English is one of the most popular and wide-spoken languages, and it is sometimes referred to as the language of globalization. It has a 25.9% share of worldwide internet users. It is the official language in 67 countries. In addition, there are about 1.452 billion people who speak English in the world.
The English language has got some variants: British English, American English, Australian English, Canadian English, Indian English, Philippine English, Ugandan English, New Zealand English, and South African English.
Today we will talk about American and British ones.
American English – origin and history:
As a result of British colonization, the usage of English appeared. Throughout the early 17th century, the first wave of English-speaking colonists came to the northern part of the United States of America. After that, in the 18th and 19th centuries, many people migrated. Dialects from different parts of England and the British Isles were present in every American colony. Because of it, there was a mixture of dialects. Thus, there was a great process of dialect mixture, evening off English varieties in the American colonies became more alike to compare with the varieties in Britain.
English dominated in colonies where non-English speaking immigrants arrived. Since the 18th century, American English has evolved into new, completely different dialects. Immigrants and enslaved people made a significant impact on regional dialects.
The main differences between American and British English:
American English differs from British English in some ways. For example, spelling, grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and even some words have got different meanings. Let’s have a look at some examples.
Spelling:
American – favor
British – favour
American – airplane
British – aeroplane
Grammar:
American – different from/than
British – different from/to
American – on the weekend
British – at the weekend
American – She just left.
British – She has just left.
Vocabulary:
American – French fries
British – chips
American – movie
British – film
American – fall
British – autumn
Pronunciation:
One of the differences is the silent /r/ sound. In British English, we omit the /r/. For example, a car /kɑː/ whereas in American English, we pronounce the /r/, i.e., car /kɑːr/. Some more examples:
/e/ to /eə/
American – hair – /her/
British – hair – /heər/
American – there – /ðer/
British – there – /ðeər/
American – where – /wer/
British – where – /weər/
/ɝ/ to /ɜ/
American – bird – /bɝːd/
British – bird- /bɜːd/
American – third – /θɝːd/
British – third – /θɜːd/
American – worm – /wɝːm/
British – worm – /wɜːm/
/ɑ:/ to /ɒ/
American – want – /wɑːnt/
British – want – /wɒnt/
American – stop – /stɑːp/
British – stop – /stɒp/
American – watch – /wɑːtʃ/
British – watch – /wɒtʃ/
/e/ to /æ/
American – carry – /ˈker.i/
British – carry – /ˈkær.i/
American – marry – /ˈmer.i/
British – marry – /ˈmær.i/
American – harry – /ˈher.i/
British – harry – /ˈhær.i/
/ɪ/ to /ɪə/
American – fear – /fɪr/
British – fear – /fɪər/
American – near – /nɪr/
British – near – /nɪər/
American – dear – /dɪr/
British – dear – /dɪər/
/oʊ/ to /əʊ/
American – oh – /oʊ/
British – oh – /əʊ/
American – no – /noʊ/
British – no – /nəʊ/
American – go – /ɡoʊ/
British – go – /ɡəʊ/
omitting /j/
American – new – /nuː/
British – new – /njuː/
American – suit – /suːt/
British – suit – /sjuːt/
It’s interesting to know that some words have got different meanings.
Here are some examples:
A rubber
American – a condom
British – an eraser
A jumper
American – a dress without sleeves, usually it goes over a shirt/blouse
British – a sweater
A little piece of sticky fabric or plastic usually worn to cover and protect a cut in the skin.
American – bandage
British – plaster
If a leg is broken, in a hospital, they put plaster/cast over it.
American – cast
British – plaster
Should I learn American or British English?
When you are unsure which variant of English to learn, try to set clear goals.
For studying:
Such as, if you’re going to study at a university in the USA, then you should go for American English.
International exams:
If you are going to take a Cambridge exam and are worried about having the “right” pronunciation, don’t worry. Cambridge states that you don’t have to have British pronunciation in English Speaking tests. They only pay attention to communication in a clear and coherent way, as well as correct pronunciation, word stress, and intonation. However, you have to pay close attention to whether your grammar and vocabulary are British or not.
Work purposes:
Or if you’re going to work in England, you’d better choose the British variant.
Moving a country:
Perhaps, you’re going to move to another country, on that occasion you should learn the official language.
Your personal preferences:
Maybe you like American English more and are fascinated with the US. Then the choice is obvious.
SPEAK BUILD CONTRIBUTE
Used sources:
Auerbach-Intl. (2020, June 19). Websites, videos and Apps Archives. Auerbach-intl. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from http://web.archive.org/web/20210920080457/https://auerbach-intl.com/category/websites-videos-and-apps/
Cambridge English. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/learning-english/parents-and-children/how-to-support-your-child/should-my-child-learn-american-or-british-english/
Emily. (2020, July 1). Should I learn British or American English? get our expert tips. Orchid English. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://www.orchidenglish.com/british-or-american-english/
Hudson, J. (2021, October 15). American vs British pronunciation. Pronunciation Studio. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://pronunciationstudio.com/american-vs-british-pronunciation/
Just how to land a dream task as a woodworker. finish carpenter. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://6215f8907a937.site123.me/blog/just-how-to-land-a-dream-task-as-a-woodworker
K, R. (2022, February 23). 10 Best Portable Coffee Makers – Quick Guide. PapasCoffee. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://papascoffee.org/10-best-portable-coffee-makers-guide
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Radford, S. (2020, July 24). 12 words with very different meanings in the U.S. and the UK. Mental Floss. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/626826/words-different-meanings-american-and-british-english
Published by Statista Research Department, & 7, J. (2022, July 7). Internet: Most common languages online 2020. Statista. Retrieved August 15, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/262946/share-of-the-most-common-languages-on-the-internet/
Emery, C. (2022, August 6). The 33 most spoken languages in the world (2021). Langoly. Retrieved August 15, 2022, from https://www.langoly.com/most-spoken-languages/
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Excellent post!