The main differences between British and American English. What language should I learn? British English vs American
Reading books, newspapers, magazines in English, I often ask myself the question: which version of the English language is better to know - British English or American English?
Usually at school or university we are taught British English. But if you think about it, there are significantly more Americans in the world than Britons, and accordingly, the likelihood of us meeting Americans at business meetings and in everyday life is much higher.
In fact, the difference between British and American English is not that great. To a large extent, the differences appear in spelling and vocabulary. With grammar, the situation is simpler; the difference here is insignificant.
In general, the most important thing in a language is to learn to speak and be understood. And once you learn to speak correctly and fluently, you will be able to understand American or British English without much difficulty. After all, it is the same English language, just with slight differences.
I would also like to remind you of the unspoken truth that Americans love to simplify everything in their language. Therefore, American English is a kind of simplified version of British English. For example, the designation of the simple future tense () in the first person by the word ( I shall) has practically disappeared from American English, but it is still used in formal British English. Or in American English, unlike British English, they are often conjugated as regular verbs, i.e. by adding . For example to give – given or to take – taken.
Below is a table of the main differences between British and American English. They do not need to be learned by heart. I only suggest that you read it carefully so that when communicating with native American or British speakers, you feel free and understand each other.
Major differences in spelling
British English British English |
American English American English |
---|---|
-ll- travelled cancelling dialled |
-l- traveled canceling dialed |
-me, -ue program catalog monologue dialogue |
–
program catalog monolog dialogue |
-s- organization analyze |
-z- organization analyze |
-ce defense license practice offence |
-se defense license practice offense |
-re center theater liter fiber meter |
-er center theater liter fiber meter |
-our honor labor color splendour |
-or honor labor color splendor |
Main differences in vocabulary
British English British English |
American English American English |
---|---|
flat | apartment |
lawyer | attorney |
luggage | baggage |
milliard | billion billion |
taxi | cab |
company | corporation |
city/town center | downtown |
chemist's | drugstore |
lift | elevator |
autumn | fall |
petrol | gas | motorway | highway |
cross-roads | intersection |
living room | drawing room |
coach | long-distance bus |
post | |
cinema | movies |
trousers | pants |
sleeper | Pullman |
railway | railroad |
shop-assistant | salesman, clerk |
time-table | schedule |
football | soccer |
underground | subway |
booking office | ticket office |
to be sick | to be ill |
advocate | trail lawyer |
lorry | truck |
boot | trunk |
ground floor | first floor |
first floor | second floor |
second floor | third floor |
Some differences in grammar
British English British English |
American English American English |
---|---|
Have you heard the news? | Did you hear the news? |
He's just gone out. | He just went out. |
I've got a brother. | I have a brother. |
She hasn't got a pen. | She doesn't have a pen. |
I've got a book. | I've gotten a book. |
I suggest he should see the oculist. | I suggest (that) he see an oculist. |
He didn’t eat at all. | He didn't eat any. |
at the weekend | on the weekend |
Monday to Friday | Monday through Friday |
different from/to | different from/than |
stay at home | stay home |
write to somebody | write somebody |
How is English different from American?
Here you can find out how English differs from American.
This question interests many people who study English. There are many differences, but there are many more similarities. The most striking differences will be presented below.
1. How did the English language appear on the territory of the modern United States?
As in other countries of its distribution, the English language was “brought” to North America by colonists in the 17th and 18th centuries. To this day, American English has undergone many changes under the influence of various factors. In the United States, more than 80 percent of the population considers English their native language.
2. Lexical differences.
What lexical features distinguish American English?
First, American English has introduced a large number of phrases that have become widespread in the general English and world lexicon. For example, hitchhike - hitchhike, teenager - teenager (teenager).
Secondly, the differences in American English are explained by the fact that the life of the colonists in Great Britain and the United States was very different. Different weather conditions, the environment, and many other factors have led to the appearance of new words in American English. For example, North American moose - moose, although the English version is elk.
Thirdly, there are words that are used in both the US and the UK, but they have different meanings. For example, the word pavement - sidewalk (English version), pavement - pavement (American version).
3. Spelling differences.
There are many spelling differences between British and American English. Below are the most common ones.
American version | British version |
color, favor, labor | colou r, favou r, labou r |
traveled, canceled | travell ed, cancel ed |
catalog, dialogue | catalogue, dialogue |
theater, meter, center | theater, meter, center |
math (abbr.) | maths (abbr.) |
gra y | gree |
program | program |
whiskey (US & Ireland) | whiskey (Scottish) |
4. Grammatical differences.
There are also grammatical differences in American and British English. Below are some notable examples.
When we talk about something that happened recently, in British English we use The Present Perfect Tense. Usually such sentences are accompanied by the words yet, already, just. But in American English, the Past Simple is used in such sentences. However, using the Present Perfect in American English is not considered an error.
For example, I have just bought a new book (British version) / I just bought a new book (American version).
To express the future tense in American English, the phrase to be going to is much more often used than the Future Simple (will/shall).
For example, they say much more often, I am going to buy a car, instead of I will buy a car.
5. Phonetic differences.
Some words are pronounced differently in British and American English.
For example, the stress in the word address is different: addre ss (British) and a ddress (American).
Some words may have different sounds.
For example, dance - dance (British version), and dance - dance (American version).
