Differences Between British and American English

A Comprehensive Guide Help You to Master Both Varieties

Prepared by AW Translation Team

Differences Between British and American English

Introduction:

English, as a global language, has undergone many changes over the years, giving rise to various versions around the world. Two of the most popular versions are BrE and AmE. While both are fundamentally the same, there are significant differences between them. Not only will this guide help you to master both varieties, but it will also familiarize you with their differences and learn how to use them effectively.

Section 1: Spelling

  1. The colour / color group

Most BrE words end in (–our), while AmE ends in (-or).

BrE AmE  BrE   AmE
armourarmor harbourharbor
behaviourbehavior labourlabor
colourcolor neighbourneighbor
favouritefavorite rumourrumor
favourfavor savioursavior
  1. The centre / center group

Most BrE words end in (-tre), usually deriving from French, while AmE ends in (-ter).

BrEAmE BrEAmE
accoutreaccouter reconnoitrereconnoiter, reconnoitre
centrecenter sabresaber, sabre
fibrefiber, fibre spectrespecter, spectre
litreliter metremeter
  1. The realise / realize group

In this group, differences between BrE and AmE spelling are far from systematic. Some verbs, regardless of a specific dialect, can only have (-ize) (capsize, seize), while in others only (-ise) is possible (advertise, advise, surprise).

BrEAmE BrEAmE
apologise, apologizeapologize Emphasise, emphasizeemphasize
burglarise, burglarizeburglarize Finalise, finalizefinalize
capitalise, capitalizecapitalize mobilise, mobilizemobilize
categorise, categorizecategorize organise, organizeorganize
criticise, criticizecriticize realise, realizerealize
  1. The oedema / edema group

In words of Greek origin, BrE has (oe-), where AmE has (e-) or less commonly (oe-). Similarly, words with an (-ae) combination in BrE (orthopaedics, anaesthesia) are spelt without (a) in AmE.

BrEAmE BrEAmE
anaemiaanemia faecalfecal
anaemicanemic haemoglobinhemoglobi
anaestheticanesthetic leukaemialeukemia
diarrhoeadiarrhea manoeuvremaneuver
oedemaedema PalaeozoicPaleozoic
  1. The fulfill / fulfil group

A certain number of disyllabic verbs stressed on the second syllable are written in BrE with a single (-l) but in AmE with (–ll).

BrEAmE BrEAmE
appalappall, appal install, instalinstall, instal
distildistill, distil instalmentinstallment, instalment
enrolenroll, enrol instilinstill, instil
fulfilfulfill, fulfil skilfulskillful
fulfilmentfulfillment wilfulwillful, wilful

In American spelling, when you add a suffix like (-ing, -ed, or –er) to a word, you double the final consonant only if the stress falls on the second syllable of the root word.

BrEAmE BrEAmE
cancelledcanceled, cancelled levelledleveled, levelled
counselledcounseled, counselled modellingmodeling, modelling
equalledequaled, equalled quarrellingquarreling, quarrelling
fuelledfueled, fuelled worshipperworshiper, worshipper
  1. One letter differences

An interesting group is comprised of words which AmE spelt with a single different or additional letter.

BrEAmE BrEAmE
aluminiumaluminum mummom
behovebehoove plonkplunk
carburettorcarburetor potterputter
chequecheck specialityspecialty
  1. Miscellaneous

Important spelling differences not already noted are listed below.

BrEAmE BrEAmE
aeroplaneairplane cataloguecatalog, catalogue
analyseanalyze catalysecatalyze
artefactartifact chilli, chilichili, chile, chilli
jewelryjewellery Pyjamaspajamas
license (v.)license, licence practice (n.)practice, practise
licence (n.)license, licence practise (v.)practice, practise
program, programmeprogramme (v.) through, thruthrough

Section 2: Pronunciation

Phonologists have identified 16 modern dialect regions in England alone (with others in Ireland, Scotland and Wales) and 26 in the United States.

Pronunciation of ‘r’

The most obvious difference between standard American (AmE) and standard British (BrE) is the omission of ‘r’ in BrE:

BrEAmE
You only pronounce a written < r > if there is a vowel sound after it, so we don’t say it in PARK /pɑːk/, HORSE /hɔːs/ or FURTHER /ˈfɜːðə/.We pronounce every written /r/ so /pɑrk/, /hɔrs/ & /fɜrðər/.
  1. Vowel Sounds

Many of the 20 vowel sounds very similar in American and British pronunciation, however, there are 8 sounds that significantly change:

A- /ɒ/ to /ɑ/

BrEAmE
We use back rounded open sound /ɒ/ for words like SHOP /ʃɒp/, LOST /lɒst/ and WANT /wɒnt/.We don’t round the lips, so it’s: /ʃɑp/, /lɑst/ & /wɑnt/.

B- /a/ to /ɛ/

BrEAmE

– The pronunciation and usage of /a/ is fairly similar in American and British; words like CAT and MAD are very similar.

