British and American pronunciation differences. American and British English: main differences

There are 2 options for learning English: English (British) and American. They differ slightly from each other in grammar, vocabulary and idioms. Now in more detail about difference between American and English options.

Difference in grammar

The grammar of British English and American English is relatively the same, but there are the following differences:

1. The difference is primarily in the forms of the verbs. For example, the verb "to fit" in the British version will end in the past tense -ed - fitted, while in the American form its form will remain the same. American (fit) - British (fitted). In other words, American English is a little simplified than the British version of the language, although if we take the times, then the opposite is true.
2. In a sentence that translates into English as "I got to know her better. - I"ve gotten to know her well." Americans used the present completed tense, while the British took the simple past - "I"ve got to know her well." Americans are trying to simplify their speech and try to use less Present Perfect. At school they study what happens to the marker words already, just, etc. The Present Perfect is mainly used. Americans prefer to translate sentences with such words using the simple past tense - Past Simple.
3. Simplification also occurs when translating the verb “to have”. For example, the British will say - I have got a family. (I have a family). Americans will remove the verb “get” from the sentence; it not only simplifies the sentence, but is also not translated in this case.
4. What happened was that even verbs with particles began to be read together, but a little differently. Americans will translate the beginning of the sentence “I must go” as follows: I gotta... This is not entirely clear, because everyone is used to hearing this translation: “I go to...” The same thing happened with the word “want”. Americans will say instead of want to - wanna.

Phonetic differences

The British often drop the "r" sound in words before a vowel. The Americans, on the contrary, are trying to highlight it. British pronunciation is characterized by long vowels.

Lexical differences

The vocabulary in the two versions is also different. Below is a comparison of the words used by Americans and British in everyday life. The first option is American, the second is British.

apartment - apartment - flat;

autumn - fall - autumn;

film - movie - film;

schedule - schedule - timetable;

metro - subway - underground.

The spelling of words is also different

Often in one textbook the word "grey" is written, in another - with an "a". Where is the spelling correct? Where is the mistake? There are no mistakes! The first case is the British spelling of this word, in the second case the Americans tried and changed the vowel. This pattern can be seen in the word “favorite”: favorite - favorite and many others.

The question of which English to learn: British or American is a subject of debate among millions of people studying this language around the world. Some say that the American version is more modern and simpler, others call for a return to the classic British one. Let's try to find out today which option is most relevant for you.

The English language is no less bright and multifaceted than Russian. Should we stick to the classics or live by today's ideals? Let's try to find out what advantages both languages ​​have and make the right choice in favor of one of them.

A brief excursion into the history of the emergence of the American language

First, let's remember history, it will help us understand where the division of languages ​​came from. Remember who discovered America? Great, now tell me, who began to explore the new continent? That's right, a variety of representatives European countries. It is quite natural that this motley crowd needed a common language of communication. They didn’t bother too much with this issue, choosing the common language of Foggy Albion. You, of course, understand that the British Queen and other decent people did not go to America. As a rule, traders, the petty bourgeoisie, and those who needed to escape criminal prosecution sought to get to the new continent. They set off in search of happiness and safe shelter. How do you think these people communicated? Naturally, about perfect pronunciation, prim British vocabulary and precise grammatical constructions there was no question! In addition, the abundance of immigrants from France, Italy, and Portugal did not at all contribute to the use of the refined language of the English nobility. So a simplified version emerged, which became the foundation of American English. Needless to say, this language is still one of the most flexible and rapidly changing along with Russian.

And now about the advantages of American English

American English is for those who are looking for the easiest way. Which English is better to learn: American or British? Of course, the American variation of the language attracts us with its ease, accessibility, and modernity. We, like immigrants from Europe many years ago, want to simplify our lives. Slang words and colorful idioms are the favorite child of the American language (although British has plenty of them too). Apparently, the genes of the immigrants are still making themselves felt: Americans do not like to understand the rules and nuances of speech. They distort pronunciation, shorten words, abbreviate phrases, which horrifies the aristocratic British.

What's good about the American version?

