Fancy a cuppa or would you like a cup of tea? Even if the meaning is the same, it is observable that the British and the Americans speak different versions of English. Between the 16th and 17th centuries, the British reached the Americas by sea on Mayflower. They then introduced English to the local people. However, English had not yet been standardized completely at that time. Therefore, it evolved into two distinct streams in England and in America respectively. The three main differences between these two versions are the spelling, the pronunciation, and the vocabulary.
Because the dictionaries setting in stone how words appeared were written by different people in England and in America; therefore, there are some spelling differences. For example, while Britons spell humour with “-our”, Americans spell it as humor with “-or”. The British spell theatre with “-re”, whereas Americans spell it as theater with “-er”. Also, the word organise is spelled with “-ise” in the UK, and it is spelled as organize with “-ize” in the US. These subtle but important spelling differences along with those not mentioned above all set British and American English apart.
In respect of the pronunciation, the differences between British and American English took place because higher classes in the UK wanted to distinguish themselves from the common masses. The most significant one is the pronunciation of r. When r comes after a vowel in the same syllable, the r is softened and even is not pronounced in British English. On the other hand, Americans articulate the r sound really clearly. Besides, when pronouncing the o sound, such as the o in “shop”, the British tend to pronounce a back rounded open sound, while Americans pronounce a central low spread sound. These pronunciation differences give both British and American English charming and lovely accents.
As for the vocabulary used in England and in America, the differences emerged gradually as a result of the different societies. In the UK, chips represent “French fries” in the US, while in the US, chips stand for “crisps” in the UK. In addition, jumpers, flats, and lorries in England are “sweaters”, “apartments”, and “trunks” in America. As Britons say holidays and trainers, Americans say “vacations” and “sneakers”. Only by understanding these vocabulary differences in British and American English, can we communicate fluently and not put our foot in our mouth.
To sum up, there are three main differences between British English and American English, including the spelling, the pronunciation, and the vocabulary. These differences can be either subtle or obvious, yet they are all crucial to both streams. It is because of the differences that make these two versions of English special and distinguishable. No matter in which way we speak English, we should always appreciate the others instead of feuding over which version is better.
Reference
Paul Richard Kuehn. (2019). Differences Between British and American English. Retrieved from:
https://owlcation.com/humanities/Differences-Between-British-and-American-English
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