British English tends to retain the pronunciation of many words of French origin. Americans letters that are "unnecessary" are often "cut out" from words, and the pronunciation of words of French origin is generally not preserved in order to make the pronunciation more "American." Here are some examples:
British English American English
Color Color
Center Center
Honor Honor
Analyze Analyze
Fullfill Fullfill
Check Check
Tire Tire
Labor Labor
Favor Favor
To be sure which word to use, first of all, determine who you are addressing: American or British; and secondly, you need to agree on what variant of English you will conduct the conversation: in British English or . Otherwise, there is a chance that spelling and pronunciation will be questioned.
For example, the words "favour" (British English) and "labor" (American English) should not be used in the same document. Both British and American are considered correct, but American spelling and pronunciation are simplified.
Difference in pronunciation
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of different varieties of English. We cannot cover all types of accents, dialects and varieties of English in this article. So we will pay attention to only two main conversational options: American and British English. It is noteworthy that " standard pronunciation", also known as " royal pronunciation" or " Oxford English» is used by only about 5% of the UK population. This is because there are many dialects in the British Isles. If you go to the UK, you will notice that the differences in pronunciation from region to region are greater and wider than in the US, which is much larger than the UK. This may be due to the fact that the average American moves around more often than the British. . Dialect occurs when people live together for a long time, and therefore the community develops its own unique way of communicating. People in the southern United States have a distinct accent that differs from those who live in Boston, for example. But let's return to the main topic of this article, and let's focus our attention on some of the most important differences between British and American English:
The /r/ sound is not pronounced at the end of some British English words, for example “car”. /r/ is dropped as in New York and Boston dialect.
IN American English the difference between “can” and “can’t” is sometimes subtle, whereas in standard British English you can clearly see the difference.
Americans tend to pronounce words like “reduce”, “produce”, “induce”, “seduce” (most verbs with “duce”) as /dus/, while British English pronounces /djus/.
Americans also tend to shorten words by omitting certain letters. The word “facts”, for example, sounds like “fax” in American English, where “t” is mute.
Sometimes in British English vowel sounds are omitted, as in the word “secretary”, where the /a/ sound is not pronounced.
The pronunciation of syllables in each variant sometimes changes. For example, with the word "advertisement"
/ad-ver-‘taiz-ment/ (American English)
/ad-ver-tIz-ment/ (British English)
Difference in vocabulary
There are some important differences to be found in the dictionary, and this is important to consider depending on who you are talking to or having a conversation with (written or oral). Here are some examples: British English American English
Lift Elevator
Boot Trunk
Trousers Pants
Lorry TruckStreet language or "slang" is also different in each country.
Dorokhina Ulyana Vyacheslavovna, 9th grade student.
Abstract with elements of research work.
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Regional scientific conference for schoolchildren in the Samara region
SECTION “Foreign Language”
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BRITISH ENGLISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH
(Abstract with elements of research work)
Dorokhina Ulyana Vyacheslavovna
9th grade student
State Budgetary Educational Institution Secondary School in the village of Ekaterinovka
Scientific supervisor:
Zadorozhnaya Tatyana Vladimirovna
English teacher
State Budgetary Educational Institution Secondary School in the village of Ekaterinovka
Samara
2014
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………… p. 3-4
Chapter 1. Division of the English language into British English and American English ………………………………………………………………………………….. p. 5-8
Chapter 2. What are the main differences between British and American English? ……………………………………………........... With. 9
2.1. Phonetic differences……………………………………………………………...… p. 9
2.2. Lexical differences……………………………………………………………...… p. 9-11
2.3. Spelling differences……………………………………...…. With. 11-12
2.4. Grammatical differences…………………………………………….…. With. 13-14
2.5. Punctuation differences…………………………………………….…. With. 14
2.6. The emergence of a new meaning for a word, the use of a synonymous word……………………………………………………………………………………..………….. p. 15
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….. p. 15-17
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………. With. 18
List of resources……………………………………………………….……… p. 18-19
Applications………………………………………………………………………………….... p. 20-29
Introduction
When studying English, we are faced with the fact that we come across words that are different in spelling, but the same in meaning. When typing words on a computer, you can see that the computer produces errors in the spelling of some words. By checking a given word with a dictionary, we make sure that the word is spelled correctly. What is the reason? The reason is that there are two varieties of English: English and American. There are some differences between them.
Relevance of the studyis that in the 21st century there is growing interest in the English language due to existing economic and political trends. At the same time, the role of American English at the global level is increasing.When studying English at school, we are faced with a version of classic British English, although the whole world uses the American language (computer vocabulary, the Internet, etc.). Knowing the differences between British English and American English is essential to avoid difficulties in reading and translating English literature. What are the differences between these languages?
Purpose of the study:
- identifying differences between British English and American English.
Research objectives:
- collect material on the issue raised;
- identify areas of linguistic difference: in spelling, phonetics, vocabulary, grammar;
- compile a dictionary of spelling, phonetic, lexical and grammatical differences between the two varieties of English;
- draw conclusions;
- increase erudition;
- introduce classmates to the results of the study;
- develop the ability to form your own opinion and the ability to defend it;
- develop the ability to communicate with an audience by speaking at conferences and clubs.
Object of study:vocabulary and grammar of British and American English.
Subject of research: English words.
Hypothesis: American English and British English are just variants of the same English language.
Research methods:
- method of accumulation, selection and comparison of facts;
- method of analogy and establishing connections between facts;
- method of analyzing the obtained facts;
- method of systematizing knowledge.