• Simple grammar. Americans most often use only three simple tenses: Present, Past, Future. They may well replace Past Perfect with Past Simple. And this same Past Simple can even replace the Present Perfect. In the UK, for taking such liberties you would be given, at a minimum, a contemptuous look. This does not bother the people of America. The point here is not about “stupid Americans”, but about the desire to communicate dynamically, simply and quickly.
• Slang. To be honest, even passionate adherents of classical literature like to throw in a bright word from time to time. Slang expressions make speech lively and quickly convey ideas to the interlocutor.
• Idioms. There are plenty of them in both the British and American versions. Only in the latter they are more concise, precise, “newfangled”. For example, hit the books - prepare for an exam, study, study a lot. Or duck soup - it's as easy as shelling pears.
• Influence of other languages. In a conversation with an American friend, you may be surprised to discover the words tacos, adios, doritos, borrowed from Spanish. Also pay attention to the words employee (employee), tutor (tutor). Do you feel a taste of French? Yes, Americans actively use the suffixes of this language. Still, such an “explosive mixture” has its own charm.

Now let's see what British English can do against this

Why you should learn English via Skype with a native speaker

• The native speaker, whether American or British, will teach you live current language. He will only use words and phrases that are used in real life. This way you will protect your speech from being used outdated expressions and other archaisms. Current vocabulary- the main thing in learning English.
• He will explain how easy it is to master grammar, construct a sentence, and will methodically guide you through the material you have covered.
• Native speakers who teach English professionally speak without an accent. They will teach you pure pronunciation without any admixture of Americanism, Spanishism and other languages.
• The most valuable thing in classes is the experience of communicating with a foreigner. You will finally be immersed in language environment, try English “by ear”. If you manage to understand your tutor’s speech, then there will be no problems understanding Americans or English; after all, the difference between the languages ​​is not as great as it seems at first glance.

Which version of English should you learn: British or American?

A thing well said will be wit in all languages.

A well-expressed thought sounds smart in all languages.

And now, when you are almost ready to choose the option you like, we will tell you the most interesting facts.

• Both varieties of language are 93-97% similar to each other. So, according to by and large, it doesn't matter which type you choose. Residents of both countries communicate without a translator, so they will understand you in England, America, and Australia (they also have their own dialect, no less bright than all the others).
• English teachers around the world are celebrating the emergence of... a new variation. This is something between the British and American versions. It has already been dubbed “international English”. It is quite neutral in emotional tone and contains a minimum of slang and idioms. As you understand, it is used mainly by residents of non-English speaking countries.
• According to the experience of philologists and teachers, it is best to teach classical basis, while simultaneously supplementing it with the most commonly used slang words and idioms.

As you can see, any option will be relevant and will definitely be useful to you in the future. When choosing a language, focus on your goals: if you are going to the UK, learn British, if you are going to America, learn American. Listen to the audio recordings and choose the option whose sound you prefer to hear, because love for language is one of the components successful learning. And thanks to your love for the English language, you can learn any version of it: both American and British.

British English tends to retain the pronunciation of many words of French origin. Americans letters that are "unnecessary" are often "cut out" from words, and the pronunciation of words of French origin is generally not preserved in order to make the pronunciation more "American." Here are some examples:

British English American English
Color Color
Center Center
Honor Honor
Analyze Analyze
Fulfill Fulfil
Check Check
Tire Tire
Labor Labor
Favor Favor

To be sure which word to use, first of all, determine who you are addressing: American or British; and secondly, you need to agree on what variant of English you will conduct the conversation: in British English or . Otherwise, there is a chance that spelling and pronunciation will be questioned.

For example, the words "favour" (British English) and "labor" (American English) should not be used in the same document. Both British and American are considered correct, but American spelling and pronunciation are simplified.

Difference in pronunciation

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of different varieties of English. We cannot cover all types of accents, dialects and varieties of English in this article. So we will pay attention to only two main conversational options: American and British English. It is noteworthy that " standard pronunciation", also known as " royal pronunciation" or " Oxford English» is used by only about 5% of the UK population. This is because there are many dialects in the British Isles. If you go to the UK, you will notice that the differences in pronunciation from region to region are stronger and wider than in the US, which is a much larger area. more territory Great Britain. This may be due to the fact that average Americans change their place of residence more often than the British. Dialect occurs when people live together for a long time, and therefore the community develops its own unique way of communicating. People in the southern United States have a distinct accent that differs from those who live in Boston, for example. But let's return to the main topic of this article, and let's focus our attention on some of the most important differences between British and American English:

The /r/ sound is not pronounced at the end of some British English words, for example, “car”. /r/ is dropped as in New York and Boston dialect.

IN American English the difference between “can” and “can’t” is sometimes subtle, whereas in standard British English you can clearly see the difference.

Americans tend to pronounce words such as “reduce”, “produce”, “induce”, “seduce” (most verbs with “duce”) as /dus/, while in British English pronunciation/djus/.

