Introduction
The origins of these two distinct versions of the English language can be traced back to the early 17th century when British colonies were established in America. According to an article entitled “American English vs. British English” (n.d.), English also spread to other parts of the world due to the considerable reach of the British Empire at the time. But as time passed, the version of English spoken in America progressively diverged from the original British English, so that two distinct versions are now recognized. The article stated that the differences encompass not just pronunciation but also “grammar, vocabulary (lexis), spelling, punctuation, idioms, and formatting of dates and numbers.” This essay discusses those differences.
The Differences
Unless otherwise noted, the content of the following headed paragraphs has been derived from the article referenced above.
Pronunciation. Although there is no single American or British accent, the pronunciation of many words has diverged noticeably between the two nations since American Independence (1776). In general, American accents use rhotic speech (e.g. pronouncing the letter “r” in farm or hard) whereas most British accents are non-rhotic. Some words used in both English versions are pronounced differently, such as controversy (American) and controversy (British) – the bold and underlined syllable is the one emphasized in speech. Another example is schedule. In American English it is pronounced skedule, in British English shedule.
Tenses. In British English it is common to use the present perfect tense to describe a recent action that affects the present. As an example, a British person might say: “I have lost my phone, could you help me locate it?” A person using American English might use the past tense instead: “I lost my phone, could you help me locate it?”
Vocabulary. Many words are common to both English versions but have different meanings. Example: fender; part of a car body in American English, but in British English it is a cushioning device dangled over the sides of a boat to prevent damage during docking. Conversely there are words that are used in one country and a different word used in the other. Example: barrister; in Britain, a senior lawyer grade, able to plead in the higher courts. In the U.S. the word lawyer would be used instead.
Spellings. Many words are spelt differently in the two English versions. A common difference occurs in words like analyse and prioritise (British), where in the American version the “s” is replaced by a “z”, hence analyze and prioritize. Other examples (American first) are: center and centre, color and colour, defense and defence.
Prepositions. There are differences here, too. British sportsmen might play in a team, whereas their American counterparts would play on a team. Similarly, where British English refers to at the weekend, the American expression would be on the weekend.
Verb Usage. In American English, the past tense of dream is dreamed, whereas the British use dreamt. Similarly, learned and learnt are the past tense versions of the verb to learn.
The Time and Date. American English would speak of 10:15 as a quarter after ten. In British English the normal expression would be quarter past ten. Dates can be confusing, especially when expressed in number format, as in American English the month comes before the day. So 5th November 2012 would be 11/05/12 in America, but 05/11/12 in British English.
An article entitled “British English vs. American English” (© 2012) published on the New York-based TranSpanish website, included a section on Idioms. It listed some commonly used idiomatic expressions that essentially share the same meaning in both American and British English, but have variations in their wording. Examples are (American version first):
“beating a dead horse” – “flogging a dead horse”
“tempest in a teapot” – “storm in a teacup”
“skeleton in the closet” – “skeleton in the cupboard”
Another useful reference article on this topic by Maxwell & Clandfield (2012) included some interesting, though largely technical, differences between the two English versions. For example, in American English collective nouns are invariably followed by the singular verb form, whereas in British English, either singular or plural can be appropriate. Examples:
American: “Which team is losing?” British: “Which team are losing?”
American: “The other team is seated.” British: “The other team are all seated.”
Another difference highlighted in this article is the predominantly British use of the word “do” as an auxiliary word substituted for a verb, for example:
American: “Are you coming with us?” Reply: “I might.”
British: “Are you coming with us?” Reply: “I might do.”
The authors also made the point that neither version of English can be said to be better. They are simply different (as we have seen).
Conclusions
There is no doubt that there are numerous differences between American English and British English, although for the most part natives of the two nations have no difficulty in understanding one another. For those teaching English, it is important to be aware of the many differences and to decide which standard to use / accept. There is some truth in the (unattributed) quotation describing Britain and America as: “two nations divided by a common language.”
References
“American English vs. British English.” (n.d.). Diffen. Retrieved from http://www.diffen.com/difference/American_English_vs_British_English#History_of_British_vs_American_English
“British English vs. American English.” (© 2012). TranSpanish. Retrieved from http://www.transpanish.biz/en/english-language.html
Maxwell, Kerry and Clandfield, Lindsay. “Differences in American and British English grammar – article.” (2012). One Stop English. Retrieved from http://www.onestopenglish.com/grammar/grammar-reference/american-english-vs-british-english/differences-in-american-and-british-english-grammar-article/152820.article
