British vs. American English

Accent

The Americans and British both speak English, yet when they speak they sound completely different. This is mainly due to the fact that they tend to have different accents. In fact each of them speaks a whole different dialect. The Americans use the American English, whereas the British utilize the British English. This is one of the major contributors to the different accents. The history behind these accents is quite fascinating. It is no secret that America was colonized by settlers from England in the 1600s. So it is safe to assume that the people had the same accent on both sides of the ocean. After all, the Americans at the time came from there. Hence, it is not surprising that they did in fact have the same accent, what is surprising is the fact that that accent was closer to the American accent of today, rather than the British Accent. However, it is to be expected that after almost 250 years of separation led to the development of different cultures, customs, and more importantly accents. The main difference between the two accents is that the American Accent is easier to understand than the British Accent. It is also the most commonly used accent in the world; however, the British Accent is more idolized and considered to be sexier. However, when speaking about the American and British Accents, it can actually be misleading to say ‘American Accent’ and ‘British Accent’. The reason for this is the fact that there are many different types of American Accents and many British Accents. The world is most familiar with an American Accent known as General American, which has been made famous my movies, TV shows, and interviews; however, there are other accents such as Boston, New York, Eastern New England, the Southern United States, and many more. Similarly, the British Accent that most people have heard and are in love with is the Received Pronunciation. The others are Cockney, Estuary English (Southeast British), West Country (Southwest British), Midlands English, Brummie (Birmingham English), Northern England English, Geordie, Welsh English, Scottish English, and many more regional accents. So let’s look at the comparison between the most popular American Accent, i.e. General American and the most popular British Accent, i.e. Received Pronunciation. But first let’s also see the comparison between American and British Accent. Comparison between American and British Accent: General American Received Pronunciation Rhotic: This means that the ‘r’ at the end of the word is pronounced Non-rhoticity: This means that the ‘r’ at the end of the word is not pronounced. No Trap-bath split: Certain ‘a’ words, like bath, can’t, and dance, are pronounced with the short-a, as in cat. Trap-bath split: These words are instead pronounced with the broad-a as in father. Words are pronounced with an unrounded vowel. The vowels tend to be a bit more conservative. Some Words ending in –ILE are pronounced without the –e at the end. Such as fertile is pronounced as ‘fer-till’. In these words the emphasis is on the –i-, is pronounced. So fertile becomes ‘fer-ti-l’. In words ending with –IZATION, the emphasis is on the second syllable. For example: organization is pronounced ‘or-GA-ni-za-tion’ In words ending with –IZATION, the emphasis is on the third syllable. Hence, organization is pronounced ‘or-ga-NI-za-tion’ The letter “T” in the middle of a word can be pronounced like a fast “D” The letter “T” in the middle of a word cannot be pronounced like a fast “D”

Spelling

There are several areas in which British and American spelling are different. The differences often come about because British English has tended to keep the spelling of words it has absorbed from other languages (e.g. French), while American English has adapted the spelling to reflectthe way that the words actually sound when they’re spoken. If you’re writing for British readers, you should only use British spellings. In one or two cases, the preferredAmerican spellings are acceptable in British English as well, especially the -ize/-ization endings. While you can use both the -ise/-isation or the -ize/ization endings in British English, it’s important to stick to one style or the other throughout the same piece of writing.

Words ending in –re British English words that end in -re often end in -er in American English:

Words ending in -our British English words ending in -our usually end in -or in American English:

Words ending in -ize or -ise Verbs in British English that can be spelled with either -izeor -ise at the end are always spelled with -ize at the end in American English: Words ending in -yse Verbs in British English that end in -yse are always spelled -yze in American English: Words ending in a vowel plus l In British spelling, verbs ending in a vowel plus l double the l when adding endings that begin with a vowel. In American English, the l is not doubled:

Words spelled with double vowels British English words that are spelled with the double vowels ae or oe are just spelled with an e in American English: British US leukaemia leukemia manoeuvre maneuver oestrogen estrogen paediatric pediatric

Note that in American English, certain terms, such as archaeology, keep the ae spelling as standard, although the spelling with just the e (i.e. archeology) is usually acceptable as well. Nouns ending with –ence Some nouns that end with -ence in British English are spelled -ense in American English: British US defence defense licence license offence offense pretence pretense Nouns ending with –ogue Some nouns that end with -ogue in British English end with either -og or -oguein American English: British US analogue analog or analogue catalogue catalog or catalogue dialogue dialog or dialogue

The distinctions here are not hard and fast. The spelling analogue is acceptable but not very common in American English; catalog has become the US norm, but catalogue is not uncommon; dialogue is still preferred over dialog. Aside from spelling differences, many items and practices have different names in British and American English. To explore further, see British and American terms.

Minor Grammar Differences There are very few grammar differences between American and British English. Certainly, the words we choose might be different at times. However, generally speaking, we follow the same grammar rules. With that said, there are a few differences. Use of the Present Perfect In British English the present perfect is used to express an action that has occurred in the recent past that has an effect on the present moment. For example: I’ve lost my key. Can you help me look for it? In American English the following is also possible: I lost my key. Can you help me look for it? In British English the above would be considered incorrect. However, both forms are generally accepted in standard American English. Other differences involving the use of the present perfect in British English and simple past in American English include already, just and yet. British English: I’ve just had lunch I’ve already seen that film Have you finished your homework yet? American English: I just had lunch OR I’ve just had lunch I’ve already seen that film OR I already saw that film. Have you finished your homework yet? OR Did you finish your homework yet? Possession There are two forms to express possession in English. Have or Have got Do you have a car? Have you got a car? He hasn’t got any friends. He doesn’t have any friends. She has a beautiful new home. She’s got a beautiful new home. While both forms are correct (and accepted in both British and American English), have got (have you got, he hasn’t got, etc.) is generally the preferred form in British English while most speakers of American English employ the have (do you have, he doesn’t have etc.) The Verb Get The past participle of the verb get is gotten in American English. American English: He’s gotten much better at playing tennis. British English: He’s got much better at playing tennis. ‘Have got’ is used predominately in British English to indicated ‘have’ in the sense of possession. Strangely, this form is also used in the United States with the British participle ‘got’, rather than ‘gotten’! Americans will also use ‘have got to’ in the sense of ‘have to’ for responsibilities. I’ve got to work tomorrow. I’ve got three friends in Dallas.