British English vs American English

The differences between British English and American English are varied and encompass several aspects of the language. And while there are differences, some differences blur across English-speaking countries. Learning these differences has a few benefits. Here are the key benefits and distinctions:

Why learn the difference between US and British English

Understanding the differences between British and American English is valuable for ESL students for several key reasons:

• Enhanced comprehension
  • Exposure to various media (films, TV shows, music, books) requires understanding both forms of English.
  • It prevents confusion when encountering different vocabulary or grammatical structures.
• Greater linguistic flexibility
  • Being able to navigate both variations enhances overall language proficiency.  
  • It prepares students for diverse real-world communication scenarios.
• Improved communication
  • Knowing the variations allows for clearer communication with speakers from diverse English-speaking backgrounds.  
  • It reduces the risk of misinterpretations due to differing vocabulary or expressions.  
• Increased cultural awareness
  • Language is deeply intertwined with culture. Understanding these variations provides insights into the cultural nuances of different English-speaking regions.  
  • It fosters a broader understanding of the English language’s global reach.
• Professional advantages
  • In international business or academic settings, familiarity with both forms can be beneficial.
  • Some organizations or publications may have preferences for one form over the other.

The differences

While there are many differences between American and British English, here are some of the major ones. Also, note that this list nor the examples are not exhaustive.

1. Spelling

• -our vs. -or
  • British: colour, flavour, honour  
  • American: color, flavor, honor
• -re vs. -er
  • British: centre, theatre, metre  
  • American: center, theater, meter
• -ise vs. -ize
  • British: organise, realise
  • American: organize, realize  
• Doubled consonants
  • British often doubles consonants in words like “travelling” and “cancelled,” while American English often uses single consonants: “traveling,” “canceled.”

2. Vocabulary (Lexis) differences

• Clothing
  • American: pants / British: trousers
  • American: sweater / British: jumper  
  • American: sneakers / British: trainers
  • American: undershirt / British: vest  
• Food
  • American: French fries / British: chips
  • American: cookie / British: biscuit  
  • American: candy / British: sweets
  • American: eggplant / British: aubergine  
• Household
  • American: apartment / British: flat
  • American: faucet / British: tap  
  • American: trash / British: rubbish
  • American: yard / British: garden
• Legal and formal terms
  • American: attorney (or lawyer) / British: barrister (or solicitor) American: lawyer / British: solicitor.
• Transportation
  • American: truck / British: lorry  
  • American: subway / British: underground  
  • American: gasoline / British: petrol  
  • American: hood (of a car) / British: bonnet  
  • American: trunk (of a car) / British: boot  
• Other
  • American: vacation / British: holiday  
  • American: flashlight / British: torch  
  • American: elevator / British: lift  
  • American: sidewalk / British: pavement
  • American: movie / British: film  

• Slang and idioms
  • There are also huge differences in slang. For example, expressions of being tired, expressing gratitude, and/or any kind of colloquial speech can have vast differences.

Key take-aways

• Many of these differences arose due to historical separation and independent linguistic evolution.
• It is worth noting that within both American and British english there are also regional variations, and slang terms that vary wildly.
• While many terms are easily understood across both variations, others can lead to confusion.  

3. Pronunciation

• Rhoticity
  • American English is generally rhotic, meaning the “r” sound is pronounced in words like “car” and “bird.”  
  • British English is generally non-rhotic, meaning the “r” is often silent at the end of words or before consonants.  
• Vowel sounds: Significant variations exist in vowel pronunciations, leading to distinct accents. Here are some of the differences.
  • The “a” sound
  • Words like “bath,” “dance,” and “grass” often have a broad “ah” sound (/ɑː/) in British English, but a shorter “æ” sound in American English.
  • Also the “a” sound when followed by nasal sounds like “n” or “m” will often have an added “uh” sound in American English.
  • The “u” sound
  • The “u” sound in words can also vary. Sometimes tending to a more “oo” sound in British english, and a more “uh” sound in American english.
  • “er” sounds
  • Words like “her,” “bird,” and “world” have a distinct “er” sound in American English, while British English often has a longer “uh” sound.

4. Grammar

• Auxiliary verbs: Differences exist in the usage of verbs like “shall” and the past tense forms of certain verbs (e.g., “learnt” vs. “learned”).  
  • “Shall” vs. “Will”
    • British English
      • “Shall” is traditionally used with “I” and “we” to express the future. It’s also used to ask for suggestions (“Shall we go?”).  
    • American English
      • “Will” is predominantly used for future tense with all subjects. “Shall” is less common, primarily found in formal or legal contexts.
• Collective nouns
  • British English: Collective nouns can be treated as either singular or plural, depending on the context and the speaker’s intended meaning.  
    • If the group is considered as a single unit, a singular verb is used.
      • Example: “The team is playing well.” (Focusing on the team as a whole).
    • If the speaker is emphasizing the individual members of the group, a plural verb is used.
      • Example: “The team are playing well.” (Focusing on the individual players)
  • American English: Collective nouns (like “team,” “family,” “government”) are almost always treated as singular.
    • Example: “The team is playing well.”
• Prepositions: Differences in preposition usage between British and American English, while often subtle, can lead to noticeable variations in speech and writing.
  • “At” vs. “In” school/university
    • British English: Often “at university,” “at school”  
    • American English: Often “in university,” “in school”
  • “At” vs. “On” the weekend
    • British English: “at the weekend”  
    • American English: “on the weekend”
  • “To” vs. “From/Than” with “different”
    • British English: “different to/from”  
    • American English: “different from/than”

5. Punctuation

There are some minor differences in the placement of punctuation within and outside of quotation marks.  

• Quotation marks
  • American English
    • Uses double quotation marks (” “) for direct quotations.  
    • Uses single quotation marks (‘ ‘) for quotations within quotations.
    • Generally places commas and periods inside the closing quotation marks.
  • British English
    • Often uses single quotation marks (‘ ‘) for direct quotations.
    • Uses double quotation marks (” “) for quotations within quotations.
    • Tends to place commas and periods outside the closing quotation marks, unless they are part of the original quoted material (logical punctuation).
• The serial (Oxford) comma
  • American English
    • Generally uses the serial comma (the comma before “and” in a list of three or more items).
    • Example: “I bought apples, oranges, and bananas.”
  • British English
    • Usage varies. Many style guides recommend omitting the serial comma, unless it’s needed for clarity.
    • Example: “I bought apples, oranges and bananas.”
    • It is used when clarity is needed.
• Abbreviations
  • American English
    • Typically uses periods after abbreviations (e.g., “Dr.”).
  • British English
    • Often omits periods after abbreviations, especially when the abbreviation ends with the last letter of the full word (e.g., “Dr”).  
• Dates
  • American English
    • Uses the month-day-year format (MM/DD/YYYY).  
  • British English
    • Uses the day-month-year format (DD/MM/YYYY).

Important note

It’s important to note that both British and American English are constantly evolving, and regional variations exist within each country. So, the format can be different in the same country. Remember, there are many different style guides and styles in general.