– CARRY /kari/

– EMBARRASS /ɪmˈbarɪs/

– HARRY /ˈhari/

– in BrE they are different: /ˈmari/, /ˈmɛri/ & /ˈmɛːri/

– There is a group of words, however, containing the spelling ARR, which change from /a/ to /ɛ/ in American.

– CARRY /kɛri/

– EMBARRASS /ɪmˈbɛrəs/

– HARRY /ˈhɛri/

– giving the name the same pronunciation as HAIRY in American. MARRY, MERRY and MARY would all be the same too in AmE.

C- /əː/ to /ɜr/

BrEAmE

– The British sound /əː/, found in words like HEARD /həːd/, FIRST /fəːst/ and WORST /wəːst/.

– COLONEL /ˈkəːnəl/ in BrE

– It is pronounced differently – with the tongue raised and a /r/ quality in American, /hərd/, /fərst/ & /wərst/.

– This sound nearly always has an ‘r’ in its spelling, but even when it doesn’t, American speakers say one, like in the word COLONEL /ˈkərnəl/

D- /ɔː/ to /ɔr/ & /ɑ/

BrEAmE

– Long back rounded /ɔː/ as in SWORD /sɔːd/, FORCE /fɔːs/, THOUGHT /θɔːt/ & LAW /lɔː/

– In BrE CAUGHT /kɔːt/ and COURT would be the same, COT /kɒt/ would be different.

– It is pronounced in 2 ways in AmE. /ɔr/ for words with ‘r so SWORD /sɔrd/ & FORCE /fɔrs/, and /ɑ/ for words without /r/ so THOUGHT /θɑt/ & LAW //.

– This means that for many American speakers, COT /kɑt/and CAUGHT /kɑt/ are the same, though COURT /kɔrt/ would be different.

E- /ɑː/ to /ɑr/ & /a/

BrEAmE
Long back unrounded /ɑː/ like in CAR /kɑː/, START /stɑːt/, AFTER /ɑːftə/ & HALF /hɑːf/.It is pronounced /ɑr/ in AmE if there’s an ‘r’ in the spelling so CAR /kɑr/ & START /stɑrt/. Most of those words that don’t have an ‘r’ in BrE are pronounced /a/ in AmE so AFTER /ˈaftər/ & HALF /haf/.

F- /ɛː/ to /ɛr/

BrEAmE

– The long vowel /ɛː/ in HAIR /hɛː/, BEAR /bɛː/ & WHERE /wɛː/ are always spelt with an ‘r’.

– FAIRY and FERRY are /ˈfɛːri/ & /ˈfɛri/ in BrE.

– It is pronounced /ɛr/ in AmE HAIR /hɛr/, BEAR /bɛr/, WHERE /wɛr/.

– On other hand, FAIRY /ˈfɛri/ and FERRY the same in American.

G- /ɪə/ to /ɪr/

BrEAmE
/ɪə/ in words like STEER /stɪə/, CLEAR /klɪə/ & CHEER /tʃɪə/– It is pronounced /ɪr/ in AmE, so /stɪr/, /klɪr/ & /tʃɪr/.

H- /əʊ/ to /oʊ/

BrEAmE
In standard BrE the diphthong /əʊ/ starts in the centre of the mouth GO, NO & SHOW.whereas in AmE it starts to the back //: GO /goʊ/, NO /noʊ/, SHOW /ʃoʊ/. There is great variance on both sides of the Atlantic for this sound.

I- Vowel Length (/ː/)

There is a common difference between BrE and AmE in the length of vowel sounds of the same word. Some of them are pronounced in BrE significantly longer than their American counterparts. Part of this difference is owing to the pronunciation of ‘r’ in many American words and not pronouncing it in their British counterparts.

WordBrEAmE
heard/həːd//hərd/
Bar/bɑː//bɑr/
caught/kɔːt//kɑt/
Need/niːd//nid/
shoe/ʃuː//ʃu/
  1. Consonant Sounds

Pronunciation of consonants is same in BrE  and AmE. However, there are some variations as follows:

  • /t/

When /t/ appears after a stressed vowel and before a weak vowel, such as, WATER, FIGHTER, GOT IT.

BrEAmE

In standard British, it would be pronounced as a normal /t/.

However, it would be a glottal stop in regional British accents, most famously cockney.

American speakers often make a voiced flap – a bit like a very fast /d/.
  • /r/

For example, RIGHT, ARROW

BrEAmE
The tongue is flatter and further forward.

Apart from the higher number of /r/ sounds in AmE, there is also a small but significant difference from BrE in the way they are pronounced.

In American, the tongue curls back further, giving it a slightly muffled quality.

