The topic of American English vs British English is rather interesting in the way it showcases the coated diversity of the English language within itself. Though both have evolved from the same source, they have eventually taken distinct differences over time and also across the continents, in regard to the content in vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation, and even grammar.
With a history spanning several centuries and a language spread across the globe, there were bound to be dialect variations across continents. Two such major types are American English and British English. Although they have most of the vocabulary and almost the same grammar, there are tiny differences that at times create misunderstandings. In Today’s blog post we will be unfolding American English vs. British English, highlighting important differences between the two in regard to pronunciation, vocabulary, and spelling.
History of American and British English
Despite the fact that British colonists brought English to the other side of the Atlantic in the 16th and 17th centuries, American and British English had already started their divergence. At the time, English spelling was not yet fully established in a standard form, so American dictionaries, for example, by Noah Webster, were looking to rationalize spelling to contribute to a creation of a new national character, and dictionaries in Britain preserved medieval spelling forms. Over time, American accents would retain some of the sounds other accents lost. They kept the “r” in words like “hard.” British pronunciation, however, was undergoing important changes, which set up the basic differences we know today. The linguistic divergence plotted the line not only along geographical separations between them but also with an independent spirit for the United States.
What is the Major difference between American and British English?
Though rooted in the same language, American and British English have branched slightly over time. This, in effect, means that though they have shared roots, very few differences can be realized in vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and spelling.
We can now deal in detail with these variations, firstly with respect to spelling, punctuation, and word choice.
Pronunciation
Quite visible differences exist in the pronunciation of British and American English. For example, in general, Americans would rather put more emphasis on the vowels in a word, and this makes the word come off as brighter when they speak. Meanwhile, British English places its emphasis on consonants to create a crisper sound. These could also be in the form of the sounds that the vowels make, and how speakers use intonation for emphasis. The timeless example here is the “tomato/tomahto” debate, where Americans stressed the first syllable and Brits the second. Throughout, for instance, the Americans would emphasize the first syllable of most words, while a Briton would pound on the second. But, no worries, if all this seems a little confusing right now, with a bit of practice, the differences should clear up!
The letter R:
American: Pronounced in most positions, like “hard” (hard) and “car” (car).
British: Often silent after vowels, like “hard” (hahd) and “car” (cah).
The “T” sound:
American: Pronounced clearly, like “water” (wah-ter) and “better” (bet-ter).
British: Sometimes dropped at the end of words, like “water” (wah-er) and “better” (bet-tah).
The “A” sound in “bath”:
American: Broad “ah” sound, like “bath” (bahth).
British: Short “a” sound, closer to “bat” (bat).
The vowel sound in “caught” and “cot”:
American: Often merged into one sound, so “caught” (cawt) and “cot” (cawt) can sound similar.
British: More distinct sounds, with “caught” (cawt) having a longer “au” sound and “cot” (cot) having a shorter “o” sound.
Words with silent letters:
American: “Schedule” (ske-jool) and “herb” (urb).
British: “Schedule” (shed-yool) and “herb” (herb).
Spelling
There are many words that have different spellings in British and American English. Here are some examples:
Color (American) vs Colour (British)
Fulfill (American) vs Fulfil (British)
Center (American) vs Centre (British)
Analyze (American) vs Analyse (British)
Aging (American) vs Ageing (British)
Dialog (American) vs Dialogue (British)
Anesthesia (American) vs Anaesthesia (British)
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