3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, many of our British neighbors talk about flats on a daily basis. A flat is a single, private residence attached to a group of other flats. What British English-speakers call a flat, American English-speakers usually call an apartment.
The two words are often interchangeable, but they can also have subtle differences in meaning. Here’s what makes a flat different from an apartment:
Flat vs. apartment: What’s the difference?
Apartment houses first showed up in the U.S. around 1830. Back then, each house had two to five stories, and each level contained apartments of two to four rooms.
Today’s apartments are similar, but they’re usually part of a larger building or apartment complex. Apartments can also be part of a two-unit duplex, a three-unit triplex, or a multi-unit set of rental homes.
In the U.K., you’ll find many of the same features that you would in an American apartment. That includes a living area, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen. Studio flats, like efficiency apartments, don’t have separate bedrooms. Everything except the attached bathroom is located in the same room.
In the United States, the word flat is often used to describe a larger apartment or condo with modern design features and amenities. In British terms, flats usually include a wider variety of apartments.
When British people say “apartment,” they’re probably talking about a bigger, more amenity-focused living situation. For example, the typical apartment in Boston might be a 700-square-foot, one-bedroom rental unit. But in London, locals might be referring to a 1,500-square-foot, three-bedroom unit with all the bells and whistles.
A British flat is usually all on one floor, but that doesn’t mean it will always be small. A large, pricey apartment can also be called a flat. Although most flats are on one story, some flats and apartments have living spaces spread over two stories or more.
Flats and apartments can be rented or…