British English vs. American English - A Never-Ending Dilemma, Innit?

Is it colour or color? Offence or offense? Specialisation or specialization? This is always a lingering question in our heads when drafting any piece of content, no matter how good we are with our vocabulary. Be it a Statement of Purpose (SoP) or a cover letter for your application to study abroad in the UK or US, a good understanding of the two styles of writing definitely helps. Any dialect used within the US belongs to American English; the same goes for the United Kingdom when it comes to British English.

In other words, the two nations are divided by this common language based on its usage. But this isn't a clash per se, that will lead to a dispute between the two groups using it – not always at least!

Before diving into the difference between British English vs American English, it is necessary to know about the history of the language and where it all started. So let's start at the beginning, shall we? 

British and American English - The History and the Usage

Knowing the history behind something can help make any learning process intriguing enough to dig deeper. Speaking of British and American English, the English language was first introduced to the Americans by the British colonists, who settled there indefinitely. In the following years, the United States of America witnessed a lot of changes to their native language, with English overtaking the other tongues.

But none of these changes to the English language were standardised until an exclusive American dictionary was first published by Noah Webster. In this dictionary, the spellings of great number of words differed from that of the British, and hence, paving the way for a new form of English in terms of grammar, pronunciation, enunciation, slang and more. 

Preparing to go to the UK or the USA for your higher education? Make sure you understand the language requirements for these countries.

Differences between the two dialects

Understanding the intricacies that make these dialects stand apart can be very interesting. When it comes to British English vs American English, even the slightest difference in either the spelling, grammar or accent adds to their respective uniqueness. Let's look into these differences between the two dialects in detail. 

Spelling

This is probably the most important and conspicuous aspect to be taken into account while learning the difference between British and American English. There are over a thousand minor spelling differences between the two dialects – here is where Webster comes into the picture again. He was the first person to feel that there needs to be a cultural independence when it comes to the American language. This mainly has to do with the thought that the words have to be spelled the way they sound.

Here are some examples for the same:

Vocabulary

A difference in vocabulary means when one word has a particular meaning in American English and a different meaning in British English. This is one of the complicated differences that one has to grasp while learning both British and American English. Despite all the differences, people who speak American English will be able to understand British English and vice versa.

Here are some of the common words that have different meanings in both dialects: 

Verbs

A base verb can be used in different forms in British and American English, and here again, most of the differences are found in spellings. All of the tenses come into play when you're differentiating the spellings. Below are some examples. 

Slang

Slang helps people express how they feel about something, carrying a mix of emotions to it. As a Thai student, understanding the specific slang phrases that are used both in America and the United Kingdom will help you adapt to the culture and the environment quickly.

Accent

It all lies in the way you say it, right? Accents play an important role in indicating where you come from – knowing the difference between British and American accents can be interesting in a lot of ways!

Here are some of the common differences between the two accents:

Points to Remember Before Shifting to the US or the UK

Now that you have a rough idea of how to communicate when you're at a new place, the drill is in learning the dialect amongst the locals. This would help you adapt to change, considering you have not been a part of an English-speaking country before.

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Here are some of the things to keep in mind while you're in the process of learning British and American English:

• Start your learning process from the very basic level. Learn the words, then the spellings, and then the way they are being pronounced. Take baby steps in learning each of these until you master them all.

• If you are not shifting anywhere and just want your English skills to get better, you can learn the difference between both these accents and imbibe the one you're most comfortable with.

• Learning and trying to excel at a particular accent can be hard in the beginning. If you're in the process, try not to be overly conscious of the way you speak. You will slowly but surely pick up pace each time you practice.

Getting truly better at a language comes as a package. You cannot learn to say a word and not know how to write it. This is especially important if you are concentrating on excelling in either British or American English. And none of this comes in a day.

If you are completely new to all this information about the English language but planning to move abroad nonetheless, we're about to make things a whole lot easier for you!

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