The moment you first start working with English, you soon find out that English is not spoken the same all over the world and therefore does not sound the same. Especially between British-English and American-English there are big differences - not only in pronunciation, but also in spelling and vocabulary. In this article, we'll tell you why.
1. The pronunciation of British and American English developed differently
You may have already learned about the colonization of the Americas in school. If not, we'll give you a brief summary first. Besides the difference between American English and British English, do you want to know more about the English language? Then visit one of our day camps. We operate in more than 30 locations in the Netherlands, so there's always a place nearby!
Columbus' voyage of discovery
In the year 1492, the explorer Christopher Columbus set out with three large ships. The goal? To discover the Indies! When land finally came into sight after months of sailing, Columbus thought he had achieved his goal. So he decided to call the inhabitants of this new land "Indians. However, it later turned out that he had not arrived in the Indies, but in America. By now we no longer call the original inhabitants Indians, but for example Native Americans or First Americans, making it clear that these were the first inhabitants of America.
The colonization of the Americas
After Columbus' discovery, all kinds of European countries decided to settle in America in search of wealth. The British also came to America, settling on the east coast. They took their language, (British) English, with them. This language was based on "rhotic speech. This means that the letter 'r' is pronounced clearly.
A new statement
Meanwhile, however, a change was noticeable in Britain. There, people in the upper classes began to pronounce the 'r' less and less often. For example, "winter" was increasingly pronounced "win-tuh. They thought that sounded fancier. In this way, the pronunciation of British English and American English grew further and further apart.
2. British English was influenced by neighboring France
In the year 1066, a profound event took place in Great Britain: William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, invaded England with as many as 700 ships. He overthrew King Harold II and became king of England. He took Norman French with him and introduced this language to the upper classes. This had a major influence on the creation of Middle English.
Some examples of the French influence on British English
The French influence mentioned above is still visible today. For example, Britons call a line (for example, in front of the checkout) a "queue. This is a French word. Americans do not use this word: in the United States the word 'line' is mainly used. Also, for example, the British use the word "movie," while Americans mainly say "movie.
3. The Americans and British use different loan words
Even today, we see many influences from other languages in English: English makes extensive use of loanwords. Curiously, these loanwords are not always the same in the United States and the United Kingdom. For example, for coriander, the British use the word "coriander," borrowed from French, while Americans use the word "cilantro" - derived from Spanish, which is mainly spoken in Central and South America.
4. American English has a different spelling in protest
We have already seen above that American English and British English use very different words. However, even when the same words are used, differences can sometimes be seen. In fact, different spellings are often used in American and British English.
A few examples of the differences in spelling
The differences in spelling are easy to spot. For example, Britons often use an 's' in words ending in '-ise', while Americans often replace this 's' with a 'z'. For example, the word "signalise" or "characterise," this becomes "signalize" and "characterize" in American English. You will also often encounter words with 'ou' in British English, such as 'color' and 'honor'. In American English, the "u" is omitted from these types of words and the word changes to "color" and "honor.
Why is a different spelling used?
The American and British dictionaries were both compiled by different authors. When compiling the American dictionary, lexicographer Noah Webster (of the famous Webster dictionaries) chose to adapt American spelling. He felt this was a good way to show America's independence. He also felt that the American spelling was easier to understand, as it better matched the pronunciation of the words.
5. In American English, words are more likely to be omitted
The speaking habits of Americans and British also seem to differ. For example, American-English often omits words. If you ask an American if he or she wants to go to the movies with you, it is quite possible that he or she will say "We could" back. However, if you were to ask this question to a Briton, chances are he or she would say back 'We could go'. This may be caused by cultural differences.
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This article was about English in the United Kingdom and in the United States. However, English is spoken in many more countries. In fact, it is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world! Would you like to get started with English with your peers? During the children's camp you will learn English through sports, music and crafts in a playful, relaxed way. Useful for vacations and for later!
