Our English-speaking neighbors across the pond are notorious for what we Americans consider language idiosyncrasies. From the e’s that follow r’s in words like centre (center) to the crisps (potato chips), the chips (French fries), and the biscuits (cookies) that describe indulgences different than what we might expect in the US of A.
These differences extend to apartment living as well. If you’ve ever heard a British person mention their flat, they were most likely talking to you about their apartment (as opposed to their flattened car tire).
What's the difference between an apartment and a flat?
Generally speaking, there is no difference between an apartment and a flat. Both terms refer to a personal residence consisting of a series of rooms located on the same floor, within a larger, singular building.
If you’d like to get a little more technical (why not), the British flat refers to a humble, ordinary residence. The British apartment (this exists!) refers to an upscale, posh flat. The American apartment comes in a variety of styles and price ranges, serving as a broad term overall. On the rare occasion the American flat is used, it is often in reference to a luxury apartment.
How else are apartments and flats different?
In American English, apartments are located in apartment buildings. In British English, flats are found within a block of flats.
The American condo or condominium is akin to the British owner-occupied flat. A studio apartment is closest in comparison to a bedsit, whereas a duplex is most like a semi-detached house. The American attic best resembles the British loft. In the U.S., the term “loft” refers to a style of apartment as well as an elevated room in an apartment.
Americans and Brits have different words for plenty of common household items found in rooms throughout apartments and flats, respectively. Let’s go through each room to find more oddities.
In the Kitchen
In an American apartment, you’ll find a stove. In a British flat, you’ll find a cooker.
You’ll do the dishes in the apartment and do the washing up in the flat. Plug your blender into the apartment’s electrical outlet and your liquidizer into the flat’s power point. Wipe up any excess water from dishwashing with the dishtowel in the apartment or with the tea towel (how British) in the flat. Throw your trash in the apartment’s garbage can or the flat’s dustbin.
In the Living Room
The American apartment has a living room, while the British flat has a sitting room. There is likely a television and a floor lamp in the apartment, and a telly and a standard lamp in the flat.
In the Bedroom
The clothes are kept in the closet of the American apartment, and in the cupboard of the British flat. The baby sleeps in the crib at the apartment, and in the cot at the flat. The bed itself is covered by a bedspread in the apartment, and by a duvet in the flat.
In the Bathroom
If you need to use the toilet, you head to the apartment’s bathroom and the flat’s loo. Wash your hands in the apartment’s sink and the flat’s hand basin before you dry your hands with a washcloth (apartment) or a flannel (flat). If a room has an ensuite, it is attached to the bedroom, which you’ll see in both British and American English. However, in American English, ensuite is usually used as an adjective as opposed to as a noun in British English.
While they are variations of the same language, American English and British English can be quite different. Maybe you’ll start adopting terms from the variation you aren’t as familiar with. Which terms, if any, will you incorporate into your lexicon?
Published February 7, 2019
