Difference between American English and British English

 Differences between American English and British English

American English is the form of English used in the United States of America and includes all English dialects used within the USA. British English is the form of English used in the United Kingdom and includes all English dialects used within the UK. The main differences between American and British English are explained below with some examples.

Vocabulary

The most noticeable difference between American and British English is vocabulary. There are hundreds of everyday words that are different. Both languages have their own vocabulary. They often use different words for the same thing. For example, the British call the front of a car the bonnet, while Americans call it the hood. Americans go on vacation, while the British go on holiday or hols. British people eat chips, while Americans eat fries.

Spelling

There are hundreds of minor spelling differences between British and American English. Noah Webster started an effort to reform English spelling in the late eighteenth century. You can see Webster’s legacy in the American spelling of words like the color (from colour), honor (from honour), and labor (from labour). Webster dropped the letter u from these words to make the spelling match the pronunciation. Other Webster ideas failed, like a proposal to spell women as wimmen. Since Webster’s death in 1843, attempts to change spelling rules in American English have gone nowhere.

Grammar

Most of the grammar differences are in prepositions. Americans use different prepositions with words in a sentence. For example, Americans say:

• Play on a team
• On Churchill Street
• I’ll talk with him
• Different from/than
• On the weekends

While British English uses different prepositions, such as:

• Play in a team
• In Churchill Street
• I’ll talk to him
• Different from/to
• At the weekends

Collective Nouns

British people use collective nouns to refer to a group of individuals. In American English, collective nouns are singular. In American English, collective nouns like audience or team are used as singular. For example, The audience is very quiet or The team is playing well. In contrast, the British use such words as plural. For example, The audience are very quiet, or The team are playing well.

Pronunciation

Pronunciation is also an important difference between American and British people. The way of pronouncing words of both nations is very different. For example, the word secretary is pronounced as /ˈsɛkrɪt(ə)ri/ by the British and /ˈsɛkrəˌtɛri/ by Americans. Similarly, Americans pronounce chance as /tʃæns/ while British people pronounce it as /tʃɑːns/.

In conclusion, American English and British English have many differences in vocabulary, spelling, grammar, collective nouns, and pronunciation. These differences are the result of historical, cultural, and political factors that shaped the development of both languages. Webster and Franklin were influential figures in the reform and standardization of American English spelling. However, both languages also share many similarities and are mutually intelligible to a large extent.