Ayame S.

Malinao BSA1_9 September 12, 2021

Research on the differences of British and American English

words

HISTORY
The British sailed and arrived on the American country by 16 th and 17th centuries, they
were the ones who bought the language. Spelling had not yet been standardized at the
time. It took the creation of the first dictionaries to consolidate the existence of these
words. The dictionary was developed by London-based academics in the United
Kingdom. Meanwhile, in the United States, a man named Noah Webster served as
lexicographer. He allegedly changed the spelling of the words to distinguish the
American version from the British in order to demonstrate cultural independence from its
mother nation.
The contrasts between American and British English in terms of speech emerged after
the first inhabitants arrived in America. These people spoke in a style known as rhotic
speech, in which the ‘r' sounds of words are spoken. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom,
the upper classes tried to separate themselves from the general public by softening
their pronunciation of the ‘r' sounds. Because the wealthy were regarded the standard
for being trendy even back then, other people began to imitate their speech, and it
finally became the typical in the south of England.

SPELLING DIFFERENCES
There are some spelling changes between British and American English. The most
prevalent ones are listed below in the table.
VOCABULARY DIFFERENCES
There are certain words that differ between the Americans and the British. The table
below includes some common things that have different names depending on which
English dialect you speak.

GRAMMAR DIFFERENCES
The British also employ more official language, such as ‘shall,' whereas Americans use
the more informal ‘will' or ‘should.' Americans, on the other hand, continue to use
‘gotten' as the past participle of ‘get,' a term that the British have long abandoned in
favor of ‘got.' In American English, the word ‘needn't,' which is often used in British
English, is rarely, if ever, employed. ‘Doesn't have to' has taken its place. The
preposition ‘at' is used in British English to refer to time and place. In American English,
however, ‘on' replaces the former and ‘in' replaces the latter.
While there are some differences between British and American English, the main point
to remember is that they are more similar. Using one instead of the other by accident
will not always result in a miscommunication. Americans and Brits can normally interact
without problem, so don't be too hard on yourself if you can't remember all of the
intricacies of both languages.