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British x American English Differences
This document compares American and British English, noting differences in spelling, vocabulary, and pronunciation. It provides examples of words that are spelled differently, such as "color" versus "colour" or have distinct meanings between the two variants, like "biscuit" meaning cookie in American English but bread roll in British English. Pronunciation is also contrasted, including vowel sounds and stress placement in words. Overall, the document outlines some of the key distinctions between American and British English.
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British x American English Differences
- 1. American English vs.British English
- 2. American English (AmE) -the form of English used in the United States. It includes all English dialects used within the United States.
- 3. British English (BrE) -the form of English used in the United Kingdom. It includes all English dialects used within the United Kingdom
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- 6. Spelling. AMERICAN – “-or”BRITISH – “-our” Color Colour Honor Honour Favorite favourite AMERICAN – “-ll” BRITISH – “-l” Enrollment Enrolment Fulfill Fulfil Skillful skilful AMERICAN – “-ze” BRITISH – “-se” Analyze Analyse Criticize Criticise Memorize Memorise
- 7. Spelling, continued AMERICAN –“-er” BRITISH – “-re” Center Centre Meter Metre Theater theatre AMERICAN – “-og” BRITISH – “-ogue” Analog Analogue Catalog Catalogue Dialog Dialogue AMERICAN – “-ck” or “-k” BRITISH – “-que” Check Cheque
- 8. Spelling, continued AMERICAN –“-e” BRITISH – “-ae” or “-oe” Encyclopedia Encyclopaedia Maneuver Manoeuvre Medieval Mediaeval AMERICAN – “-dg” “-g” “-gu” BRITISH – “-dge” “-ge” “-gue” Aging Ageing Argument Arguement Judgment Judgement AMERICAN – “-ense” BRITISH – “-ence” License Licence Defense Defence
- 9. Spelling, continued AMERICAN BRITISH JewelryJewellry Draft Draught Pajamas Pyjamas Plow Plough Program Programme Tire Tyre Other word-specific differences --
- 10. Vocabulary. American & British English sometimes have different words for thesame things -- AMERICAN BRITISH Apartment Flat Argument Row Carriage/coach Pram Bathroom Loo Can Tin Cookie Biscuit Diaper Nappy Elevator Lift Eraser Rubber Flashlight Torch Fries Chips Gas Petrol Guy Bloke/chap
- 11. More Vocabulary. AMERICAN BRITISH HighwayMotorway Hood {of a car} Bonnet Jelly Jam Kerosene Paraffin Lawyer Solicitor Line Queue Mail Post Napkin Serviette Nothing Nought Period Full stop Potato chips crisps AMERICAN BRITISH Truck Lorry Trunk Boot Vacation Holiday Windshield Windscreen License Plate Number Plate Pacifier Dummy Parking lot Car park Pharmacist Chemist Sidewalk Pavement Soccer Football Trash can Bin
- 12. More Vocabulary. Americanand British English speakers often use the same words but intend very different meaning with them: WORD AMERICAN BRITISH Biscuit Dinner roll Cookie Brew Beer Tea Casket Coffin Jewelry Box First Floor Ground Floor “Second” Floor To hire To employ To rent http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_words_having_different_meani ngs_in_British_and_American_English {for more examples!}
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- 15. BrE: Bonnet AmE:Hood
- 16. BrE: Car parkAmE: Parking lot
- 17. BrE : Chemist’sshop AmE : Drugstore,Pharmacy
- 18. BrE : ChipsAmE : Fries, French Fries
- 19. BrE : Thecinema AmE : The movies
- 20.
- 21. Spelling BASE WORD AMERICANBRITISH Counsel Counseling Counselling Equal Equaled Equalled Model Modeling Modelling Quarrel Quarreling Quarrelling Signal Signaled Signalled Travel Traveling Travelling Base words that end in L normally double the L in British English when a suffix is added. The letter can double in American as well – but ONLY IF the stress is on the second syllable of the base word. BASE WORD AMERICAN BRITISH Excel Excelling Excelling Propel Propelling Propelling
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- 23. Pronunciation {stress} There arealso other words borrowed from French that feature stress differences. American first-syllable; British last-syllable: Mustache Mustache Cigarette Cigarette
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- 27. Sources. Intemann, Dr.F. “Teaching English Grammar and Lexis.” http://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~intemann/BA/grammar-lexis/bara- ristau-schubert.pdf Jones, Susan. “List of American vs. British Spelling.” http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/jones/spelling.htm Wallechinsky, David & Irving Wallace. “Trivia on History of Merriam- Webster’s Dictionary Part 1.” http://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary- part-1.htm Wikipedia. “British English.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_English Wikipedia. “American and British English Differences.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_differences