Theoretical significanceThe abstract consists in the possibility of further use of the research results when working with English texts, in identifying and overcoming difficulties in translating vocabulary, various grammatical structures, and in understanding foreign language speech by ear, pronounced in both British and American English.
Practical significanceThe abstract consists in the possibility of further application of the identified differences between the two variants of the English language not only in school in the classroom, but also when working on a computer and searching for information from English-language sources.
Main theme of the work: establish connections between British and American English in vocabulary and grammar.
Chapter 1. The division of the English language into British English and American English.
Which version of the language should I learn – British or American? How different are languages and why did the differences between them appear? Which language is more correct? It is impossible to answer unequivocally which of these languages is correct and which one needs to be learned first. It all depends on the purpose for which a person studies this or that version of the language. Many people recommend starting to learn a foreign language with classical British. It is more complex and multifaceted, but if a person masters it, then it will be easy for him to master the American version of the English language.
English belongs toGermanic languages Indo-European family languages . It is customary to divide the history of the English language into the following periods:Old English (- ), Middle English (- ), New England (With until now). Some linguists also distinguishEarly Modern English period (end of the 15th - mid-17th centuries).
The ancestors of the modern Englishmen -Germanic tribes English , Saxons And Yutes - moved toBritish Isles in the middle of the 5th century. During this era, their language was close to Low German andFrisian , but in its subsequent development it moved far away from other Germanic languages. During the Old English period, the Anglo-Saxon language (as many researchers call the Old English language) changes little, without deviating from the line of development of the Germanic languages, except for the expansion of the vocabulary. But the influence of the Romans, who owned part of the territory of Britain for 400 years, is more significant. The names of many types of food and clothing (butter, cheese, pall), names of places (Chester, Gloucester, Lancaster), names of a number of plants (pear, peach), terms directly related to the church (apostle, bishop, cloister) are of Latin origin.
Middle English period of English (- 1485) marked invasion of the Norman feudal lords1066 , which introduced into the Old English language a powerful new lexical layer of so-called Normanisms - words dating back to the Norman-French dialectOld French , which the conquerors spoke. Normanisms appeared in the leading sectors of England: in government (reign, government, crown, state), in military affairs (army, peace).
The New English period, to which the state of the language of modern England belongs, begins at the end15th century . With the development of printing and the mass distribution of books, a normative book language is being consolidated.
The influence of languages on English vocabulary
Latin (29%) French (29%) German language (26%) Greek (6%) Other languages (6%) Derivatives from proper names (4%) |
The diagram shows that Latin, French and German had the greatest influence on the development and formation of the English language. This happened due to the invasion of tribes and peoples into the territory of England, bringing with them not only power, but also culture and language.
Just three centuries ago there was only one type of English, it was spoken by the inhabitants of Foggy Albion . British colonialists, traders, and travelers brought it to other continents, where it changed and became enriched. New words appeared and pronunciation changed. The greatest transformations with the English language occurred on the American continent. If in Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, phonetic changes took place to a greater extent, then immigrants from different countries who settled in America modified the grammar of the English language, making it simpler and easier.
English has been one of the most commonly spoken languages on Earth for centuries. This was facilitated by the colonial policy of Great Britain, especially the colonization of North America and Australia.
After B World War II The role of the English language has increased dramatically. The USA became one of the two strongest powers in the world, and aftercollapse of the USSR - virtually the uncontested world leader, including in the field of weapons, science and technology. Advances in politics, economics, and modern technology have allowed the United States to exert significant influence throughout the world. Today, it is American English that has a dominant influence on “world English”, and this is explained by the following factors:
- Population size (the number of American English speakers is 70% versus 17% of British English speakers of the total number of native English speakers).
- The US has a stronger economy than the British economy.
- The numerical superiority of higher education institutions in the US compared to the UK.
- The scale of the US book printing industry.
- The significance of the influence of American media and information technology on a global scale.
- The appeal of American pop culture, its influence on the language and lifestyle of the entire globe.
- International political and economic situation of the USA.
Both Americans and British make fun of each other and dislike each other's languages. From the point of view of the British, American English is too straightforward and rude, and they regard their British English as the language of polite people. Americans consider British English to be too strained, the hypocritical language of snobs, and their native American language as welcoming and friendly. At a gas station in the United States you will hear:"Fill her up, will you?", and in the UK:"Would you mind filling up my car?"If a visiting Englishman utters this phrase in America, the reaction may be something like this: "Are you trying to be smart or what?"
Listed below are the general categories of differences between Standard American English (AmE) and Standard British English (BrE), each with its own sociological significance (i.e., the use of certain words and expressions by a social class).
Chapter 2. What are the main differences between British and American English?
The main differences between British English and American English can be traced in phonetics, vocabulary, spelling, and grammar.
2.1. Phonetic differences
There are several differences between AmE and BrE:
In AmE the final /-r/ is always pronounced, and in BrE only before the subsequent vowel sound (vocalization);
Individual differences: ate – eit (AmE), aet (BrE);
Long and short pronunciation of the letter “a”: ask – aesk (AmE), a:sk (BrE);
Differences in accent:for example, “advertisement”, which translated into Russian means “announcement, advertising”, in America will sound like ["æd vз:r taz mənt], and in Great Britain – [əd"vз: t smənt]. The word “schedule” - (translated as “schedule”) from the lips of an American will sound like ["sked ju:l", and a Briton will read it like this - ["edju:l]. These are some examples of phonetic differences. The full list is presented in Appendix 1.
