American English (Building layout)

American English and British English differ in how they describe the floor levels of buildings, a distinction that often causes confusion in each other's countries.

Different Meanings

Location	American English	British English
bottom floor at ground level	first floor	ground floor
One floor above ground level	Second floor	first floor
two floors above ground level	Third floor	Second floor

Put simply -

American English floor number minus 1 = British english name
British English floor number plus 1 = American english name

Encyclopedia Home Page

American English (Building layout)

Different Meanings