英式美式英语区别¶
Differences between British English and American English
English can be categorized into British English and American English. Although there are many differences between them, these differences are generally minor and do not typically affect our understanding of the meaning of a word or phrase.
If you visit the UK for the first time, you may notice that the floor naming conventions are different, especially when using elevators. The buttons inside elevators are also different from those in your home country and even differ from the American system. These variations are referred to as differences between British English and American English.
As shown in the diagram below, on the left side, you can see the American English terms for the first, second, and third floors. On the right side, you can see the British English terms for the same floors. Pay attention to the fact that in British English, the first floor is called the "Ground floor," which is the floor closest to the ground. This is different from our usual understanding of the first floor. In other words, in British English, the "First floor" is equivalent to the American English "Second floor," while the American English "Second floor" corresponds to the British English "First floor.
You must be curious about why there are British English and American English. How can English have different variations like this?
It is said that one of the reasons stems from a deliberate decision made during the compilation of the first English dictionaries in the 19th century. When compiling American English dictionaries, some words were simplified and written based on their own perspectives, thus distinguishing British English from American English and establishing slightly different language forms. Particularly, a man named Noah Webster, an American, believed at the time that the letter "u" was unnecessary, redundant, and somewhat outdated. In order to make American English more distinctive and create another style of speaking English, forming a language specifically unique to the United States, Noah Webster removed the extra "u" from words in his dictionary and replaced "re" with "er." For example, the British English spelling of "center" became "centre" in American English, and words like "theater" and "theatre" took on different forms.
Over time, certain English usages gradually change in accordance with usage habits and other factors. For instance, "needn't" is more commonly used in British English but rarely used in American English, which tends to prefer "don't need to."
Regardless of whether it's British English or American English, both are correct forms of the language, including spelling and usage. Generally, British English is considered the standard dialect for spoken and written English in the UK. Although both variations can be used, it's important to note that in academic writing or exams, mixing British English and American English can result in point deductions. In other words, if you use British English spelling throughout your paper, it's best to avoid using American English spelling.
So, what are the specific differences between American English and British English?
Pronunciation Differences
In reality, any language spoken in different regions may have variations in pronunciation, but these differences generally do not hinder English communication. Some key features of British pronunciation include pronouncing "TH" as "F" and omitting the "H" sound at the beginning of words (e.g., saying "oliday" instead of "Holiday"). The speech patterns of Londoners also incorporate carefully crafted rhyming slang. Americans typically pronounce every "r" in a word, while Britons often only pronounce the first "r" in a word.
Spelling Differences
Based on the earlier explanation, it is known that American English has certain spelling variations, such as removing extra "u" from words and changing "re" to "er." Here is an example:
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Vocabulary Differences
In British English and American English, many words have the same meaning but different vocabulary. Some words are the same but have different meanings or refer to different things. However, most of the words in British and American English have similar meanings, with only a few differences in referents or conceptual understanding. For example, the word "football" generally refers to American football in American English, while it specifically refers to soccer in British English. On the other hand, the term "soccer" refers to football in both American and British English.
In the diagram below, the meanings represented on the left and right sides are the same, but the terms used are different.
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Preposition Differences
The differences shown in the diagram below represent a general rule. American English has influenced British English through popular culture, and vice versa. Therefore, some preposition differences are not as distinct as they used to be. In British English, "at" is the preposition used for both time and location. However, in American English, "on" is used instead of "at" for time, and "in" is used instead of "at" for location.
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Simple Past Tense and Present Perfect Tense
In American English, there is a tendency to use the simple past tense to describe recent events, whereas British English leans more towards using the present perfect tense.
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Past Participle of "get"
In British English, the past participle of "get" is considered outdated and has been replaced by "got." However, in American English, "gotten" is still used as the past participle of "get."
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Collective Nouns: Singular or Plural?
In British English, a collective noun (such as "committee," "government," "team," etc.) can be either singular or plural, but it is usually treated as plural, emphasizing the individual members of the group. In contrast, collective nouns in American English are always treated as singular, emphasizing the collective entity as a whole.
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Regular Verbs or Irregular Verbs
The distinction between regular verbs and irregular verbs is a subtle difference that is often overlooked in spoken language but becomes more evident in written form. In British English, many irregular verbs in the past tense (such as "leap," "dreamt," "burned," "learnt") have become regular verbs in American English (such as "leap," "dreamed," "burned," "learned").
In conclusion, as the most widely spoken second language in the world, English is flexible and adaptable. Many countries speak English, leading to various accents and changes in the language over time and in different contexts. Both British English and American English are mutually intelligible for communication purposes, with the main differences lying in written form. Modern word processors often have automatic detection for British English or American English. If you wish to write in British English, you can select "English (UK)," and if you prefer American English, you can choose "English (US)" as options, representing British English and American English, respectively.
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Below is a comparison chart of 63 differences between British English and American English
source from:https://www.grammarcheck.net/british-vs-american-english/