British English vs. American English
Table of contents:
- Introduction
- British English vs. American English
- Conclusion
- FAQs
Introduction:
English has slowly and steadily beaten every other language by becoming the medium of communication between many country’s nationals. There are more English speakers in India than in the UK, France, Germany and Italy combined. That information was as shocking to me as it is for you. But have you ever wondered why these stats are like this? Why has English penetrated the Indian ecosystem more than that of France and Germany?
Well, the reason is simple, Colonisation. India and Indians had been under British rule for more than 200 years. This is why there is such a large number of Indians who speak their mother tongue instead of their own. English was shoved down our throats when in reality, we didn’t even want it.
And today, the situation is such, that there are now two distinct varieties of English that are being spoken worldwide. The British version and then there’s the American version. After assessing the whole situation of English in the world, I have decided to create a proper tabulated description of both these varieties and differentiate between them. So, today we will see what the main differences are between British English and American English as this topic has always been a point of confusion to people who are even living in these particular countries. So, let us start without wasting any more time.
British English vs. American English
- Vocabulary: It doesn’t matter how similar they might sound to a layman, some words are completely different in both English varieties. For example, in British English, a flat means an apartment, which we also use in India. But in the American vocabulary, the word flat is never used about an apartment. They just simply call it an apartment.
- Pronunciation: There is a huge difference in the way both varieties are pronounced. Certain words in the American English are mispronounced in the American continent only. The British have different standards of speaking English. For example, the sound of the consonant ‘R’ is less profound in the British version. That’s why it is less expressed in our pronunciation as well.
- Spelling: This is one of the most confusing parts of the English language overall. I don’t see the point in having two different spellings for the same word. It confuses me a lot because Indian English follows the U.K. version almost completely. But there are times when I get confused because the text I write is in Indian English, but my spell checker app has the American English version in-built so it corrects my spelling according to that. For example, the word colour in the British version is spelt as COLOUR but in American English, it is spelt as COLOR. Another example is the word theatre, British version= THEATRE, American version=THEATER. You see where I get confused, right?
Conclusion:
In conclusion, it doesn’t matter which version of English you want to follow, they both mean the same and 99% of you speak the correct form of English. My point is, don’t make English so special that your whole personality develops around it. But if you want to learn and improve your English skills in overall quality, EnglishPro has you covered. We have the best English-speaking course in Chandigarh.
FAQs:
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