2.2. Lexical differences
The same words sometimes have different meanings in British and American English. The British understand “Torch” as “lantern”, and for Americans this word means “torch”. "Biscuits" means "biscuits" in the UK, and "cupcakes" in the US.
Speakers of British and American English often use completely different words that have the same meaning. This is explained by the peculiarities of the development of the history and culture of the countries, the diversity of local dialects and expressions. “Last name” translated into British English sounds like “surname”, and in American English it sounds like “last name”. Other examples: “wardrobe” (Br.) and “closet” (Am.) are equally translated as “wardrobe”, and “trousers” (Br.) and “pants” (Am.) mean “trousers” in Russian. It is often said that Americans like to shorten words, making them much shorter than in classical British language. This is partly true, but there are quite a lot of words that are longer in American English than in British English. For example, “elevator” in England will be translated as “lift”, in America - “elevator”; “apartment” is BrE “flat”, and AmE is “apartment”.
The most noticeable lexical differences between the two variants is in car-related terminology, as both Americans and English are obsessed with them. For example, AmE gas (gasoline) – BrE petrol; automobile – car; gas pedal – accelerator; hood – bonnet; tire – tire; truck – lorry; trunk – boot; windshield - wind-screen.
Idioms also cause misunderstandings between AmE and BrE speakers. So, for example, an American, having heard"the play was a real bomb" will understand this as "total disaster" - a complete failure. The Briton will consider this a great success.
Such differences are due to numerous borrowings in the American version of the language from Indian languages and from Spanish (mainly). The full list is presented in Appendix 2.
The same word, but with a different meaning or connotation
(by type of homonyms)
I married a homely girl. | |
ugly | a good house-keeper |
The opening of our new play was a bomb! | |
bad, a failure | a great success |
We all had tea and biscuits . (“crumpets” vs “English muffins”, etc.) | |
a type of bread baked in small round pieces (cupcakes) BrE crumpet | a thin, flat, dry, usually sweet cake |
Evelyn took a coin out of purse. | |
women's handbag (handbag) | coin purse (purse, wallet) |
The corn harvest was exceptional this year. | |
corn | cereals (wheat, oats, barley), grain |
2.3 Spelling differences
In general, in American orthography, words of French origin starting with –our are written with –or (honor, splendor); Instead of –re in a number of words –er is written (theater, center). These differences are largely due to Noah Webster (English Noah Webster, - ) - American lexicographer , linguist , compiler of the American English Dictionary) , who introduced into the American version the practice of writing -er instead of -re (center "center", meter "meter", theater "theater"), -or instead of -our (favor "service", honor "honour", labor "labor" ), check instead of check "check", etc.
Some words have similar but different spellings. For example, the British "raise" is written in American English as "rise". The abbreviation for the term “mathematics” is written “maths” by the British, and “math” by the Americans.
Similar but different spelling
aluminum | aluminum |
polyethylene | polythene |
math (shortening of "mathematics") | maths |
raise (more money in salary/wages) | rise |
In modern language there are cases of deviant spelling (deviations from the norm). This is facilitated by advertising slogans, show business, journalism, and the press, which change the spelling of words in order to attract the attention of buyers and create catchy headlines. For example, an exact transcription of the pronunciation of a word, for example: night – nite, through – thru.
These are some examples of spelling differences. The full list is presented in Appendix 3.
2.4 Grammatical differences
Difference in usageverb tenses : instead of Present Perfect an American can usePast Simple . The abandonment of Perfect Tenses in spoken language has become commonplace. Usually the main contribution to the neglect of perfect tenses is attributed to immigrants from countries whose languages do not have perfect tenses. However, any English-speaking American will use Perfect if another choice would make the statement ambiguous or incomprehensible.
Instead of shall in AmE they use will, which, in turn, is replaced by the formgonna – conversational versiongoing to . This is now a general trend in the English language.
Gradual displacement of the third person form does by the first and second person form do. This also applies to the negative form of this verb: “She"s got a ticket to ride, and she don"t care.” However, the literary norm still remains the use of the verb does in the third person.
Many irregular verbs (for example, to burn, to spoil) in the American version of the language are correct.
Used differentlyarticles . For example, “to/in THE hospital” in the American version, while in the British “to/in hospital” there is no article.
Often in the same expression instead of onepretext another is used, for example, “on the weekend/on weekend” instead of “at the weekend/at weekend” in the British version; “on a street” instead of “in a street”.
Many stable expressions in the American version of the language receive changes. For example, an American will say “take a shower/a bath” instead of “have a shower/a bath”. Instead of “needn"t" the complex form "don"t need to" is used.
- adjectives "slow" and "real" are used asadverbs : He likes to drive slow (instead of slowly). She "s real nice (instead of really).
Americans are less willing than the British to use the plural of verbs with collective nouns. For example, “airlines” or “police”. Americans will use the singular number here, and the British will use the plural, because we are talking not about one person, but about their totality.
However, despite all of the above, most of the grammatical features of American English do not have normative status in modern English. Examples of grammatical differences are listed in Appendix 4.
2.5. Punctuation differences
There are a number of differences in punctuation and syntax in these varieties of English. When using a polite form of address in a letter in Britain, they do not put a period after Mr, Mrs or Dr, unlike in America, where they write Mr. Jones instead of Mr Jones. There is also a difference in the form of quotation marks - Americans use a double apostrophe “...”, and the British use a single apostrophe “...”. There is a clear difference between residents of Great Britain and America in writing dates and times.(see Appendix 5)
2.6. The emergence of a new meaning for a word, use
synonymous word
In Appendix 6 cases of the emergence of a new meaning for a word and the use of a synonymous word are shown.
