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

 

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