English is a global language that is spoken all over the world, but, precisely because of this, there are many variations of the language depending on the region.
And, just as an Andalusian does not speak the same Spanish as a person from the Basque Country, there are many differences between British English and American English.
Want to find out what they are? Read on! In Fun Talk we tell you everything you need to know.
What kind of differences are there between British and American English?
Although both versions of the language share many similarities, they also have some notable differences that may surprise native speakers of either variant.
In fact, there’s even a scene in Love Actually, one of the best movies for learning English, in which they joke about it.
But what kind of differences are we talking about?
Can they actually impede communication?
The answer is no, as most of them are subtle.
However, there are differences in vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation that are worth mentioning.
Differences between American and British English
Vocabulary
One of the most obvious differences between British and American English is vocabulary.
Often, words for everyday objects are different between the two dialects.
For example,
in British English we say “bonnet“to refer to the hood of a car, while American English uses “hood“. Similarly, British English uses “biscuit“is used for cookie, whereas in American English “cookie“. There are thousands of examples like these, and it would take several English classes to explain them all.
Spelling
Another difference between British and American English is the spelling of certain words.
For example,
British English spells “center“while in American English the preferred spelling is “center“. Also, in British English, an additional “u” is used in words such as ”
color“, ”
flavour” and“humour“, whereas in American English these words are spelled“color“,“flavor” and“humor“, respectively.
Pronunciation
Although most speakers of British and American English can easily understand each other, there are some differences in the pronunciation of certain words.
For example,British English pronounces “vitamin“is pronounced with a long “i”, while American English uses a short “i”. Similarly, in British English the “r” is often pronounced softly, while in American English it is pronounced more forcefully.
Idiomatic expressions and idioms
Another notable difference between British and American English is idiomatic expressions and idioms.
For example, British English uses “bloody“is used as an expression of surprise or anger, whereas in American English “damn” o “goddamn“. Furthermore, in British English, “I‘m knackered” is used to express tiredness, while in American English “I’m beat” or “I’m exhausted” is preferred. The list of differences is innumerable and, as we have said, it would take an entire English course to explain them all, and we wouldn’t even be able to finish!
We must not forget that languages evolve and differences continue to emerge. However, it is important to emphasize that these differences do not affect communication between native speakers of both varieties, although, for the preparation of an official English exam it is important to know them, since in this type of certification it is usually required to speak and write in British English.