traffic light or signal light

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skystar30097

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Which one is more common "traffic light or signal light"?
 

JMurray

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In these parts we say "traffic lights", occasionally "traffic signals", but mostly just "the lights".
 

skystar30097

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Excuse me I don't know the difference. For example, in every day conversation do we say there is a "traffic light" in that street?
 

skystar30097

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JMurray

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It's not common for there to be only a single light, so it's more usual to refer to them in the plural.
In everyday conversation I would hear:
There are traffic lights at the corner of our street.
The lights aren't working down at the corner and there's been an accident.
The council put a set of lights on that intersection near the school.
 

UM Chakma

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Sorry for butting in. I have heard "color light" used in Sri Lanka. can it really be used instead or it's a wrong using? Your opinions please.
 
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emsr2d2

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Sorry for butting in. I have heard "color light" used in Sri Lanka. can it really be used instead or it's a wrong using? Your opinions please.

That doesn't work in standard English.
 

billmcd

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It's not common for there to be only a single light, so it's more usual to refer to them in the plural.
In everyday conversation I would hear:
There are traffic lights at the corner of our street. In AmE you would more likely hear, "There is a traffic light at the corner of our street".
The lights aren't working down at the corner and there's been an accident.
The council put a set of lights on that intersection near the school. Again, in AmE you would probably hear, "Council put lights (OR traffic lights or a traffic light) at that intersection near the school".
b.
 

JMurray

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I would also expect to hear billmcd's examples except for the singular "traffic light", which would be unusual in those contexts.
 
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