  • Yod (/j/) Dropping

Where /j/ appears after /t, d, n, l, s, z/ (the alveolar consonants), it is pronounced in BrE and omitted in AmE:

Alveolar consonant BrEAmE
– /t/ – TUNE/tjuːn//tun/
– /d/ – DUTY/ˈdjuːti//ˈduti/
–  /n/ – NEW/njuː//nu/
/l/ – LEWD/ljuːd//lud/
– /s/ – SUIT/sjuːt//sut/
/z/ – EXUDE/ɪgˈzjuːd//ɪgˈzud/
This is often referred to as ‘yod dropping’.
  1. Stress & Intonation

A- Word Stress

Some words are stressed in AmE differently from BrE, particularly those of French origin. Whereas, American keeps the last syllable stress and British goes for first syllable:

WordBrEAmE
GARAGE/ˈɡær.ɑːʒ//ɡəˈrɑːʒ/
BALLET/ˈbæl.eɪ//bælˈeɪ/
BROCHURE/ˈbrəʊ.ʃər//broʊˈʃʊr/

Though, this is reversed in the following words:

WordBrEAmE
ADDRESS/əˈdres//ˈæd.res/
MOUSTACHE/məˈstɑːʃ//ˈmʌs.tæʃ/

B- Intonation

The melody of BrE and AmE is quite different, though the structure of speech is very similar.

BrEAmE
The most obvious difference is the British tendency to use high falling intonation, hitting the main stress high and dropping down.Whereas in American, rising tones are more common, so you go up from the main stress. This use of rising intonation on statements is sometimes referred to as ‘Upspeak’.

Section 3: Vocabulary

There are some key vocabulary differences between both BrE and AmE. The list blow shows some of these differences.

BrEAmE BrEAmE
flatapartment boottrunk
aerialantenna filmmovie
aluminiumaluminum greygray
anti-clockwisecounterclockwise holidayvacation
at weekendson weekends manoeuvremaneuver
ploughplow postmail
programmeprogram towardstoward
scepticalskeptical transporttransportation
tyretire storeystory, floor
aubergineeggplant car parkparking lot
caravantrailer flyoveroverpass

In addition, different slang words are sometimes used in BrE and AmE to refer to the same things.

BrEAmEMeaning BrEAmEMeaning
BogeyBoogerA wad of mucus BlokeDudeA man
AceAwesomeVery good SquaddieGruntAn infantry soldier
ChinwagShoot the breezeTo chat LooJohnA toilet
Faff aboutLollygagTo waste time John SmithJohn DoeAn anonymous man

Section 4: Grammar

Aside from spelling and vocabulary, there are certain grammar differences between BrE and AmE.

  • Irregular verbs

A number of verbs can be either regular or irregular in the Past Simple. However, the forms most commonly used are not the same in BrE and AmE. The regular form is usually preferred in AmE, and the irregular one is preferred in BrE.

BrEAmE BrEAmE
burntBurned smelledsmelt
speltspelled spilledsplit
  • Auxiliary and modal verbs

In BrE and AmE, it is possible to use can and could with verbs of perception, i.e. see, hear, feel, smell, and taste, but this practice is much more common in BrE than AmE.

BrEAmE
l can smell something burning.l smell something burning.
l could see Alan coming up the hill.l saw Alan coming up the hill.
  • Collective nouns.

For example, government, staff, committee, family, team, etc.,

BrEAmE
Collective nouns can take either a singular or a plural verb.Collective nouns usually take a singular verb.
The government intends (or intend) to cut taxes.The government intends to cut taxes.
Air France have (or has) announced additional flights.Air France has announced additional flights.

Section 5: Punctuation

  • Dates

There are some key differences in both between BrE and AmE in connection to writing dates.

BrEAmE
19 September 1973 or 19.09.1973September 19th 1973 or September 19, 1973 or 9/19/1973
  • Titles
BrEAmE
No periods are used after the title.Periods are used after the title.
Mr – MsMr. – Ms.
  • Quote Marks
BrEAmE
Single quotation marks are used for initial quotations, and then double quotes when there is a quotation inside the quotation.Double quotation marks are used for initial quotations, and then single quotes when there is a quotation inside the quotation.
Smith (2001, p. 34) writes that witnesses heard someone shout Duck! loudly before the explosion.Smith (2001, p. 34) writes that that witnesses heard someone shout Duck! loudlybefore the explosion.

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding the differences between BrE and AmE is crucial for anyone who wants to communicate effectively in English. While both versions are similar, they have significant differences in terms of spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. By mastering both varieties, you can effectively communicate with people from both sides of the Atlantic and become fluent in English.

References:

1- A to zed, a to zee a guide to the differences between British and American English, written by Glenn Darragh

2- Differences Between British and American English (enago)

3- https://pronunciationstudio.com/american-vs-british-pronunciation/

4- https://dictionary.cambridge.org/

5- https://www.ldoceonline.com/

6-https://www.englishclub.com/efl/articles/3-main-differences-between-british-and-american-english/

7- https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/british-american.php

8-https://www.britishcouncilfoundation.id/en/english/articles/british-and-american-english

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This Post Has 6 Comments

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