Americans also tend to shorten words by omitting certain letters. The word “facts”, for example, sounds like “fax” in American English, where “t” is mute.

Sometimes in British English vowel sounds are dropped, as in the word “secretary”, where the /a/ sound is not pronounced.

The pronunciation of syllables in each variant sometimes changes. For example, with the word "advertisement"
/ad-ver-‘taiz-ment/ (American English)
/ad-ver-tIz-ment/ (British English)

Difference in vocabulary

There are some important differences in the dictionary, and this is important to consider depending on who you are talking to or having a conversation with (written or oral). Here are some examples: British English American English
Lift Elevator
Boot Trunk
Trousers Pants
Lorry TruckStreet language or "slang" is also different in each country.

Are British and American English the same thing? Find out how they differ and how they are similar. For those who want to “feel the difference” - 5 test exercises!

Classmates

Those who complain about the difficulty of learning German don’t even know how lucky they are - because they only have to learn one language. Of course, there are different dialects in German-speaking countries, but someone who has learned standard literary German (Hochdeutsch) will have no problems and will be easily understood by residents of Germany, Austria or Switzerland.

The difficulty for those learning English is that there is no standard in this language. There are two options to learn: British English and American (even if you don’t take into account Australian, Indian, South African dialects, etc.). Despite their mutual cross-cultural influences, it seems that the vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation of British and American English are becoming increasingly different every year.

To stick to one option and, more importantly, to be understood correctly, you need to know which words differ in meaning and pronunciation in America and Great Britain. This is important not only for simple communication, but also in order to avoid awkward situations.

For example, if a woman from London says to a New Yorker: “I have left my child's dummy in the pram and his nappy in the boot,” she will only get a puzzled look in response. If a New Yorker tells her: “ You have nice pants,” she could easily consider this an insult.

In Britain, a baby's pacifier is called a dummy, in America - a pacifier, diapers in the first case - nappies, in the second - diapers. The British call a pram a pram, while the Americans call it a baby carriage. What is boot for the British is trunk for the Americans. In America the word pants means trousers, while in Britain it means underwear (underpants).

Below are examples of the main differences between the two languages, as well as some exercises.

Differences in spelling

With regard to the spelling of British English (BrE) and American (AmE), it can be said that Americans adhere to a more economical and phonetic spelling. Unpronounceable letters are skipped, and words are written closer to their sound. The most obvious example is the absence of the letter u in such American words, like color, neighbor, honor, etc.

Compare also the words traveling, jewelry and program with their British equivalents - travelling, jewelery and program. However, this rule does not always apply. You might think that in America they spell skilful and in Britain they spell skillful, but in fact it's the other way around!

Exercise 1

Which of the following words are written in American English and which are written in British English? Can you give a second spelling?

Sample: AmE - mustache:BrE— mustache

• airplane, check, theater, tire, defense, woolen, pajamas, gaol

Differences in pronunciation

Of course, both countries have their own regional pronunciations, but the following words are pronounced differently by most Americans and Britons. The differences are mainly in the sound of vowels or stress.

Exercise 2

Can you indicate how an American would pronounce the following words and how a British person would pronounce them?

• vase, route, ballet, address (noun), ate, buoy, tomato, advertisement, garage, leisure

Differences in vocabulary

The percentage of words that are used in only one country is very small, but the problem for English learners is that these words are among the most commonly used. Many words are used only by Americans but most Britons understand them, but others can be difficult.

For example, the British know that Americans call biscuits cookies, and flat - apartment, but not many people know what alumnus (college or university graduate) or fender (dirt shield over a car wheel) are. In turn, Americans know that a yard in Britain is called a garden, and a truck is called a lorry, but the words plimsolls (sneakers) or off-licence (liquor store) that are familiar to the British will not tell them anything.

Exercise 3

From the list below, select pairs of words that have the same meaning and classify them as American or British English.

Sample: AmE - cookie = BrE - biscuit

Differences in grammar

The grammar of British and American English is almost the same, but there are some differences. interesting variations, for example, in some forms of verbs. In AE, the past tense of the verb fit is fit; in BrE - fitted. Americans say I "ve gotten to know her well; the British - I"ve got to know her well. BrE often uses the Present Perfect where AmE would rather use the Past Simple.

For example, when using the words just or already, the British are most likely to say I "ve just seen him or I"ve already done it, and the Americans - I just saw him or I already did it.