Conclusion
People's belief that there are significant differences between American and British English is just a myth. There really aren't that many of them. It is sometimes quite difficult to understand whether a particular book was written by an American or a British author. However, there are more and more differences between these two language variants every year. They can be divided into 6 groups:
- Phonetic differences
- Lexical differences
- Spelling differences
- Grammatical differences
- Punctuation differences
Today, American English is more widely spoken than British English. This is explained primarily by the strong influence of the United States on the economic, political and cultural situation in the world. The media and pop culture of America greatly contribute to the fact that the American version of the English language becomes more popular than classical British. An important role is also played by the fact that the territory of the United States is several dozen times larger than the area of Great Britain, therefore, the number of native speakers of the American language is much greater than that of the British one. In addition, the number of higher education institutions in America differs significantly from their number in England, which explains why non-native English students are more likely to study American.
According to many Russian linguists and teachers, the “correct” language is the British version, more precisely, that part of it that is called the “accepted standard”. Correct basic English, by the way, is also needed in order to understand other variants of the language, dialects and features. And to be able to master them. A person with good classical English will not disappear anywhere and, if necessary, can easily adapt and get used to another modification of the language. According to Russian linguists and teachers, it is necessary to start with the British version also because it is the most complete and rich language. American grammar is noticeably simplified compared to British. American English can be called a "casual" language. The British version is more particular, more scrupulous. It has a huge variety of intonation patterns, unlike the American one, where there is practically one: a flat scale and a descending tone. This intonation model determines the entire sound structure of the American version. British English has many scales: descending and ascending, stepped and sliding. Sometimes the accent is revealed not by the pronunciation of the sound, but by the temporal characteristics: if you tighten (or under-stretch) the sound a little, they will recognize you as a foreigner. Americans themselves, by the way, respect British English. Americans call British English refined - they never had this language, and, naturally, they did not have what is called “English traditions and culture.” All this, naturally, speaks in favor of the British version for study at school.
And the most important thing is that classical British language is the language of a huge number of recognized world masterpieces of art, science, music, and history. People all over the globe are familiar with the works of Shakespeare, Geoffrey Chaucer, and Daniel Defoe. The immortal works of literature they created still remain the most replicated and beloved all over the world.
The great English scientist Charles Darwin, whose ideas formed a solid foundation for the modern science of biology, is familiar even to modern fifth-graders.
At the turn of the millennium, the talented and influential silent film director Charlie Chaplin was named tenth in the top 100 greatest stars of world cinema.
The brave conqueror of the oceans also brought worldwide fame to England. James Cook. It is he, since the heyday of the popularity of the Soviet theater actor and singer Vladimir Vysotsky, who has been haunted by the ridiculous stamp of being eaten by cannibals.
England's contribution to the world's collection of outstanding people is enormous, and one can write a lot about each of them for a long time.
We cannot simplify the English language, because by simplifying it we lose the greatest achievements of culture.
After analyzing the information collected, we can conclude that American English and British English are indeed just variants of the same English language. There are more similarities between them than differences, especially where the speech of educated people is heard or the language of science is used. The reason for most of the discrepancies is the peculiarities of the historical and cultural development of the two countries, the diversity of local and regional idioms and set expressions.
Bibliography
1. Rio-Rey, Carmen (2002-10-09). "Subject control and coreference in Early Modern English free adjuncts and absolutes " English Language and Linguistics (Cambridge University Press) 6 (2): 309–323.
2. Directory of American-British correspondences (Evdokimov M.S., Shleev G.M.), Flint, 2001.
3. Sidney Greenbaum Randolph Quick “A Student's Grammar of the English Language”, Longman, 1990.
4. Schweitzer A.D. Literary English in the USA and England. – M.: Higher School, 1971, - 200 p.
5. Dictionary: // Collins. Russian-English Dictionary. – M., 1996 – 573 p.
6. Zabotkina V.I. New vocabulary of modern English: Textbook. – M.: Higher School, 1989, - 124 p.
7. Nesterchuk G.V. USA and Americans. – M.: Higher School, 1997, - 238 p.
8. Elyanova N. M.. Comparative characteristics of British and American English, Leningrad: Education, 1971;
9. Levitsky A. E., Slavova L. L. “Comparative typology of the Russian and English languages,” textbook. - Zhitomir: ZhDU Publishing House, 2005. - 204 p.
