American English v. British English
American English v. British English deals specifically with the numerous differences in spelling, grammar, pronunciation and usage that separate the two Englishes.
While there are also many differences and idiosyncrasies among all the other varieties of English spoken around the world, the most significant and systematic differences are to be found between these two variations, and of the for practical reasons, others will only be referred to if they are particularly illustrative.
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Considerations for learners and teachers
There are a number of points to consider when one decides which version of English to learn or teach.
Which English to teach?
For native English speakers the language to teach will obviously be their native one - as trying to teach the nuances of another version is quite difficult.
Which language to learn?
Although there are differences between the two forms of English, both their "standard" forms are mutually intelligible. For the majority of English language learners the main accent which native English native speakers will notice is the "foreign" accent associated with the learner's mother tongue rather than a British or American one.
Furthermore, many learners do not spend a considerable amount of time conversing with native English speakers anyway, but instead communicate with other non-native speakers.
Which language is easier to understand?
Students will often claim that either American or British English is easier to understand. The probability is that this will simply depend on which accent they have been most exposed to.
Origins
Many features of American English that are considered American modifications were in fact in use in Britain earlier. Such is the case of brunch; gotten (AmE) v. got (BrE); ate /eit/ (AmE) v. ate /et/ (BrE); and even the expression I guess, which many Britons would consider a purely American phrase.[1]
Other differences, especially in spelling, were introduced by the spelling reformer and lexicographer Noah Webster, although not all his proposals caught on. He was responsible for traveler, color, and center. His suggested medicin and examin and others without the final "e" didn't work out, but removing the final "k" from music and logic, etc., actually became standard on both sides of the Atlantic.
While some of the items in this article may overlap. i.e. pronunciation and spelling, major differences are set out as follows:
Grammar
General
Specific
| American English | British English |
|---|---|
| cater to | cater for |
| different than | different from |
| speak with | speak to |
Pronunciation
General
Stress-timing is frequently less apparent in American English.
Specific
- In Received Pronunciation, the theoretical basis for Standard British English, the letter r is not normally pronounced before a consonant or at the end of a word: car; door; four; hard; more; start; Thursday; work; (While American English has non-rhotic varieties, notably in New England and south of the Mason-Dixon line, most standard American English speakers render the "R" wherever it appears.)
Spelling
General
- Double letters: A final L is always doubled in British English.
- Graeco-Latin words spelled with ae or oe have different forms (encyclopedia (AmE) ↔ encyclopædia or encyclopaedia (BrE)). There are no hard and fast rules, so if in doubt, check in a dictionary (note the occasional use of the "ligatures" æ and œ).
| American English | British English |
|---|---|
| …er | …re |
| theater | theatre |
| center | centre |
| …or | …our |
| color | colour |
| honor | honour |
Note: the word "meter" or "metre" is varied in its British English usage:
American English always uses the ...er ending but British English uses the ...re ending for these specific meanings:
- a unit of measurement of length
- the regular linguistic sound patterns of a verse
- the regular underlying temporal grid of music
- the syllable patterns in hymn stanzas
for all other usages (e.g. electricity meter) the ...er version is appropriate.
Specific
| American English | British English |
|---|---|
| aging | ageing |
| catalog | catalogue |
| check | check (vb) but cheque (n) |
| disk | disc but disk (IT) |
| mold | mould |
| practice | practise (vb) but practice (n) |
| program | programme but program (IT) |
| sulfur | sulphur |
| aluminum | aluminium |
Various
| American English | British English |
|---|---|
| fender (automobile) | bumper (car) |
| trunk (automobile) | boot (car) |
| tic-tac-toe | noughts and crosses |
| checkers | draughts |
| yard | garden |
References
- ↑ Crystal, David The English Language Penguin ISBN 0-14-100396-0
