The United Kingdom attracts more than 30 million tourists a year, making it one of the most popular countries to visit in the world.
American tourism to the United Kingdom is growing particularly fast, and for Americans who have never been there before, it's important to learn some basic facts and cultural norms of the UK. Otherwise, you risk offending locals and possibly embarrassing yourself — something no traveler wants to do on their vacation.
Read on for seven things Americans definitely want to avoid doing on their trip to the UK:
SEE ALSO: 12 things Europeans think are weird about the US
Thinking Ireland is part of the UK
Americans might find it confusing that Ireland and Northern Ireland are two separate countries, and that only Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.
While the stereotype that Irish people and British people hate each other may be overblown, you should still avoid sounding ignorant by recognizing the distinction.
Calling football soccer
There are hundreds of examples of words that have different meanings in British English and American English.
When you order chips in a restaurant, for example, you'll receive what Americans know as French fries. And in the UK, biscuits aren't the fluffy pastries you'll find in the Southern US, but what Americans would call a cookie.
While confusing those terms aren't the worst offenses, Brits will likely roll their eyes if they hear an American talk about "soccer" instead of football.
Not knowing the difference between the United Kingdom and Great Britain
Americans are perpetually confused between how to distinguish between the United Kingdom, Great Britain, and the countries comprising both places.
To put it simply, the United Kingdom is a nation comprising four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Great Britain is the name of the island where three of those countries lie: England, Scotland, and Wales. (It helps to know that the official name of the UK is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.)
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