If you are studying English in the UK or are just visiting, you will have discovered that British people love to talk about the weather.�� The UK’s weather is famous for being unpredictable, so it arrives in conversation a lot when people are making small talk. As a result, you’ll hear English vocabulary for weather again and again. Let’s explore the most common words and phrases!

Vocabulary for Cold Weather

December, January and February is the UK’s winter season, with icy conditions and sometimes snow. The average temperature is between 2 and 7°C (36–45°F), but temperatures often drop to just below 0°C (36°F).�� It is also common for cold conditions in the other months, especially in the north. Here are some of the words you might hear to describe the cold weather.

Frosty

Cold enough for frost to form

Example:“It was very frosty this morning”

Chilly

A little bit cold, but not too bad

Example: “It’s a bit chilly, you should bring a jacket“

Bitter

Very cold with a sharp wind

Example: “There is a bitter wind today“

Nippy

A fun word for when it’s cold enough to make you shiver.

Example: “Is there a door open? It’s a bit nippy“

Freezing

Extremely cold, below 0°C

Example: “It’s freezing outside“

 

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Vocabulary for Warm Weather

In summer, the average temperature ranges from 9–18°C (48–64° F), reaching around 30°C (86°F) in heatwaves. The UK is not known for its summers but we do experience some very pleasant months between June and September, where parks and beaches become a fantastic place to visit. Here are some of the words you might hear to describe the warm weather.

Sunny

The sun is out and is shining brightly

Example: “You should wear some sunglasses, it’s very sunny out”

Humid / Muggy / Stuffy

When the air is unpleasantly warm

Example: “I can’t breathe very well, it’s very humid today”

Glorious

When the weather is making you very happy

Example: “I can’t wait to finish work today, the weather is glorious”

Tropical

When the weather is so nice it reminds you of a much hotter country

Example: “It’s tropical today, I might buy an ice cream to cool down!”

Boiling / Baking / Roasting

When it is so hot, it feels like you are being cooked

Example: “I’m boiling, can we open a window?”

Vocabulary for Rainy Weather

Rain is common in the UK, but thankfully extreme weather is quite rare. The rainiest month is January, when 17.8 days have more than 1 mm (0.04 in) of rain on average. If you are visiting, make sure to pack some waterproof clothes. Here are some of the words you might hear to describe the rain.

“Drizzling” (verb) or “Drizzle” (noun)

Light, misty rain

Example: “It’s drizzling a bit outside”

Pouring

Heavy, continuous rain

Example: “I want to go out but it’s pouring down”

Spitting

Very light rain, just a few drops here and there

Example: “It’s only spitting a bit today, no need for an umbrella”

Showers

A short burst of rain that can stop as quickly as it starts

Example: “A few showers are expected at the weekend”

Damp

When the air feels wet and cold

Example: “It’s very damp outside today”

Blustery

Windy and rainy at the same time

Example: “It’s very blustery today. My hat fell off”

Learn more about British language & culture

Improve your English in Brighton, London, Manchester, Edinburgh, or York with our friendly team!

Alternatively, here are some more articles you might like:

• Weird British superstitions
• Common British slang words
• Traditional British foods

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When you are learning English, there is a constant confusion: British English vs American English. Although both versions have a shared history, they have slowly grown apart and their differences cause a lot of debate between their speakers.

To make things even more complicated, modern technology (like global TV stations and social media) have made it easy for both varieties of English to borrow words, phrases and grammar from each other again! But don’t worry, in this blog, we’ll be looking at some of the main differences between British English (UK) and American English (US).

 

British or American English – Which is best to learn?

Generally, when deciding between British and American English, the choice depends on personal preference, geographical location, or professional requirements.

While there are lots of differences between American English and British English, they are so similar that you will almost always be understood, whichever you use. A teacher might highlight the differences to help you with your accuracy, but it’s unlikely that anyone will comment in casual conversation.

There isn’t much evidence to show that one type of English is easier to learn than the other, either. So, don’t worry too much about the variety of English you learn, or memorising the ways in which it’s different to English spoken elsewhere.

Remember there are lots of variations of English – British and American are just the ones most likely to be taught. If you study English in a different English-speaking country (like Scotland, Canada, New Zealand, the Caribbean or many other places), you might notice other differences in the way people speak and write.

Despite these differences, American and British English are mutually intelligible, and speakers of either variety can usually understand one another without much trouble. However, being aware of these variations can enrich your understanding of the language and help you communicate more effectively.

Want to improve your English with native speakers?

��Check out our English courses in the UK and Malta and get the skills you need to succeed.

Alternatively, follow us on or to get our helpful tips about English language and life in the UK.

The post British English vs American English – What is the difference? appeared first on BSC Education.

English is a beautiful language – the language of William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens. There are many reasons to learn to speak English and communicate with over 400 million people! However, English also has some very funny, silly words. We have collected the �鶹��Ƶ���� Team’s 9 favourite and funniest English words, how to pronounce them, and their amusing meanings.

Bamboozle

pronounced – bam-boo-zle

Bamboozle means to trick or fool someone, often by trying to confuse them.
Example: The teacher told the class that she was going to bamboozle them with a surprise test.

Discombobulate

pronounced – dis-com-bob-u-late

Like Bamboozle, Discombobulate means to confuse someone, or to make them feel uncomfortable.
Example: The new school layout didn’t aim to discombobulate the students, but it did nevertheless.

Flabbergasted

pronounced – flab-a-ga-sted

Flabbergasted means to be shocked because of something unexpected.
Example: When he saw Edinburgh Castle, he was flabbergasted.

Gibberish

pronounced – gib-er-ish

Gibberish is spoken or written words that have no meaning.
Example: She thought the book was complete gibberish.

Gobbledegook

pronounced – gob-el-de-gook

Gobbledegook is language that seems difficult to understand or seems to mean nothing because you don’t understand it.
Example: To someone who wasn’t a plumber, the manual looked like it was written in gobbledegook.

Kerfuffle

pronounced – kur-fuf-el

Kerfuffle is a commotion, or noise, often caused by an argument or conflicting views.
Example: There was a bit of a��kerfuffle��because he couldn’t find his ticket before he got on the plane.

Malarkey

pronounced – Mal-ar-key

Malarkey is silly behaviour or nonsense talk.
Example: I couldn’t finish the book because decided it was a bunch of��malarkey��and stopped reading about halfway through.

Nincompoop

pronounced – ninc-om-poop

Nincompoop is a silly or foolish person.
Example: They were not friends anymore because she thought he was a nincompoop.

Shenanigans

pronounced – Shen-an-ee-gans

Shenanigans are secret, devious or dishonest activities.
Example: If we go out this weekend, it is likely we will get up to some fun shenanigans.

Learn more funny English words

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