The differences between American English & British English

“England and America are two countries divided by a common language “England and America are two countries divided by a common language.” ~George Bernard Shaw

Translate this sentence! British English: “I was waiting in queue for the loo before getting some petrol for my lorry when I realized I left the hob on and the aubergines were probably burning!” American English: “I was waiting in line for the bathroom before getting some gas for my truck when I realized I left the stove on and the eggplant was probably burning!”

Definitions of AmE & BrE American English (AmE) is the form of English used in the United States. It includes all English dialects used within the United States of America. British English (BrE) is the form of English used in the United Kingdom. It includes all English dialects used within the United Kingdom. Today, there are 375 million people speak English as their first language. While according to the population of the different countries, the AmE speakers are more than the BrE speakers.

Potentially confusing situations *If a British person Asks you about football… …they mean soccer Asks you bring pudding… …they mean dessert Puts on a jumper… …they mean a sweater Wears braces…. …wears suspenders Wears suspenders… …wears garters

Other confusing situations… Ask for chips in England, and you’ll get French Fries, not potato “crisps” Tell a British friend to pick up some jelly at the store, and they’ll bring home gelatin (Jell-o) not jam

Bringing English to America. Early 1600’s: The first wave of English-speaking settlers arrive in North America as part of the British colonization movement. They bring English, now an “emigrant language,” to native North Americans; in addition, the settlers and their families continue to speak their own native tongue. The process of an emigrant language’s evolution: 1) The language evolves from a specific homeland language. 2) The emigrant language begins to change course because of lack of direct contact with the homeland. 3) The emigrant language continues to evolve away from the homeland, gradually creating a new dialect. 4) The homeland dialect continues to evolve as well, diverging further away from the emigrant dialect of the language.

Over the next 400 years… Between the end of the 17th century and the 21st century, many gradual changes to the form of the English language have taken place under this process. The process caused the Americans and the British to diverge so drastically in terms of the forms of their languages that they are now considered two separate English language dialects. 1806 – Noah Webster publishes his first dictionary, A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language. Up until this time, English dictionaries included strictly British vocabulary, spellings, and pronunciations. Webster was convinced that an outline of a common, American, national language would unify his country.

Webster’s Dictionaries. 1828 –publishes American Dictionary of the English Language 1890 – Merriam brothers {who received the rights to Webster’s dictionaries after his death} publish Webster’s First International Dictionary, an all-encompassing look at the English language Noah Webster’s intentions? To prove that Americans spoke a different dialect than the British {but a dialect that was in no way inferior – he believed it deserved a unique documentation of its own trends} Merriam’s intentions? "The purpose of the dictionary is to provide a record of the language as it is used by educated people who have been speaking and writing it all their lives.“ -- H. Bosley Woolf {Merriam's editorial director}

Causes of Differences The English language was first introduced to the Americas by British colonization, beginning in the early 17th century. Over the past 400 years, the form of the language used in the Americas—especially in the United States—and that used in the British Isles have diverged in a few minor ways, leading to the dialects now occasionally referred to as American English and British English. First, as America is such a big country, there are many different dialects. These dialects make AmE more complex than BrE Second, because of the entering of other languages, such as French, Spanish and so on, the AmE becomes mixed and different from BrE.

Spoken British English and American English is the same language, but English-speaking people is in the use of different spoken English, because of the geographical, social, occupation, gender, national factors such as changes in the characteristics of a different language.

Dialects and accents Dialects and accents vary between the countries of United Kingdom and the United States, and also within the countries themselves. Dialects and accents vary not only between the countries in the United Kingdom, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but also within these individual countries.

About spoken American English, scholars have mapped at least four major regional variations of spoken American English: Northern, Southern, Midland, and Western. The standard accent of British English is often referred to as ‘Received Pronunciation’ (RP)， while in American English, 'General American' is usually considered standard.

Visible Changes? There are quite a few noticeable differences between the British English dialect and the evolved dialect of American English. These are the ones we will cover: Spelling Pronunciation {accent} Pronunciation {affixes} Pronunciation {stress} Grammar Vocabulary

Spelling. AMERICAN – “-or” BRITISH – “-our” Color Colour Honor Honour Favorite favourite AMERICAN – “-ze” BRITISH – “-se” Analyze Analyse Criticize Criticise Memorize Memorise AMERICAN – “-ll” BRITISH – “-l” Enrollment Enrolment Fulfill Fulfil Skillful skilful

Spelling AMERICAN – “-er” BRITISH – “-re” Center Centre Meter Metre Theater theatre AMERICAN – “-og” BRITISH – “-ogue” Analog Analogue Catalog Catalogue Dialog Dialogue AMERICAN – “-ck” or “-k” BRITISH – “-que” Bank Banque Check Cheque

