Have you ever wondered what are the differences between American and British English? In The Canterville Ghost, Wilde said, “We have everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language”. But, how exactly are they different? Here are 5 major differences.
British English vs American English: Spellings
Spellings are probably the most obvious ones. The inconsistencies in English spellings and wish to show America’s independence from the British led to this. Through Webster’s dictionary, Noah Webster reformed spellings in American English through subtle hints to match the pronunciation. Metre became meter, behaviour became behavior, organize was organize, and so on.
British English vs American English: Vocabulary
Vocabulary makes the language. It is yet another difference between American and British English. For example,
Fries-as in french fries are ‘chips’ but potato chips are ‘crisps’ in British English. Similarly, sweaters and ‘jumpers’, football is ‘soccer’ and cookies are ‘biscuits.
Verb forms with collective nouns
In American English, verbs are singular when used with collective nouns. But, in British English, plural or singular verbs are used with a noun. Here, groups as a unit can be individuals or singular verbs.
Past tense verbs
As you read British English, you might see some irregular verbs in the mix. Worry not because, unlike American English which uses -ed ending past verbs (learned, dreamed, etc.), British English uses -t ending verbs(learnt, dreamt).
Auxiliary verbs
Auxiliary verbs or helping verbs aid in providing grammatical function and form to the language. British English uses words like ‘shall’ to make a suggestion. On the other hand, American English utilizes affirmative verbs like should or can instead.