Another example: Americans are much more likely to agree collective nouns with a verb. In standard AmE it is correct to say The team is playing well this season, while in BrE it is acceptable to say: The team are playing well. The same applies to words such as government, committee, etc. In American - The government is..., in British - The government are...

Exercise 4

The following sentences are typically American. How would a Brit say them?

• Do you have any siblings?
• It is important that she be told.
• The jury has not yet reached its decision.
• Go fetch your book.
• He dove into the water.
• You must come visit me real soon.

Use of words

There are countless interesting nuances between AmE and BrE that relate to the use of words. AmE has a useful preposition through, which means “through, inclusive.” For example, The exhibition is showing March through June. Its equivalent in BrE is from March to June, but this can be understood in two ways.

Will the exhibition last until the beginning of June or until the end? To avoid misunderstandings, it is better to say, for example: The exhibition is showing from March to the end of June.

Another example: for Americans, the number billion contains 9 zeros (billion). For most Brits there are 12 zeros (a trillion). As for zero itself, in AmE the word zero is more common, while in BrE it is nought. Americans are more likely to pronounce the number 453 as four hundred fifty three, while the British almost always pronounce it as four hundred and fifty three. And this is only a small part!

Exercise 5

For whom are the following sentences more typical - an American or a British person?

• I"ll try and visit you on the weekend.
• Please write me when you arrive.
• Call me as soon as you get there.
• Most everyone has a telephone and a refrigerator these days.
• If you make a mistake, you"ll just have to do it over.
• He was born 3/27/1981.
• The soccer team won two to nothing (2-0).
• She arrived at twenty of two.
• The secretary said, "Mr. Clinton will see you soon."

Conclusion

It is quite obvious that for non-native speakers it will be very difficult to separate these two dialects. The best thing to do in this case is to purchase a good reference book. We can recommend two books on this topic:

• Practical English Usage, M. Swan (1995), Oxford University Press
• The Right Word at the Right Time (A guide to the English language and how to use it) (1985) Readers Digest

Answers

Exercise 1 - Writing

• airplane - aeroplane
• check - check
• theater - theater
• defense - defense
• woollen - woollen
• tire - tire
• pajamas - pajamas
• jail-gaol*

* Now in Britain the word jail is also more common, but gaol is also quite acceptable (they are pronounced the same).

Exercise 2 - Pronunciation

In most cases, Americans and British accents are the same. For example, everyone says pencil and relax, cinema and consider, but the following words are stressed differently:

• ballet - BrE - ballet - AmE
• address - BrE - address * - AmE
• garage – BrE – garage – AmE
• advertisement – ​​BrE – advertisement – ​​AmE

There are words that differ in the sound of the stressed vowel. It is difficult to illustrate them without resorting to phonetic symbols, which not everyone is familiar with. Therefore, they are presented in comparison with common words containing the same sound.

• vase: as in cars (BrE) - as in face (AmE)
• route: like shoot (BrE) - like shout * (AmE)
• buoy: like toy (BrE) - like the French name Louis (AmE)
• ate: like let (BrE) — like late (AmE)
• tomato: as in tomarto (BrE) - tomayto * (AmE)
• leisure: as in pleasure (BrE) - first vowel as in she (AmE)

* Some Americans pronounce these words the same way as the British.

Exercise 3 - Vocabulary

• closet - cupboard
• vacation - holiday
• fall - autumn
• thumb tack - drawing pin
• flashlight - torch
• subway - underground
• baggage - luggage
• movie-film
• drapes - curtains
• elevator - lift
• hood - bonnet
• mailman-postman
• check - bill *
• line - queue
• candy - sweets
• gas - petrol
• trailer - caravan

* In England, bill is the bill you ask the waiter in a restaurant. In America it is called a check, while a bill is a banknote.

Exercise 4 - Grammar

• AmE - Do you have any siblings?
• BrE — Have you got any brothers or sisters?
• AmE — It is important that she be told. *
• BrE — It is important that she is told.
• AmE — The jury has not yet reached its decision.
• BrE - The jury have not yet reached their decision.
• AmE - Go get your book.
• BrE - Go and fetch your book.
• AmE - He dove into the water.
• BrE - He dived into the water.
• AmE — You must come visit me real soon.
• BrE — You must come and visit me really soon.

* AmE uses the subjunctive form much more often than BrE.

