Travel / B1

PAYVM-uh-nt/ˈpeɪvmənt/

In UK English the pavement is the raised path for walkers beside the road: walk on the pavement; a crowded pavement; pavement café. US English uses sidewalk for that path, and pavement for the road surface. Pedestrian is the person; kerb is the stone edge. Do not ride a motorbike on the pavement. IELTS and UK driving tests both use the British sense.

Meaning

The path beside a road for people who are walking (UK).

Examples

• “Cyclists should not ride on the pavement when it is full of shoppers.”
• “Leave space on the pavement for buggies and wheelchairs.”
• “A pavement café table blocked the way to the crossing.”

Good to know

UK walking path: pavement. US walking path: sidewalk. Person: pedestrian. Edge stone: kerb. US pavement often = road surface.

Near in meaning

sidewalk

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