Two countries divided by a common language

The United States and the United Kingdom

“ Two countries divided by a common language” – George Bernard Shaw

By Lidiya Kazantseva

The British Empire

• The English language was introduced to America through colonization.

• The first English settlement was established in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607.

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• The language also spread to other parts of the world as a result of British trade and colonization. By 1921 the former British Empire controlled a population of 470 to 570 million people (a ¼ of the world’s population).

The History of English

• Over 400 years, the English language has changed into two versions we refer to as American English and Standard British English.
• Differences include: pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, idioms, and formatting of dates.

Dates

• The way dates are formatted in the UK & USA is different:

• 05/01/2014: British English – DD/MM/YYYY 01/05/2014: American English – MM/DD/YYYY
• 05/01/2014: British English – DD/MM/YYYY
• 01/05/2014: American English – MM/DD/YYYY

• The way UK and USA speakers say dates is also different: 5 th of January 2014 – British English January 5 th , 2014 – American English
• 5 th of January 2014 – British English
• January 5 th , 2014 – American English

Pronunciation

• The /ae/ sound becomes /a:/ in American English.

• Example: Fast / Path / Grass
• Example: Fast / Path / Grass
• The /o/ sound is pronounced with lips rounded only in British English. Example: Not / Lot / Hot / Top
• Example: Not / Lot / Hot / Top
• Unaccented syllables are very slightly pronounced in British English. Example: literature.
• Example: literature.
• Ts are less pronounced in American English. Example: Meter / Twenty
• Example: Meter / Twenty
• The double T turns into a D sound in American English. Example: Kettle / Battle / Bottle / Little
• Example: Kettle / Battle / Bottle / Little

Pronunciation {stress}

There are also other words borrowed from French that feature stress differences.

American first-syllable; British last-syllable:

Mus tache Mus tache

Ci garette Ciga rette

Spelling.

AMERICAN – “-or”

BRITISH – “-our”

Color

Colour

Honor

Honour

Favorite

favourite

AMERICAN – “-ze”

Analyze

BRITISH – “-se”

Criticize

Analyse

Memorize

Criticise

Memorise

AMERICAN – “-ll”

Enrollment

BRITISH – “-l”

Fulfill

Enrolment

Skillful

Fulfil

skilful

Spelling, continued.

AMERICAN – “-er”

BRITISH – “-re”

Center

Centre

Meter

Metre

Theater

theatre

AMERICAN – “-og”

Analog

BRITISH – “-ogue”

Catalog

Analogue

Catalogue

Dialog

Dialogue

AMERICAN – “-ck” or “-k”

Bank

BRITISH – “-que”

Check

Banque

Cheque

Spelling, continued.

AMERICAN – “-e”

BRITISH – “-ae” or “-oe”

Encyclopedia

Encyclopaedia

Maneuver

Manoeuvre

Medieval

Mediaeval

AMERICAN – “-dg” “-g” “-gu”

Aging

BRITISH – “-dge” “-ge” “-gue”

Argument

Ageing

Arguement

Judgment

Judgement

AMERICAN – “-ense”

License

BRITISH – “-ence”

Defense

Licence

Defence

Spelling, continued.

Other word-specific differences --

AMERICAN

BRITISH

Jewelry

Jewellry

Draft

Draught

Pajamas

Pyjamas

Plow

Plough

Program

Programme

Tire

Tyre

Spelling {last one!}.

Base words that end in L normally double the L in

British English when a suffix is added.

BASE WORD

AMERICAN

Counsel

Counseling

Equal

BRITISH

Equaled

Counselling

Model

Modeling

Quarrel

Equalled

Quarreling

Modelling

Signal

Signaled

Travel

Quarrelling

Traveling

Signalled

Travelling

The letter can double in American as well – but ONLY IF the stress is on the second syllable

of the base word.

BASE WORD

Excel

AMERICAN

BRITISH

Excelling

Propel

Excelling

Propelling

Propelling

Grammar. Verbs.

morphology

• American -- "-ed"

British -- "-t"

i.e. learned/learnt, dreamed/dreamt

• British English rarely use “gotten;” instead, “got”

is much more common.

• Past participles often vary:

i.e. saw – American: sawed; British: sawn

tenses

• British English employs the present perfect to talk about a recent event {i.e. “I’ve already eaten,” “I’ve just arrived home.”}

auxiliaries

• British English often uses “shall” and “shan’t”

American English uses “will” and “won’t”

NOUNS

In British English, collective nouns can take either singular or plural verb forms, depending on whether the emphasis is on the body or the members within it.

i.e.“A committee was appointed.”

“ The committee were able

to agree.”

Vocabulary.

AMERICAN

Apartment

BRITISH

Argument

Flat

Carriage/coach

Row

Pram

Bathroom

Can

Loo

Cookie

Tin

Biscuit

Diaper

Nappy

Elevator

Eraser

Lift

Flashlight

Rubber

Torch

Fries

Chips

Gas

Petrol

Guy

Bloke/chap

American

& British

English

sometimes

have

different

words for

the same

things --

More Vocabulary.

AMERICAN

BRITISH

Highway

Motorway

Hood {of a car}

Bonnet

Jelly

Jam

Kerosene

Paraffin

Lawyer

Solicitor

Line

Queue

Mail

Post

Napkin

Serviette

Nothing

Nought

Period

Full stop

Potato chips

crisps

AMERICAN

BRITISH

Truck

Lorry

Trunk

Boot

Vacation

Holiday

Windshield

Windscreen

License Plate

Number Plate

Pacifier

Dummy

Parking lot

Car park

Pharmacist

Chemist

Sidewalk

Pavement

Soccer

Football

Trash can

Bin

More Vocabulary.

• American and British English speakers often use the same words but intend very different meaning with them:

WORD

Biscuit

AMERICAN

Brew

BRITISH

Dinner roll

Bureau

Cookie

Beer

Casket

Tea

Chest of drawers

First Floor

Writing table/desk

Coffin

Jewelry Box

Ground Floor

To hire

“ Second” Floor

To employ

To rent

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