British & American English (student FAQs answered)

5 years ago

Hello everyone! 😄🌞

In this discussion post series, I answer the questions I get asked by students most often.

Student Question
What is the difference between British English and American English?

My Answer
Since there are too many small differences to cover, I'll go over these 3 broad differences:  

SPELLING Brits and Americans spell a lot of words differently. The most common spelling differences are with 'our' endings. Brits use the full ending 'our', while Americans use only 'or'. Some good examples are colour/color and neighbour/neighbor.
VOCABULARY Brits and Americans have different words for the same things. There are LOTS of examples of these differences, but here are a few of the most common ones (the British term is first/the American term after): chips/french fries, lift/elevator, queue/line, knickers/underwear, biscuit/cookie.
PRONUNCIATION Brits and Americans say a lot of words differently. One big difference is the way 'r' is pronounced. Brits tend to drop the 'r' when it follows a vowel, while Americans usually pronounce the 'r'. Brits also tend to pronounce a clear 't', while Americans prefer to prounce 't' more like a 'd'. Some vowel sounds are also different... but vowel length can be really different. Brits tend to pronounce their vowel sounds for longer than Amerians.
What are some of the differences you've noticed between British and American English? I'd love to hear it in the comments! 😄🌞❤  

Dixie