British & American
English
Presented By
Ven. Vineetha (14-30)
Ven. Nanda (14-05)
Ven. Dhammananda (14-16)
[Link] (14-13)
Content
Introduction
Differentiation of Spelling
Vocabulary
Grammar
Pronunciation
Conclusion
Introduction
Most of the differences between the English of the UK and the
English of North America,
Spelling
Vocabulary
Grammar
Pronunciation
There are fewer differences in writing than in speaking.
Spelling
Words ending in -yse Words ending in -ize or -ise
British American British American
Analyse Analyze Apologize or Apologise Apologize
Breathalyse Breathalyze Organize or Organise Organize
Paralyse Paralyze Recognize or Recognise Recognize
Spelling
Nouns ending with ogue Words spelled with double vowels
British American British American
Leukaemia Leukemia
Analogue Analog or Analogue
Manoeuvre Maneuver
Catalogue Catalog or Catalogue
Oestrogen Estrogen
Dialogue Dialog or Dialogue Paediatric Pediatric
Spelling
Words ending in our Words ending in re
British American British American
Colour Color Centre Center
Flavour Flavor Fibre Fiber
Humour Humor Litre Liter
Labour Labor Theatre Theater or Theatre
Neighbour Neighbor
Spelling
Words ending in a vowel plus l Nouns ending with ence
British American British American
Travel Travel Defence Defense
Travelled Traveled Licence License
Travelling Traveling Offence Offense
Traveller Traveler Pretence Pretense
Fuel Fuel
Fuelled Fueled
Fuelling Fueling
Vocabulary British English
A
American English
accelerator gas pedal, accelerator
aerial (TV, radio) antenna, aerial
Alsatian German shepherd
American Indian Native American
anorak jacket, parka
at the weekend on the weekend
aubergine eggplant
B
bank holiday national holiday, federal holiday
barrister, solicitor lawyer, attorney
base rate prime rate
to bath to bathe
beetroot beet
bill check
bin, dustbin garbage can/trash can
biro ball-point pen
biscuit cookie
bonnet hood
boot trunk
braces suspenders
(round) brackets parentheses
Vocabulary
British English American English
C
candy floss cotton candy
car park parking lot
caravan trailer
caretaker janitor
catalogue catalog
centre center
chemist's shop drugstore, pharmacy
chips French fries
city centre downtown, city center
cloakroom checkroom, coatroom
clothes peg clothespin
colour color
cooker stove
(bathing) costume swimsuit
cosy cozy
cot (Baby) crib
cotton wool cotton ball
courgette zucchini
crisps potato chips
crossroad (in the country)
crossroads
intersection (town and country)
rsum
curriculum vitae (CV)
curriculum vitae
Vocabulary British English American English
D
dinner jacket tux, tuxedo
directory enquiries directory assistance
diversion detour
double cream heavy cream
draught draft
draughts checkers
drawing pin thumbtack
dressing gown (bath) robe
drink driving drunk driving
driving licence driver's license
dummy pacifier
duvet comforter
E
earth wire ground wire
engaged busy
enquiry inquiry
everywhere everyplace, everywhere
expiry date expiration date
Vocabulary British English American English
F
fancy dress costumes
Father Christmas Santa Claus
favourite favorite
to fill in to fill out
film film, movie
fire brigade fire department
first floor second floor
fish-fingers fish-sticks
flannel face cloth, wash cloth
apartment
flat
(flat: apartment with a single floor)
flavour flavor
football soccer
fortnight two weeks
fringe bangs
from Monday to Friday
from Monday to Friday from Monday through Friday
(Friday included)
full stop period
Vocabulary British English
G
American English
garden yard
gear lever gear shift
Gents Men's Room
goods train freight train
first floor, ground floor (in public
ground floor
buildings)
H
harbour harbor
headmaster, headteacher principal
to hire to rent
hire purchase installment plan
hockey field hockey
holiday vacation
hoover vacuum cleaner
humour humor
I
icing sugar powdered sugar
indicator blinker, turn signal
inverted commas, quotation
quotation marks
marks
British English American English
Vocabulary
J
jacket potato baked potato
jewellery jewelery
Joe Bloggs Joe Blow
jumble sale yard sale
jumper sweater
K
kilometre kilometer
L
ladybird ladybug
to lay the table to set the table
letterbox, postbox mailbox
lift elevator
litre liter
lorry truck
lost property lost and found
M
mackintosh raincoat
managing director CEO (chief executive officer)
match game
maths math
mobile (phone) cellphone
motorbike motorcycle
freeway, highway, expressway,
motorway
interstate
Mum mom
Grammar
collective nouns:-
In British English both plural and singular forms of the verb are possible
In American English, collective nouns are always followed by a singular verb
prepositions
In British English, at is used with many time expressions
In American English, on is always used when talking about the weekend, not at,
In British English, at is often used when talking about universities or other institutions,
In American English, in is often used,
In British English, to is always used after the verb write,
In American English, to can be omitted after write,
Grammar
Auxiliary verbs
Brits sometimes use shall to express the future.
I shall go home now.
Americans use it in conversation. It seems very formal.
I will go home now.
In question form, a Brit might say, Shall we go now?
American would probably say, Should we go now?
Americans use the helping verb do with negative not followed by need.
You do not need to come to work today.
Brits drop the helping verb and contract not.
You neednt come to work today.
Grammar Past Tense Verbs
Americans tend to use the en ending; Brits tend to use the -t ending
American might say, I have never gotten caught
Brit would say, I have never got caught.
Americans use both got and gotten in the past participle. Brits only use got
Tense
In British English, the present perfect tense is used a lot more than in American English.
In American English, the simple past tense is normally used.
"I have already seen that movie"- British English
"I already saw that movie" - American English
Informal Speech
Are you going to come later?" - British English
"Are you gonna come later?" - American English
Grammar Verbs
Some verbs that are regular in British English are irregular in American English.
"She wet her hair before washing it - British English
"She wetted her hair before washing it" - American English
With verbs of perception such as senses are used independently in American English
British English speakers will use 'can' or 'could'.
"I can see the beach" - British English
"I see the beach" - American English
In British English, many past simple verbs can end in 'ed' or in 't', but in American
English the ending of 'ed' is normally preferred.
"She learnt to play the piano" - British English
"She learned to play the piano" - American English
Pronunciation
British English and American sound noticeably different.
[r]
In the middle and at the end drop in British English
Word British American Word British American
Car k: k:r more m: m:r
park p:k p:rk course k:s k:rs
start st:t st:rt Morning m:n m:rn
Pronunciation
[t]
At the end drop in American English
Ex; cut / what
Sometime it gives d sound (between 2 vowels and r and y)
Ex; Saturday / waiter / matter / party / sort of / part of
Sometimes t drop after n in AE
Ex; Centre / interview / internet
Common words
Z
adult garage advertisement
leisure either neither
Conclusion
There is only one English language, which is presently
spoken by more than a third of the worlds population.
A good speaker of English should know how to juggle with
both or at least should know how to recognize them.
English is a universal language that helps communication
between peoples become easier. American or British, what
difference does it make?
Bibliography
Streven P. (1972). British and American English, Collier-Macmillan.
Moore M. (1989). Understanding British English, Citadel Press.
Cotter C. (2001). Sally Steward, 2nd Edition, Lonely Planet USA.
Baugh, A.C. (1935) A History of the English language. USA.
Fletcher, C. (1990) Language pronunciation Dictionary: study Guide. England: Longman
Group Uk Limited.
Halliday. Mak, A. Mclntosh and P.D. Stevens. (1964) The Linguist Science and Language
Teaching. London: Language Group UK Limited.
