 There are quite a few noticeable differences

between the British English dialect and the dialect

of American English.

These are the ones we will cover:

Spelling
Pronunciation
Vocabulary
AMERICAN – “-or” BRITISH – “-our”
Color Colour
Honor Honour
Favorite favourite

AMERICAN – “-ze” BRITISH – “-se”

Analyze Analyse
Criticize Criticise
Memorize Memorise

AMERICAN – “-ll” BRITISH – “-l”

Enrollment Enrolment
Fulfill Fulfil
Skillful skilful
 AMERICAN – “-er” BRITISH – “-re”
Center Centre
Meter Metre
Theater theatre

AMERICAN – “-og” BRITISH – “-ogue”

Analog Analogue
Catalog Catalogue
Dialog Dialogue

AMERICAN – “-ck” or “-k” BRITISH – “-que”

Bank Banque
Check Cheque
 AMERICAN – “-e” BRITISH – “-ae” or “-oe”
Encyclopedia Encyclopaedia
Maneuver Manoeuvre
Medieval Mediaeval

AMERICAN – “-dg” “-g” “-gu” BRITISH – “-dge” “-ge” “-gue”

Aging Ageing
Argument Arguement
Judgment Judgement

AMERICAN – “-ense” BRITISH – “-ence”

License Licence
Defense Defence
 Other word-specific differences --

AMERICAN BRITISH
Jewelry Jewellery
Draft Draught
Pajamas Pyjamas
Plow Plough
Program Programme
Tire Tyre
Base words that end in L normally double the L in
British English when a suffix is added.
BASE WORD AMERICAN BRITISH
Counsel Counseling Counselling
Equal Equaled Equalled
The letter can
Model Modeling Modelling double in American
Quarrel Quarreling Quarrelling as well – but ONLY IF
Signal Signaled Signalled the stress is on the
second syllable
Travel Traveling Travelling of the base word.

BASE AMERICAN BRITISH

WORD
Excel Excelling Excelling
Propel Propelling Propelling
 The way words are pronounced in America
differs quite substantially from the
Commonwealth. This goes to accents, of
course, which differ vastly even WITHIN
America AND within individual
Commonwealth countries. However, there
are some common elements that definitely
distinguish Americans from
Commonwealthers.
8
 The Rounded A
 People in the Commonwealth pronounce many of
their A in a rounded way. That is, their mouths have
a rounded shape. American's pronounce some A this
way, such as "park" and "car", but most a's have a
flatter sound, like the a in "hat".
 Example: the "a" in the word "ask" is pronounced
like the a in "hat" in America but in the
Commonwealth the "a" in "ask" is pronounced more
like the "a" in "car" or "park".

9
 T's versus D's
 Commonwealthers pronounce their t sounds
with precision. Americans tend to either drop
their t completely, or replace them with a d.
Here are some examples:
 Mountain/Moun'in
 Daughter/Dawder,
 Letter/ledder
 Norton/Nor'in

10
 The “ing” form
 American do not pronounce the "g" in many
words ending "ing".
Examples"Running/Runnin’
Walking/Walkin’
Riding/Ridin’
Driving/ Drivin’

11
 Where the emphasis in words is placed varies
between Americans and Commonwealthers as well.
Americans tend to place the emphasis in most
words on the first syllable. In the Commonwealth,
more often it is on the second syllable. This can
make the word sound VERY differently.
 USA: CON-troversy/ Br. Con-TROV-ersy
 USA: A-dddress/ Br.A-DDRESS
 USA: IS-sue/Br. Is-SUE

12
 Americans and Britons agree in most cases
on where a word in stressed. For example,
everyone says pencil and relax, cinema and
consider, but the following words from the
table are stressed differently in the two
dialects:
 ballet - BE : ballet - AE
 address - BE : address * - AE
 garage - BE : garage - AE
 advertisement - BE : advertisement - AE
13
American AMERICAN BRITISH
Apartment Flat
& British Argument Row
English Carriage/coach Pram
sometimes Bathroom Loo
Can Tin
have Cookie Biscuit
different Diaper Nappy
words for Elevator Lift
Eraser Rubber
the same Flashlight Torch
things -- Fries Chips
Gas Petrol
Guy Bloke/chap
AMERICAN BRITISH AMERICAN BRITISH
Highway Motorway Truck Lorry
Hood {of a car} Bonnet Trunk Boot
Jelly Jam Vacation Holiday
Kerosene Paraffin Windshield Windscreen
Lawyer Solicitor License Plate Number Plate
Line Queue Pacifier Dummy
Mail Post Parking lot Car park
Napkin Serviette Pharmacist Chemist
Nothing Nought Sidewalk Pavement
Period Full stop Soccer Football
Potato chips crisps Trash can Bin
 American and British English speakers often
use the same words but intend very different
meaning with them:
WORD AMERICAN BRITISH
Biscuit Dinner roll Cookie
Brew Beer Tea
Bureau Chest of drawers Writing table/desk
Casket Coffin Jewelry Box
First Floor Ground Floor “Second” Floor
To hire To employ To rent

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_words_having_different_meani
ngs_in_British_and_American_English {for more examples!}
 Intemann, Dr. F. “Teaching English Grammar and Lexis.”
http://www-public.tu-bs.de:8080/~intemann/BA/grammar-lexis/bara-ristau-
schubert.pdf
 Jones, Susan. “List of American vs. British Spelling.”
http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwesl/egw/jones/spelling.htm
 Wallechinsky, David & Irving Wallace. “Trivia on History of Merriam-Webster’s
Dictionary Part 1.”
http://www.trivia-library.com/b/history-of-merriam-webster-dictionary-part-1.htm
 Wikipedia. “British English.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_English
 Wikipedia. “American and British English Differences.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_differences