Spelling, continued. AMERICAN – “-e” BRITISH – “-ae” or “-oe” Encyclopedia Encyclopaedia Maneuver Manoeuvre Medieval Mediaeval AMERICAN – “-dg” “-g” “-gu” BRITISH – “-dge” “-ge” “-gue” Aging Ageing Argument Arguement Judgment Judgement AMERICAN – “-ense” BRITISH – “-ence” License Licence Defense Defence

Spelling, continued. Other word-specific differences -- AMERICAN BRITISH Jewelry Jewellry Draft Draught Pajamas Pyjamas Plow Plough Program Programme Tire Tyre

Spelling {last one!}. Base words that end in L normally double the L in British English when a suffix is added. BASE WORD AMERICAN BRITISH Counsel Counseling Counselling Equal Equaled Equalled Model Modeling Modelling Quarrel Quarreling Quarrelling Signal Signaled Signalled Travel Traveling Travelling The letter can double in American as well – but ONLY IF the stress is on the second syllable of the base word. BASE WORD AMERICAN BRITISH Excel Excelling Propel Propelling

Pronunciation {accent} The British accent was created by a mixture of the Midland and Southern dialects of the Middle Ages. There are many sub-dialects and varying accents under British English. American English was not so strongly influenced by the accent as Australia or New Zealand, for example – the Americas broke away from British control much earlier and were distanced from direct speakers of the language as a result.

Pronunciation {accent} British English = non-rhotic; American English = rhotic This means that “R” is only pronounced in British English when it is immediately followed by a vowel sound. “R” in British English is either not pronounced or replaced with a schwa

Pronunciation {accent} American English has fewer vowel distinctions before intervocalic “R” sounds. This means that, in American English – merry, marry, and Mary often sound the same mirror rhymes with nearer furry rhymes with hurry British English has three open back vowels while American English has only two {or even one}: Most American English speakers use the same vowel for “short O” as for “broad A” – father and bother often rhyme.

Pronunciation {accent} Other vowel pronunciation differences: British English = “broad A” American English = “short A” {in most words when A is followed by N followed by another consonant, or “S, “F,” or “TH” – like plant, pass, laugh} British English has a distinct length difference between “short” and “long” vowels – the long vowels begin diphthongs

Pronunciation {accent} American English often loses the distinction between unstressed /ɪ/ and /ə/ {as in roses and Rosa’s}; in British English, it is maintained because of the non-rhotic nature of the language {in order to make words like batted and battered sound distinctly different}. American English experiences a yod-dropping after all alveolar consonants {i.e. /ju:/}; British English speakers always retain /j/ after /n/ {i.e. new in British English is /njuː/ but in American English it is /nuː/}, retain or coalesce it after /t/ and /d/ {i.e. due in British English is /dju:/ but in American English it is /du:/}.

Pronunciation {accent} There are also many individual pronunciation differences that depend on the particular vocabulary word and the speaker who is pronouncing it.

Pronunciation {affixes} -ary, -ery, -ory, -bury, -berry, -mony When the syllable before these affixes is stressed, American and British English pronounce these endings in a similar way: /əri(ː)/ When it is unstressed, American English uses a full vowel rather than a schwa while British English retains the reduced vowel or elides it completely. {i.e. “military” – American: /'mɪlɪtɛriː/ and British: /'mɪlɪtəriː/ or /'mɪlɪtriː/} Exceptions, in which the full vowel is used in American English even though the preceding syllable is stressed: library, primary, rosemary -berry – American English usually always uses a full vowel; British English uses a full vowel after an unstressed syllable and a reduced one after a stressed syllable /bɛriː/ /bəriː/ or /briː/ example: strawberry British: /'strɔːbəriː/ American: /'strɔbɛri/

Pronunciation {affixes} Adverbs: -arily, -erily or -orily British English speakers follow the American practice of shifting the stress to the antepenultimate syllable {i.e. militarily is /ˌmɪlɪ'tɛrɪliː/ not /'mɪlɪtrɪliː/} -ile When words end in an unstressed “-ile,” British English speakers pronounce them with a full vowel: /aɪl/ while American speakers pronounce them with either a reduced vowel /ɪl/ or a syllabic /l/ {i.e. in British English, “fertile” rhymes with “fur tile” – in American English, it would rhyme with “turtle”} examples of words this applies to: mobile, fragile, sterile, missile, versatile, etc. examples of exceptions to this difference: reptile, exile, turnstile, senile, etc. -ine When unstressed, this affix can be pronounced as /aɪn/ (like feline), /i(ː)n/ (like morphine), or /ɪn/ (like medicine). Generally speaking, British English uses /aɪn/ most often while American English favors /in/ or /ɪn/ {i.e. crystalline}

