🌍 American vs British · vocabulary

sidewalk vs pavement

The paved path alongside a road intended for pedestrians.

American
sidewalk

“The kids were drawing with chalk on the sidewalk.”

British
pavement

“The kids were drawing with chalk on the pavement.”

Good to know

Americans call it the 'sidewalk' and the British call it the 'pavement'. Confusingly, 'pavement' in American English usually refers to the road surface itself rather than the pedestrian path.

Related comparisons

🌍 Is your English British or American?

Take the British vs American English Test — 20 word pairs, instant result.

Take the test

Built by the team behind Deep In.