2) Wikipedia, American English [Electronic resource] - Access mode:http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki
3) Wikipedia, Webster Noah – [Electronic resource] - Access mode:http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki
4) Ivanova N.V., Project “American English and British English – the same language?”: [Electronic resource] - Access mode:http://www.pandia.ru/text/77/282/21660.php
5)American and British English: what is the difference? Website "English language.ru":[Electronic resource] - Access mode:http://english.language.ru/news/american_british.html
6) The main lexical and grammatical differences between British and American English: [Electronic resource] - Access mode:http://www.homeenglish.ru/Articlesosnovn.htm
7) Great and famous people of England: [Electronic resource] - Access mode:
8) American English: features of occurrence and use: [Electronic resource] - Access mode:
Applications
Appendix 1
(to p. 9)
Phonetic differences
Word | ||
"æd vз:r ta z mənt | advertisement | əd"vз: t smənt |
antai-, `anti: | anti- | `anti: |
bæ"lei | ballet | "bæ lei |
klз:rk | Clerk | kla:rk |
"ka:n trə vз:r si | controversy | "k n trə vз: si |
dæn t s | dance | da:n t s |
"da nə sti | dynasty | "d n ə sti |
"læb rə t r i | laboratory | lə"b rətri |
"le ər | leisure | "leə |
"sked ju:l | schedule | "ed ju:l |
"sek rə ter i | secretary | "sek rə tri |
tә`meitәʊ | tomato | tә`ma:tәʊ |
veis, veiz | vase | va:z |
Appendix 2
(to pp. 9-11)
Lexical differences
Translation into Russian | ||
1st Floor | first floor | ground floor |
2st Floor | second floor | 1st floor |
Administration | government | government |
Apartment | apartment | flat |
Appetizer | snack | starter |
Assignment | homework | homework |
Auditorium | assembly hall | assembly hall |
Baggage | baggage | luggage |
Basement | basement | cellar |
Bill | banknote | banknote |
Billion | billion | milliard |
Blue | sad | |
tin | ||
Checkers | checkers | drafts |
Class | Course of Study | course |
Closet | wardrobe | wardrobe |
Cookie | cookie | biscuit |
Corn | corn | maize |
Couch | sofa | sofa |
Druggist | pharmacist | chemist |
Elevator | elevator | lift |
eraser | eraser | (india) rubber |
Fall | autumn | autumn |
repair | repair |
|
Freeway | highway | motorway |
Game | match | match |
Gasoline | petrol | petrol |
Grade | mark | mark |
Insure | guarantee | ensure |
Intersection, junction | crossroads | cross-roads |
Kerosene | kerosene | paraffin |
Last name | surname | surname |
Line | queue | queue |
Loan | lend | lend |
Located | located | situated |
Magician | magician | conjurer |
post |
||
Metro/subway | metro | tube/underground |
Movies | cinema | cinema |
Napkin | napkin | serviette |
Oatmeal | oatmeal | porridge |
Package | package, parcel | parcel |
Pantry | pantry | larder |
Pants | trousers | trousers |
Paraffin | paraffin | white wax |
Pavement | pavement | road |
Pool | billiards | billiards |
President | chairman | chairman |
Quiz | control, test | test, exam |
Raisin | raisin | sultana |
Reserve | order | book |
Schedule | schedule | timetable |
Sewer/soil pipe | sewer | drain |
Shop | shop | store |
Shorts | shorts | briefs |
Shot | injection | |
Sidewalk | sidewalk | pavement |
Soccer | football | football |
Streetcar | tram | tram |
label | label |
|
Taxes | taxes | rates |
Term paper | course work | essay/project |
Truck | truck | lorry |
Two weeks | two weeks | fortnight |
Underpass | underground passage | subway |
Vacation | holidays | holiday |
Vacuum cleaner | vacuum cleaner | hoover |
Wharf | berth | quay |
Wire | telegram | telegram |
Wrench | spanner | spanner |
letter Z | ||
Zip code | postal code | postal code |
center
defense
protection
defense
honor
honor
honor
jail
jail
gaol
plow
plow
plow
thru
to
through
traveler
England has played well today, even if it is lost.
England have played well today, even if they lost.
Unit/plural number
The Government is acting like itself again.
The Government are acting like themselves again.
3rd form of verb
Have you gotten your grade in history yet?
Have you got your grade in history yet?
Prepositions
He was in a course. How many were in the course?
He went on a course. How many were on the course?
We lived on Main Street.
We lived in the High Street.
Article
He's in the hospital with a broken leg.
He's in hospital with a broken leg.
Have got
I have a car. I got a car.
(different implications)
I have got a car.
Prepositions
One was different from/than the other.
One was different from/to the other
Monday through/to Friday
Monday to Friday
on the weekend
at the weekend
Correct/
irregular verbs
The verbs and spoil are regular
The verbs burn, dream, lean, learn, smell, spill, spell and spoil are irregular (burnt, etc)
The verbs quit, fit and wet are irregular ( quit - quit - quit; fit-fit - fit; wet - wet - wet)
The verbs quit, fit and wet are regular
Past Simple/Present Perfect
I"m not hungry. I just had lunch.
I"m not hungry. I"ve just
Date writing, number/word order. (Never use only numbers!)
Use of commas and periods inside/outside quotation marks.
He said, "I love you."
He said, "I love you."
Business letter salutations, colons vs commas.
Dear Mr. Jones:
Dear Mr Jones,
"Honorifics": Mr. or Mrs. or Dr. Smith (U.S.) vs Mr or Mrs or Dr Smith (GB), etc.