Pronunciation {stress} In the case of French loanwords, American English has final-syllable stress while British English has penultimate or antepenultimate stress. British English first-syllable stress: adult, ballet, baton, pastel, vaccine British English second-syllable stress: escargot, fiancee

Pronunciation {stress} There are also other words borrowed from French that feature stress differences. American first-syllable; British last-syllable: address, mustache, cigarette, magazine American 1st-syllable; British 2nd-syllable: liaison, Renaissance American 2nd-syllable; British last-syllable: New Orleans

Pronunciation {stress} Most two syllable verbs that end in –ate have first syllable stress in American English and second-syllable stress in British English (i.e. castrate, locate) Derived adjectives with the ending -atory differ in both dialects; for British English, the stress shifts to –at whereas American English will stress the same syllable as the corresponding –ate verb (i.e. regulatory, celebratory, laboratory)

Grammar Nouns Verbs Use of Tenses Possession & Use of the Verb “Get” Use of the Subjunctive Prepositions Uses of Other Words

Nouns Formal & Notional Agreement In BrE, collective nouns can take either singular (formal agreement) or plural (notional agreement) verb forms , For example, a committee was appointed/ the committee were unable to agree. In AmE, collective nouns are usually singular in construction. For example, the team take their seats, rather than the team takes its seats.

Verbs & Verb Morphology The past tense and past participle of the verbs learn, spoil, spell, burn, dream, smell, spill, leap, and others, can be either irregular (learnt, spoilt, etc.) or regular (learned, spoiled, etc.). In BrE, both irregular and regular forms are current, but for some words (such as smelt and leapt) there is a strong tendency towards the irregular forms, especially by users of Received Pronunciation. In AmE, the irregular forms are never or rarely used (except for burnt and leapt).

Use of Tenses The British use the present perfect to talk about a past action which has an effect on the present moment. In American English both simple past and present perfect are possible in such situations. For example: I have lost my pen. Can you borrow me yours? (BrE) I lost my pen. OR I have lost my pen. (AmE)

Possession & Use of the Verb Get The British normally use “have got” to show possession. In American English have (in the structure do you have) and have got are both possible. In British English the past participle of get is got. In American English the past participle of get is gotten, except when have got means have.

Use of the Subjunctive In American English it is particularly common to use subjunctive after words like essential, vital, important, suggest, insist, demand In British English the subjunctive is formal and unusual. British people normally use should + Infinitive or ordinary present and past tenses. For example: It is essential that every child get an opportunity to learn. (AmE) It is essential that every child gets an opportunity to learn. (BrE)

Prepositions There are also a few differences in preposition use including the following: on the weekend (AmE) at the weekend (BrE) on a team (AmE) in a team (BrE) call someone at his or her telephone number(AmE) call someone on his or her telephone number(BrE)

Uses of Other Words As if/ like In American English it is common to use like instead of as if/ as though. This is not correct in British English. He talks as if he knew everything. (BrE) He talks like/as if he knew everything. (AmE) The indefinite pronoun One Americans normally use he/she, him/her, his/her to refer back to one. In British English one is used throughout the sentence. One must love one's country. (BrE) One must love his/her country. (AmE) Will/Shall In British English it is fairly common to use shall with the first person to talk about the future. Americans rarely use shall. I shall/will never forget this favour. (BrE) I will never forget this favour. (AmE)

Creation of American Lexicon. From the beginning, Americans borrowed words from Native American languages for unfamiliar objects {i.e. opossum, squash, moccasin} They took many “loanwords” from other colonizing nations {i.e. cookie, kill, and stoop from Dutch; levee , prairie, and gopher from French; barbecue, canyon, and rodeo from Spanish} British words were obviously borrowed, but often evolved to mean new things in an American landscape {i.e. creek, barrens, trail, bluff, etc.} With the development of the new continent, new words were necessarily brought in to describe new things: split-level {in real estate}, carpetbagger {in politics}, commuter {in transportation}, and a variety of vocabulary to distinguish among professions. Many words originated as American slang: hijacking, boost, jazz, etc.

