🌍 American vs British · vocabulary

apartment vs flat

A self-contained residence occupying part of a larger building.

American
apartment

“They just rented a two-bedroom apartment downtown.”

British
flat

“They just rented a two-bedroom flat in the city centre.”

Good to know

'Apartment' is standard in American English and 'flat' in British English. In the UK, 'apartment' is sometimes used for upmarket or new-build properties, but 'flat' is the everyday word.

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