Mr. Smith
Mrs. Brown
Dr. Wolf
Mr Smith
Mrs Brown
Dr Wolf
Appendix 6
(to p. 15)
The emergence of a new meaning for a word, the use of a synonymous word
to mail a letter | to post a letter |
an art gallery | an art museum |
fall petrol |
|
sedan/ station wagon | saloon/ estate car |
trunk (storage area) | boot |
muffler (reduces exhaust noise) | silencer |
hood | bonnet |
generator | dynamo |
shift | gear lever |
dessert | sweet |
lingonberries | To use presentation previews, create a Google account and log in to it: https://accounts.google.com Slide captions:DIFFERENCES between BRITISH ENGLISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH Regional scientific conference of schoolchildren in the Samara region Section “English language” Completed by: Ulyana Dorokhina, 9th grade student of the State Budgetary Educational Institution Secondary School in the village of Ekaterinovka Supervisor: Zadorozhnaya T.V. English teacher, Samara, 2014 research is to identify the differences between British English and American English to avoid difficulties in reading English literature. Relevance The purpose of the study is to identify differences between British English and American English. Object of study: vocabulary and grammar of British and American English words of the English language Subject of study: American English and British English are just variants of the same English language Hypothesis: Research objectives: collect material on the issue raised; identify areas of linguistic difference; compile a dictionary of the differences between the two varieties of English; draw conclusions; increase erudition; introduce classmates to the results of the study; develop the ability to form your own opinion and the ability to defend it; develop the ability to communicate with an audience by speaking at conferences and clubs. method of accumulation, selection and comparison of facts; method of analogy and establishing connections between facts; method of analyzing the obtained facts; method of systematizing knowledge. Research methods: Latin (29%) - French (29%) - German (26%) - Greek (6%) - Other languages (6%) - Derivatives of proper names (4%) Influence of languages on English vocabulary Factors contributing to the predominance of American English over British English Population size (number of American English speakers is 70% versus 17% of British English speakers) More powerful US economy Numerical superiority of higher education institutions in the US The scale of the US printing industry The appeal of American popular culture, its influence on the language and way of life of the entire globe. International political and economic situation of the USA Differences between British and American English British American American Phonetic differences Lexical differences Spelling differences Grammatical differences Phonetic differences advertisement əd"vз:t i smənt "ædvз:rta i zmənt schedule '∫ edju:l ` skedʒu ә l tomato t ә` ma:t ә ʊ t ә` meit ә ʊ vase va:z veis, veiz ask a: sk aesk Lexical differences Sweets AmE candy BrE sweets Football AmE soccer BrE football And index AmE ZIP code BrE post code Sneakers AmE sneakers BrE trainers "the play was a real bomb" AmE: "total disaster" BrE: ‘ a great success ’ Spelling differences C entre - center C olour - color C catalogue – catalog night – nite, through – thru C heque (n) - сheck (n) T ravelling - traveling Accurate transcription of pronunciation changing the spelling of words to attract the attention of buyers Grammatical differences Present Perfect – Past Simple I have just bought a new book (British version) I just bought a new book (American version) Future Simple (will / shall) - to be going to I will buy a car. - I am going to buy a car. Many irregular verbs (for example, to burn, to spoil) in the American version of the language are regular. Articles are used in different ways. For example, BrE “to / in hospital” without an article, AmE “to / in THE hospital”,. Various prepositions: BrE 'at the weekend' – AmE 'on the weekend' BrE 'in a street' - AmE 'on a street' In AmE, collective nouns are preferred in the singular, in BrE they can also be used in the plural AmE ' t he government is ' – BrE ' the government are ' The English language is William SHAKESPEARE Geoffrey CHAUCER Daniel DEFOE Practical significance of the study THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! |
English has long been the main world language. Therefore, it exists over a vast territory.
Like all widely spoken languages, it can sound different in different parts of the world. The two most famous varieties are American English and British.
So how different is the classic British version from the American one? And which one should you choose to study? Let's figure it out.
So let's begin.
Difference between American and British English
The difference between these two varieties of English is not that bad.
Conventionally, three main types of differences can be distinguished:
1. Words
2. Spelling
3. Grammar
Let's take a closer look at each of them.
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Differences in word usage between American and British English
The most noticeable thing separating British and American English is words.
There are a number of everyday things that are called differently in the two countries. Let's look at the table.
American version |
Translation | British version | ||
Counter-clockwise |
[,kaʊntər’klɑkwaɪz] |
Counterclockwise (about movement) | Anti-clockwise |
[,ænti’klɒkwaɪz] |
Autumn, fall |
[‘ɔ:təm], |
Autumn | Autumn |
[‘ɔ:təm] |
Attorney |
[ə’tɜ:rni] |
A lawyer who has the right to defend someone in court | Barrister |
[‘bærɪstə(r)] |
French fries |
|
French fries | Chips |
|
Parking lot |
[‘pɑ:rkɪŋ lɑt] |
Parking | Car park |
|
Cookie |
[‘kʊki] |
Cookie | Biscuit |
[‘bɪskɪt] |
Soccer |
[‘sɑ:kər] |
Football |
[‘fʊtbɔl] |
|
Apartment |
[ə’pɑ:tmənt] |
Apartment | Flat |
|
Highway |
[‘haɪweɪ] |
Intercity highway | Motorway |
[‘məʊtəweɪ] |
Elevator |
|
Elevator | Lift |
|
Gasoline |
[‘ɡæsəlin] |
Petrol | Petrol |
[‘petrəl] |
Queue |
|
Queue |
[‘laɪn] |
|
Garbage |
[‘ɡɑ:rbɪdʒ] |
Garbage | Rubbish |
[‘rʌbɪʃ] |
Faucet |
[‘fɔsɪt] |
Tap (for water) | Tap |
|
Flashlight |
[‘flæʃlaɪt] |
Flashlight | Torch |
|
Subway |
[‘sʌbweɪ] |
Metro | Tube |
|
Closet |
["klɑ:zət] |
Closet | Wardrobe |
[‘wɔ:drəʊb] |
Candy |
["kændi] |
Candy | Sweets |
|
Pants |
|
Pants, trousers | Trousers |
["traʊzəz] |
There is also a difference associated with words such as irregular verbs. Let's look at this.
Difference between the use of irregular verbs in American and British English
A verb is a word that expresses an action (talk - talk, understand - understand, run - run).
