British English VS American English

The majority of the world’s population speaks English, which is also the most extensively studied foreign language and the official language of 53 countries. Despite having its roots in the British Isles or the United Kingdom, most of its speakers nowadays are found in the United States. That is why we are going to have a look at the differences between British and American English!

English needs to be adaptable because it is the second most spoken language in the world. After all, it’s not just used in the nations listed above. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a barrier when speaking with individuals on the other side of the pond or anyplace else in the world whether you speak English like a Brit or like an American.

Like any other language, English has a wide range of dialects. The most well-known varieties of it are British and American. Can you differentiate between them? Continue reading to learn about the key distinctions between British and American English.

HOW SIMILAR ARE AMERICAN AND BRITISH ENGLISH?

These two varieties of English aren’t the same, but they’re also not that different. The spelling, pronunciation, vocabulary, and even grammatical structures of these two types can occasionally diverge, but this is rarely the case.

Although there may be some distinctions between British and American English, the two are more similar than they are different. A mistaken substitution of one for the other won’t necessarily result in a misunderstanding. It might be hard to memorize the subtleties of both languages, so take your time. Americans and Brits can typically talk with each other without too much difficulty.

GRAMMAR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AMERICAN & BRITISH ENGLISH

There are grammatical differences between British and American English in addition to vocabulary and spelling variations. The British use more formal words like “shall,” whereas Americans tend to use more casual words like “will” or “should.” The British, on the other hand, have long since stopped using “gotten” as the past tense of “get” in favour of “got.”

HOW DID BOTH LANGUAGES CHANGE?

If they’re both English, why are there so many distinctions, you might be asking. These various words evolved over a considerable amount of time. The 18th century marks the beginning of our adventure when America won its independence from Britain. Spelling wasn’t yet standardized, but Oxford Scholars were working on a UK English dictionary.

Americans seized this chance to distinguish themselves with the aid of a lexicographer (someone who writes dictionaries). By changing letters like -ise to -ize or honour to honour, he felt that American English should have a more rational spelling pattern as a form of protest.

BRITISH & AMERICAN VOCABULARY

Several words vary between Americans and Britons. Some popular items with names that vary depending on which English dialect you speak are listed in the table below.

DATE FORMAT

We’ve come to one of the most difficult subjects: date formats. This is partially a result of the fact that Americans use the MM/DD/YY format; hence, Halloween will be observed on October 31, 2020 (10/31/2020).

Even for people who are not Americans, this is terrifying. The format is more similar to the rest of the globe in the United Kingdom, where the date is written as October 31, 2020 (31/10/2020 or October 31, 2020). Additionally, in both American and British English, dots can be used in place of slashes or obliques (British English).

The essential thing to remember is that British and American English are more similar than they are different. Accidentally utilizing one over the other might also lead to miscommunication. Localizing the appropriate English language to your target area for any international business is crucial.

In general, being open-minded and adaptable are the most crucial aspects. Adapting your voice to the needs of the client and the context of the audience is the foundation of both translation and content production. The best way to improve your writing is to customize it for each task and circumstance you come across.