moved to England. Imagine saying you spilled coffee on your pants, when the British word for underwear is pants! Don’t worry, I quickly learned the “right” words for things, because, man, I didn’t like being laughed at.
But at least the English understood what I said! What happens when you go to the US and speak British English? Well, you might not be understood at all!
Most people already know that Americans eat French fries, or chips as they are called in the UK. But in which country do you use the restroom und not the toilet? What are you on when you’re walking down the street, the sidewalk or the pavement? And what kind of ticket can you buy from the bus driver? A return or a roundtrip? Well, you’re in luck…
HERE IS A HANDY CHART!
Here is a list of the most important differences between these two dialects. I hope this helps you on your journeys:
WARNING
These aren’t all the vocabulary differences between these two countries, and I haven’t even mentioned Canada! While editing a book in Canadian English recently, I discovered that there are even more differences to learn! (And of course, there’s always the very diverse English spoken in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, etc.) But learning these differences is especially important for English learners in Switzerland, where they learn British English in school, because so many Swiss love travelling to the US and to Canada!
Watch this video to explore more differences between these three great countries:
Deutsch (Schweiz) 
English