There are some key differences between British English and American English due to their separate historical developments. The document outlines differences in pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and spelling that have emerged between the two main variants of the English language over time. While they share many similarities, certain words are pronounced, spelled or have different meanings in British English compared to American English.

1. BRITISH ENGLISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH

2. Historical Background divided into : colonial (1607-1776) national (1776-1898) international (1898-present) periods COLONIAL British colonies Introduced English “ When people do not talk with one another, they begin to talk differently.” Settlers , " Amerindians " NATIONAL American Revolution political independence followed by cultural independence new nation needed a sense of linguistic identity 1 st American dictionary written by Noah Webster (1828 ) “ An American Dictionary of the English Language ”

3. Main differences Pronunciation Grammar Vocabulary Spelling Punctuation - Mr.,Mrs.(AmE) X Mr,Mrs (BrE) Dates and Numbers –e.g. 25 / 12 / 2009 ( BrE) X 12 / 25 /2009 (AmE) "We have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, the language" O. Wilde

4. Pronunciation Differences in accent For many loanwords from French where AmE has final-syllable stress, BrE stresses an earlier syllable café detail ballet cliché AmE first-syllable , BrE last-syllable : address A2 m(o)ustache A2 cigarette A2 limousine B2 magazine B2 Differences in the pronunciation of individual words bouquet / 'b u :keɪ / - / b oʊ΄ keɪ, bu ΄ keɪ / garage / ΄ gærɪdʒ / - / gə ΄ rɑ(d)ʒ / vase / ΄ vɑ: z/ - / ΄ veɪ s / tomato /t ə ΄ m ɑ :t əʊ / - /t ə ΄ m eɪ t əʊ / y oghurt / ΄ j ɒ g ə t/ - / ΄ j oʊ gr ə t/ comp o st , sh o ne dynasty / ΄ d ɪ n ə sti/ - / ΄ d aɪ n ə sti/ pr i vacy , v i tamin body / ΄ b ɒ dy / - / ΄ b ʌ di / f r o m , wh a t , w a s zebra / ΄ z e br ə / - / ΄ z i :br ə / l ei sure , inh e rent e volution / i :v ə ΄ l u :ʃn/ - / e v ə ΄ l u :ʃn/ hyg ie nic , l e ver

5. Grammar Irregular verbs Get – got – got (UK) – irregular forms Get – got –gotten (USA) – not irregulat forms (more typical) Burn - Burnt OR burned Dream, - dreamt OR dreamed Lean - leant OR leaned Learn - learnt OR learned Smell - smelt OR smelled Spell- spelt OR spelled Spill - spilt OR spilled Spoil -spoilt OR spoiled

6. Prepositions American English - on the weekend British English - at the weekend American English - on a team British English - in a team American English - please write me soon British English - please write to me soon

7. Present perfect / past simple I've lost my key. Can you help me look for it? (UK) I lost my key. Can you help me look for it? (USA) Already / Just / Yet I just had lunch / I've just had lunch I've already seen that film / I already saw that film. Have your finished your homework yet? / Did you finish your homework yet? Possesion – Do you have / have you got?

8. Collective nouns Shall - in AmE they do not use it BrE singular (formal agreement) v.f. e.g. a committee was appointed... plural (notional agreement)v.f. e.g. the committee were unable to agree... . AmE collective nouns are usually singular

9. Vocabulary and Spelling Words with different spelling -or / our -Doubled in Am. English -ogue / og -ce / -se -ise / ize , yse /yze -re / er -Dropped e - Simplification of ae ( æ ) and oe ( œ ) U.K. U.S.A. colour color fulfil fulfill catalogue catalog licence license memorise memorize centre center judgement judgment encyclopaedia encyclopedia

10. Words with different meaning eg. Mean: (American English - angry, bad humored, British English - not generous, tight fisted) Rubber: (American English - condom, British English - tool used to erase pencil markings)