American or British English? What you need to know
American or British English? What you need to know?
https://youtu.be/qvseQbfp-94
British and American English have more similarities than differences.
But there are some key distinctions, which can be grouped into four categories.
1. Spelling is a major distinction, with variations in words like “colour” and “honor.”
”Words like “theatre” and “metre” in the U.K. are spelled “theater” and “meter” in the U.S.
The British also use a “t” at the end of many past tense verbs (e.g. “learnt”) while Americans use the “-ed” (e.g. “learned”).
2. Vocabulary also differs. Common examples: “vacation” vs “holiday” and “pants” vs “trousers.”
or soccer vs. football
3. Grammar rules vary as well, like plural noun and verb agreement.
British English speakers also use the present perfect tense more often than Americans, who frequently use the simple past tense.
Prepositions are also used differently at times. In the U.S, I say I studied anthropology in school, but in Britain I would say I studied it at school.
4. Pronunciation and accents: such as differences in R sounds
O and A sounds are also pronounced differently.
Can you think of other differences? Share them in the comments.
Adapted from :
https://prowritingaid.com/art/1610/what-are-the-four-biggest-differences-in-british-and-american-english.aspx
“While both Britain and the United States speak English, it can sometimes feel as if we are speaking different languages. The differences in our versions of English can be downright confusing, especially for non-native speakers.
Overall, both versions have more similarities than differences, but there are some key distinctions, which I’ve grouped into four categories. Once you know these, you’ll have a much easier time comprehending the version of English that you don’t speak.”
Extract from the original article.
You may also find more related resources here:
https://learnenglishdailytips.com/resources/
