British and American English usage

7/30/2019 British and American English usage

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There are quite a few noticeable differences between the BritishEnglish dialect and the evolved dialect of American English.

These are the ones we will cover:

Spelling

Pronunciation {sounds}

Pronunciation {accent}

Grammar

Vocabulary


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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


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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

Bank Banque

Check Cheque


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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


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AMERICAN BRITISH

Jewelry Jewellry

Draft Draught

Pajamas Pyjamas

Plow Plough

Program Programme

Tire Tyre

Other word-specific differences --


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BASE WORD AMERICAN BRITISH

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 inBritish English when a suffix is added.

The letter candouble in Americanas wellbut ONLY IFthe stress is on thesecond syllableof the base word.

BASEWORD

AMERICAN BRITISH

Excel Excelling Excelling

Propel Propelling Propelling


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WORD AMERICANPRONUNCIATION

BRITISHPRONUNCIATION

Teacher

Father

Letter

Water

Aunt

Tomato


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There are also other words borrowed fromFrench that feature stress differences.

American first-syllable; British last-syllable:Mustache Mustache

Cigarette Cigarette


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The next 2 videos show a teacher saying the same text

first with the American accent and then with the British

accent


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NOUNSIn British English, collective nouns

can take either singular or pluralverb forms, depending onwhether the emphasis is on thebody or the members within it.

i.e.A committee was appointed.

The committee were unable

to agree.

VERBSmorphology American -- "-ed"

British -- "-t"

i.e. learned/learnt, dreamed/dreamtBritish English rarely use gotten; instead, got

is much more common. Past participles often vary:

i.e. sawAmerican: sawed; British: sawn

tenses British English employs the present perfect totalk about a recent event {i.e. Ive alreadyeaten, Ive just arrived home.}

auxiliariesBritish English often uses shall and shant

American English uses will and wont


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American& British

English

sometimeshave

different

words forthe same

things --

AMERICAN BRITISHApartment 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


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AMERICAN BRITISH

Highway Motorway

Hood {of a car} Bonnet

Jelly JamKerosene Paraffin

Lawyer Solicitor

Line Queue

Mail Post

Napkin Serviette

Nothing Nought

Period Full stop

Potato chips crisps

AMERICAN BRITISH

Truck Lorry

Trunk Boot

Vacation HolidayWindshield Windscreen

License Plate Number Plate

Pacifier Dummy

Parking lot Car park

Pharmacist Chemist

Sidewalk Pavement

Soccer Football

Trash can Bin


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American and British English speakersoften use the same words but intendvery different meaning with them:

WORD AMERICAN BRITISH

Biscuit Dinner roll Cookie

Brew Beer Tea

Bureau Chest of drawers Writing table/desk

Casket Coffin Jewelry BoxFirst 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!}
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_words_having_different_meanings_in_British_and_American_Englishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_words_having_different_meanings_in_British_and_American_Englishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_words_having_different_meanings_in_British_and_American_Englishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_words_having_different_meanings_in_British_and_American_English


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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-Websters 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
http://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~intemann/BA/grammar-lexis/bara-ristau-schubert.pdfhttp://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~intemann/BA/grammar-lexis/bara-ristau-schubert.pdfhttp://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/jones/spelling.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Englishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_differenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_differenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Englishhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htmhttp://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/jones/spelling.htmhttp://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~intemann/BA/grammar-lexis/bara-ristau-schubert.pdfhttp://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~intemann/BA/grammar-lexis/bara-ristau-schubert.pdfhttp://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~intemann/BA/grammar-lexis/bara-ristau-schubert.pdfhttp://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~intemann/BA/grammar-lexis/bara-ristau-schubert.pdfhttp://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~intemann/BA/grammar-lexis/bara-ristau-schubert.pdfhttp://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~intemann/BA/grammar-lexis/bara-ristau-schubert.pdfhttp://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~intemann/BA/grammar-lexis/bara-ristau-schubert.pdfhttp://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~intemann/BA/grammar-lexis/bara-ristau-schubert.pdfhttp://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~intemann/BA/grammar-lexis/bara-ristau-schubert.pdfhttp://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~intemann/BA/grammar-lexis/bara-ristau-schubert.pdfhttp://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~intemann/BA/grammar-lexis/bara-ristau-schubert.pdf

Documents

British and American English usage