British vs. American English

Have you ever wondered why there are differences between British and American English? Have you ever looked up the word "colour" or "flavour" and noticed two different ways to spell the same word (e.g. "colour/color", "flavour/flavor")?  A famous poet and playwright Bernard Shaw once said “England and America are two countries separated by the same language”.

How Did These Differences Come About?

The English language was first introduced to America by British settlers in the 17th century, and it has evolved since then.  A key player who nudged American English away from British English was Noah Webster.  In the 18th century, he decided to create the now well-known Webster dictionary and worked on developing a new version of English for America.  He wanted American English to be more independent from British English and to spell words more as he believed they sound. Britain kept its spelling of words which was anchored in other languages such as French and German.

Differences between British English and American English

• Words spelt with an "our" in British English and just with an "or" in American English:

Colour/color 

Flavour/flavor 

Neighbour/neighbor 

Favourite/favorite

• Words that end with an "ise" in British English and with an "ize" in American English:

Organise/organize 

Realise/realize 

Recognise/recogize

• As well as differences in spelling, there are different words used in British and American English for the same thing. Here are some of the most common word differences:

            British English            American English

            Football                        Soccer
            Petrol                            Gas
            Rubbish                        Garbage
            Crisps                            Potato Chips
            Holiday                         Vacation
            Film                               Movie
            Chips                             French Fries

These are just a few examples of the many differences between British and American English  that you may come across. Next time you watch an English film or perhaps speak with a native English speaker, you may start to notice these differences and understand a little more about why these differences exist.

Students Learning British English in Our London Classroom 

Students Learning British English in Our London Classroom

 

Students Learning American English in Our New York Classroom