In English, the past tense (talked, understood, ran) is usually formed with -ed (talked - talked). But there are times when instead of ed we simply have another word (understood - understood, ran - ran). Such verbs are called wrong, because they do not obey the general rule.
Among the irregular verbs there is a group of those that in the past tense end in -t (learn (study, recognize) - learnt (studied, recognized) and others). In American English, such verbs became regular (that is, they received the usual -ed instead of -t).
Besides -t words, there are other differences between American and British irregular verbs, but they are not many. Let's take a look at them.
American English |
British English Example |
Translation | ||
Learn-learned-learned |
|
Learn-learn-learn |
|
Teach, study |
Dream-dreamed-dreamed |
|
Dream-dreamt-dreamt |
|
Dream, see in a dream |
Burn-burned-burned |
|
burn-burnt-burnt |
|
burn |
Lean-leaned-leaned |
[li:nd] |
Lean-lean-lean |
|
Recline for something |
Spill-spilled-spilled |
|
Spill-spillt-spillt |
|
Spill |
Get-got-got |
[ɡɑt][ɡɑt] |
Get-got-gotten |
[ɡɑt][ɡɑtn] |
Receive |
Prove-proved-proven |
|
Prove-proved-proved |
|
Prove |
Spelling difference between British and American English
Oddly enough, a huge number of differences are related to spelling. Thanks for this should go to the American Noah Webster. It was he who, in the 18th century, decided to simplify the spelling of a number of words that seemed illogical to him. This was, among other things, a political step, because the United States had just declared its independence from Great Britain. Since then, there have been different spellings on different sides of the oceans.
Some cases of distinction are observed frequently enough to be remembered as rules:
1) British words ending in -our are almost always simplified to -or in American.
2) British words starting with -yse are always written as -yze in American.
American English |
British English |
Pronunciation | Translation | |
Color |
Color |
[‘kʌlə(r)], [k`ale] |
color |
|
Center |
Center |
[‘sentə(r)], [s`ente] |
center |
|
Catalog | Catalog | ["kætəlɒɡ], [k`talog] | catalog | |
Analyze |
Analyze |
[‘ænəlaɪz], [`analayz] |
analyze Paralyze, deprive movement |
Difference between American and British grammar
Besides the difference in words, there are a small number of differences in grammar. There are not many of these nuances. Let's go through the most noticeable ones.
1) Words denoting groups of people.
Among the words denoting objects, people, animals (answering the questions “who?” and “what?”) there are those that denote groups of people: team (team), staff (workers in an organization), committee (committee) and many others.
In American English, such words always behave as if they were singular. Indeed, there may be many people, but there is only one group! In a sentence these words would behave like he/she/it (he/she/they).
Compare:
The committee has made a decision.
Committee made a decision.
It has made a decision.
He[the committee] made a decision.
The band is
Group
It is recording a new album right now.
She[the band] is recording a new album right now.
In British English such words will behave as plurals. The logic is this: there may be only one team, but there are many people in it! British words like team, band, etc. will behave like we/you/they. Compare:
The committee have made a decision.
Committee made a decision.
They have made a decision.
They made a decision.
The band are recording a new album right now.
Group is recording a new album right now.
They are recording a new album right now.
They recording a new album right now.
2) Present Perfect
Present Perfect(have + third form of the verb) is a tense often used to show an action in the past that is important in the present and has an effect on it.
For example:
I have prepared my report. I"m ready to send it to you.
I have prepared my report. I'm ready to send it to you.
The preparation of the report happened in the past, but it is connected to the present, because right now I am preparing to send it.
In British English this happens every step of the way:
I"ve read
I read
Tom's dog has run
Tom's dog ran away. I help him look for her.
In the American version, the usual past tense can be used for such cases:
I read your book and I can give it back to you now.
I read your book and I can return it to you now.
Tom's dog ran away. I"m helping him to look for it.
Tom's dog ran away. I help him look for her.
The same goes for the words already, just and yet: in British English they are almost always used with the perfect. Americans can use them with the usual past tense.
British version:
I have already told you about it.
I'll tell you already about this told.
Have you prepared your presentation yet?
You already prepared your presentation?
I have just returned from work.
I only What back from work.
Americanoption:
I already told you about it.
I'll tell you already about this told.
Did you prepare your presentation yet?
You already prepared your presentation?
I just returned from work.
I only What back from work.
3) Affiliation
American English expresses ownership using a verb have("have"):
I have a friend in this city.
U me There is friend in this city.
Do you have a pen?
Do you have pen?
The British, in addition to have, also use the second option - have got:
I have got a friend in this city.
I have friend in this city.
Have you got a pen?
Do you have pen?
What to choose: American or British?
Everything here, as usual, depends on your goals. If you are moving to the USA or you have to fly to London several times a year for work, then the issue is resolved for you.
If you don’t yet know in which specific country you are going to use the language, then this is worth thinking about. Ideally, of course, it is better to know and understand both options - then you will definitely not be lost. Moreover, the differences between them, as you can see, are not so catastrophic. To simply sound “beautiful”, it is enough to choose one and strictly adhere to it, without mixing purely British words with purely American ones, for example.
In any case, you need to understand that we live in the era of television and the Internet: both the British and Americans are familiar with each other’s popular culture, they read the same books, watch the same films and TV series. In big cities, no matter what option you use, you will most likely be understood. Even if there are any confusion, you can always try to explain a word differently.
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