DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AMERICAN ENGLISH BRITISH ENGLISH VISIBLE CHANGES
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AMERICAN ENGLISH & BRITISH ENGLISH
VISIBLE CHANGES? § There are quite a few noticeable differences between the British English dialect and the evolved dialect of American English. These are the aspects we will cover: Spelling Pronunciation {sounds} Grammar Vocabulary
SPELLING. AMERICAN – “-or” BRITISH – “-our” Color Colour Honour Favorite favourite AMERICAN – “-ze” BRITISH – “-se” Analyze Analyse Criticize Criticise Memorize Memorise AMERICAN – “-ll” BRITISH – “-l” Enrollment Enrolment Fulfill Fulfil Skillful skilful
SPELLING, CONTINUED. AMERICAN – “-er” BRITISH – “-re” Center Centre Meter Metre Theater theatre AMERICAN – “-og” BRITISH – “-ogue” Analogue Catalogue Dialogue AMERICAN – “-ck” or “-k” BRITISH – “-que” Bank Banque Check Cheque
SPELLING, CONTINUED. AMERICAN – “-e” BRITISH – “-ae” or “-oe” Encyclopedia Encyclopaedia Maneuver Manoeuvre Medieval Mediaeval AMERICAN – “-dg” “-gu” BRITISH – “-dge” “-gue” Aging Ageing Argument Arguement Judgement AMERICAN – “-ense” BRITISH – “-ence” License Licence Defense Defence
SPELLING, CONTINUED. Other word-specific differences -AMERICAN BRITISH Jewelry Jewellry Draft Draught Pajamas Pyjamas Plow Plough Programme Tire Tyre
SPELLING {LAST ONE!}. Base words that end in L normally double the L in British English when a suffix is added. BASE WORD AMERICAN BRITISH Counseling Counselling Equaled Equalled Modeling Modelling Quarreling Quarrelling Signaled Signalled Traveling Travelling The letter can double in American as well – but ONLY IF the stress is on the second syllable of the base word. BASE WORD AMERICAN BRITISH Excelling Propelling
PRONUNCIATION {SOUNDS}. WORD Teacher Father Letter Water Aunt Tomato AMERICAN PRONUNCIATION BRITISH PRONUNCIATION
PRONUNCIATION {STRESS} There also other words borrowed from French that feature stress differences. American first-syllable; British lastsyllable: Mustache Cigarette
GRAMMAR. NOUNS VERBS In British English, collective nouns can take either singular or plural verb forms, depending on whether the emphasis is on the body or the members within it. i. e. “A committee was appointed. ” “ The committee were unable to agree. ” § American -- "-ed" British -- "-t" i. e. learned/learnt, dreamed/dreamt § British English rarely use “gotten; ” instead, “got” is much more common. § Past participles often vary: i. e. saw – American: sawed; British: sawn morphology tenses § British English employs the present perfect to talk about a recent event {i. e. “I’ve already eaten, ” “I’ve just arrived home. ”} auxiliaries § British English often uses “shall” and “shan’t” American English uses “will” and “won’t”
VOCABULARY. American & British English sometimes have different words for the same things -- AMERICAN BRITISH Apartment Flat Argument Row Carriage/coach Pram Bathroom Loo Can Tin Cookie Biscuit Diaper Nappy Elevator Lift Eraser Rubber Flashlight Torch Fries Chips Gas Petrol Guy Bloke/chap
MORE VOCABULARY. AMERICAN BRITISH Highway Motorway Truck Lorry Hood {of a car} Bonnet Trunk Boot Jelly Jam Vacation Holiday Kerosene Paraffin Windshield Windscreen Lawyer Solicitor License Plate Number Plate Line Queue Pacifier Dummy Mail Post Parking lot Car park Napkin Serviette Pharmacist Chemist Nothing Nought Sidewalk Pavement Period Full stop Soccer Football Potato chips crisps Trash can Bin
MORE VOCABULARY. § American and British English speakers often use the same words but intend very different meaning with them: WORD AMERICAN BRITISH Biscuit Dinner roll Cookie Brew Beer Tea Bureau Chest of drawers Writing table/desk Casket Coffin Jewelry Box First Floor Ground Floor “Second” Floor To hire To employ To rent http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/List_of_words_having_different_meanings_in _British_and_American_English {for more examples!}
THANK YOU
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