Differences between american english and british english

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AMERICAN ENGLISH AND BRITISH ENGLISH

"England and America are two countries separated by a common language."

(George Bernard Shaw, Irish writer, Nobel Prize in Literature, 1856-1950)



MAIN INFLUENCES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

55 BC - 449 AD

450 - 1066

1150-1400

1476 - 1782

1828 - 1928

1928

• English has become a universal language
• There are many varieties of the language in the world
• Modern British English is influenced by American English,

so some contrasts are disappearing

ENGLISH EVOLUTION AND CONTRASTS

COMPARISON

British English (BrE) is the form of English used in the United Kingdom, and includes all English dialects used within the United Kingdom.

American English (AmE)

is the form of English used in the United States, and includes all English dialects used within the United States.

British and American English are reference norms for English in the rest of the world

BRITISH HEGEMONY AND

COLONIAL

1607-1776

• British colonies
• Introduced English
• Settlers, Ameridians

NATIONAL

1607-1776

• American Revolution
• Political and cultural independence
• New nation needed a sense of linguistic identity
• First American dictionary written by Noah Webster (1828)

An American Dictionary of the English Language

INTERNATIONAL

1898-present period

PRONUNCIATION

SPELLING

DATES

10/23/2014 BRE

23/10/204 AMER

NUMBERS

GRAMMAR

VOCABULARY

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN

BRITISH AND AMERICAN

DIALECTS

DIFFERENCES OF VOCABULARY

SOME WORDS

solicitor/ lawyer

barrister

diary appointment

book

flat apartment

aeroplane airplane

sweet (s) candy (ies)

biscuit (s) cookie (s)

current checking

account account

state public

school school

trade labor

union union

DIFFERENCES IN SPELLING

-our	-or
colour	color
honour	honor
favourite	favorite

-l	-ll
enrolment	enrollment
fulfil	fulfill
skiful	skifull

-ogue	-og
analogue	analog
catalogue	catalog
dialogue	dialog

-se	- -ze
analyse	analyze
criticise	criticize
memorise	memorize

-re	-er
centre	center
metre	Meter
theatre	teather

-ck or -k	-que
banque	bank
cheque	check

-ae/oe	-e
encyclopaedia	encyclopedia
manoeuvre	manoeuve
mediaeval	medieval

-dge/ge/gue	-dg/g/gu
ageing	aging
arguement	argument
judgement	judgment

-c	-s
licence	license
defence	defense

jewellry	jewelry
draught	draft
pyjamas	pajamas
plough	plow
programme	program
tyre	tire

OTHER WORD-SPECIFIC DIFFERENCES

DIFFERENCE IN GRAMMAR

In British English it is used to talk about past actions that have an effect in the present

I have lost my key. Can you help me look for it?

In American English past simple and present perfect are used in the same situations

 

I lost my key. Can you help me look for it?

USE OF THE PRESENT PERFECT

British English use the present perfect with these adverbs of indefinite time

 

• I have already seen that film.
• I have just had lunch.
• Have you finished your homework yet?

PRESENT PERFECT X SIMPLE PAST AND ADVERBS ALREADY, JUST, YET

• I just had lunch OR I have just had lunch
• I have already seen that film OR I already saw that film.
• Have your finished your homework yet? OR Did you finish your homework yet?

American English: simple past and present perfect

Have x Have got

British English

have got or have

American English

only have can be used in questions and negative sentences

• They have/have got two computers.
• Have you got a computer? Yes, I have.

• Do you have a computer? Yes, I do.

The past participle of the verb get is gotten in American English

• He is gotten much better at playing tennis.

• FORM THE ADVERB

In informal American English the adverb form ending in -ly is often not used

• SHALL

Shall is not used instead of will in American English for the first person singular of the future

He looked at me really strangely.

I will be here tomorrow

• PREPOSITIONS AND PARTICLES

VERBS IRREGULAR REGULAR

• burn / burnt / burnt
• dream / dreamt / dreamt
• lean / leant / leant
• learn / learnt / learnt
• smell / smelt / smelt
• spell / spelt / spelt
• spill / spilt / spilt
• spoil / spoilt / spoilt

• burn / burned / burned
• dream / dreamed / dreamed
• lean / leaned / leaned
• learn / learned / learned
• smell / smelled /smelled
• spell / spelled /spelled
• spill / spilled / spilled
• spoil / spoiled / spoiled

DIFFERENCES IN PRONUNCIATION

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKEM-juLxmM