Vocabulary. AMERICAN BRITISH Apartment Flat Argument Row Carriage/coach Pram Bathroom Loo Can Tin Cookie Biscuit Diaper Nappy Elevator Lift Eraser Rubber Flashlight Torch Fries Chips Gas Petrol Guy Bloke/chap American & British English sometimes have different words for the same things --

More Vocabulary. AMERICAN BRITISH Highway Motorway Hood {of a car} Bonnet Jelly Jam Kerosene Paraffin Lawyer Solicitor Line Queue Mail Post Napkin Serviette Nothing Nought Period Full stop Potato chips crisps AMERICAN BRITISH Truck Lorry Trunk Boot Vacation Holiday Windshield Windscreen License Plate Number Plate Pacifier Dummy Parking lot Car park Pharmacist Chemist Sidewalk Pavement Soccer Football Trash can Bin

More Vocabulary. American and British English speakers often use the same words but intend very different meaning with them: WORD AMERICAN BRITISH Biscuit Dinner roll Cookie Brew Beer Tea Bureau Chest of drawers Writing table/desk Casket Coffin Jewelry Box First Floor Ground Floor “Second” Floor To hire To employ To rent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_words_having_different_meanings_in_British_and_American_English {for more examples!}

Vocabulary Differences Lexical differences Social and cultural differences Idiosyncratic

Lexical differences In BrE and AmE, some words and phrases may appear with the same appearance, however, they actually have different meanings. In BrE and AmE, two totally different words may have the same meaning. some words with similar appearance but refer to the same thing. “flat” in BrE “apartment” in AmE, “rubber” “eraser”. “civilisation” in BrE “civilization” in AmE; “favourite” “favorite”

For example, the word “football” in BrE refers to association football, which is also known as soccer. In AmE, “football” means “American football”. Another example is “to table” :During a meeting of the Allied forces, Winston Churchill had created misunderstanding meaning of this phrase. In BrE, “to table an item on an agenda” means “to open it up for discussion”, but in AmE, it means “to remove it from discussion”, which is totally opposite to that in BrE.

Social and cultural differences Take vocabulary of education between American and British English for instance. These differences in the area of education are mainly reflected on the fields of school, university and some general terms. Here we have got a table which is a comparison of the naming of school years in British (except Scotland) and American English.

The naming of school years in British (except Scotland) and American English Age range British English American English Name Alternative name Syllabus 1 - 4 Preschool (optional)   Nursery Playgroup Foundation Stage 4 - 5 Primary school Preschool Reception Infants reception Foundation Stage 2 Pre-kindergarten 5 - 6 Year 1 Infants year 1 Key Stage Kindergarten Elementary school 6 - 7 Year 2 Infants year 2 1st grade 7 - 8 Year 3 Junior year 3 Key Stage 2 2nd grade 8 - 9 Year 4 Junior year 4 3rd grade 9 - 10 Year 5 Junior year 5 4th grade 10 - 11 Year 6 Junior year 6 5th grade 11 - 12 Secondary school Middle school Junior high school Year 7 First form] Key Stage 3 6th grade 12 - 13 Year 8 Second form 7th grade 13 - 14 Year 9 Third form 8th grade 14 - 15 Year 10 Fourth form Key Stage 4, GCSE High school 9th grade Freshman year 15 - 16 Year 11 Fifth form 10th grade Sophomore year 16 - 17 Sixth form (optional) 11th grade Junior year Year 12 Lower sixth Key Stage 5, A level 17 - 18 Year 13 Upper sixth 12th grade Senior year

From the table, we may discover that the secondary school in the United States also includes middle school or junior high school, which is a two or three year transitional school between elementary school and high school. Apart from differences in ways of naming school years, the definitions of a public school are also different in the two countries. In the US, it is government-owned, and supported by taxpayers while in the UK, it refers to ill-defined private independent schools which are funded by students’ fees. What is more, those schools supported by government are called state school in the UK.

Idiosyncratic differences Some equivalent idioms have the same meaning but show differences in appearance between BrE and AmE.

stress As many words derived from French, American English has final-syllable stress, while British English stresses an earlier syllable, such as, adult, Francoise, attaché, etc. Most 2-syllable verbs ending -ate have first-syllable stress in American English and second-syllable stress in British English, such as, dictate, donate etc. Most longer -ate verbs are pronounced the same in American English and British English, but a few have first-syllable stress in British English and second-syllable stress in American English: elongate, infiltrate.

▲ British English American English sweep under the carpet sweep under the rug touch wood knock on wood see the wood for the trees see the forest for the trees throw a spanner (in the works) throw a (monkey) wrench (in the works) tuppence worth also two pennies' worth, two pence worth, two pennyworth, two penny'th, or (using a different coin) ha'penny'th) two cents' worth skeleton in the cupboard skeleton in the closet a home from home a home away from home blow one's trumpet blow (or toot) one's horn a drop in the ocean a drop in the bucket storm in a teacup tempest in a teapot flogging a dead horse beating a dead horse a new lease of life a new lease on life if the cap fits (wear it) if the shoe fits (wear it) lie of the land lay of the land ▲

Conclusion From our study we have learnt the exact differences between AmE and BrE, and as a second language speaker of English, more people prefer AmE than BrE.

Summary Differences in AmE & BrE Spelling Pronunciation Vocabulary Grammar