Exercise 5 - Using words

This was a tricky task because in reality all of these sentences are more likely to be said by an American than by a British person! Here are their UK equivalents:

• AmE — I"ll try and visit you on the weekend.
• BrE — I"ll try to visit you at the weekend.
• AmE — Please write me when you arrive.
• BrE — Please write to me when you arrive.
• AmE - Call me as soon as you get there.
• BrE — Ring me (phone me) as soon as you get there.
• AmE — Most everyone has a telephone and a refrigerator these days.
• BrE — Almost everyone has a telephone and a refrigerator these days.

The difficulty of learning English is that you have to learn two versions: British and American. When using written English, it is important to stick to one spelling throughout the entire document. But even in oral speech, you can get into trouble, not distinguishing in meaning and pronunciation between words and phrases used in America and Great Britain. In order not to confuse the American language with the British language, you need to know the main differences.

So let's start with the spelling of some English words. First of all, it should be noted that in British English most words retain the features of the languages ​​from which they came into English, while in American English their spelling is influenced by pronunciation.

So, for example, words ending with ‘-tre" in British English end with '-ter" in American English: theater, center - theater, center.

Words that end in '- our' in British English end in '- or' in American English: colour, labor - color, labor.

In British English, some words are longer than in American English, due to the fact that US residents adapt borrowed words: catalogue, program - catalog, program.

In the British version, verbs can end in ‘-ize’ or ‘-ise’; in America they only write ‘-ize’: apologize or apologise, organize or organize, recognize or recognize - apologize, organize, recognize.

Words that end in '-yse' in British have the ending '-yze' in American: analyze, paralyse - analyze, paralyze.

According to British spelling rules, verbs ending in a vowel +l double the final consonant when added -ing endings or -ed, in the American version there is no this rule: travel - travelled - travelling - traveler; fuel - fuelled - fueling; travel - traveled - traveling - traveler - fuel - fueled - fueling

Some words from the field of medicine in British English are distinguished by the fact that they are written with 'ae" and 'oe", and in American English only with 'e': leukaemia, manoeuvre, oestrogen, paediatric - leukemia, maneuver, estrogen, pediatric.

One word - two pronunciations

There are words that are spelled the same in both British and American, but the British and Americans pronounce them differently. The transcription and pronunciation of such words must be memorized so as not to mix American and British English during communication. For example, the verb "Ask" is pronounced [æsk] in American and [ɑːsk] in British. Other most famous differences are presented in the table below.




American	British	Russian
Schedule [ˈskedʒuːl]	Schedule [ˈʃedjuːl]	schedule, schedule
Route [raʊt]	Route [ru:t]	route
Aluminum [əˈluː.mɪ.nəm]	Aluminum [ˌæl.jəˈmɪn.i.əm]	aluminum
Answer [ˈænsər]	Answer [ˈɑːnsə®]	reply
Fast [fæst]	Fast [fɑːst]	fast
Can't [kænt]	Can't [kɑːnt]	not be able to
Tomato [təˈmeɪtoʊ]	Tomato [təˈmɑːtəʊ]	tomato
Butter [ˈbʌtər]	Butter [ˈbʌtə®]	oil
Advertisement [ˌædvərˈtaɪzmənt ]	Advertisement [ədˈvɜːtɪsmənt ]	advertising
Organization [ˌɔːɡənaɪˈzeɪʃn]	Organization [ˌɔːrɡənəˈzeɪʃn]	organization
A lot [lɑːt]	A lot [lɒt]	many
Address [ˈˌædres]	Address [əˈdres]	address

Differences in grammar

It should be noted that Americans do not respect grammatical rules too much. So, when talking about an action that ended not long ago, they do not bother to use the Present Perfect, replacing it with a tense like the Past Simple. The British use Perfect everywhere.

Did you do your homework yet? I already did it - that's what the Americans say.

Slight differences between British and American English are observed in the formation of the II and III forms of some irregular verbs.

BrE: learnt, dreamt, burnt, leant.

AmE: learned, dreamed, burned, leaned

The expression have got meaning to have is more often used by the British, while Americans simply use verb have. Also, residents of Foggy Albion more often use dividing questions in their speech, while Americans do this very rarely.

The options for using prepositions are also different: the British say in a team, Americans - on a team, at the weekend (BrE) - on the weekend (AmE), write TO smb (BrE) - write smb (AmE).




Vocabulary

Sometimes it's the same thing separate word or a British English construction may be translated differently into American English. In the table below you can see the most striking examples.

American English	Britain English	Russian
Zucchini	Courgette	Zucchini
Hood	Bonnet	Hood
Eggplant	Aubergine	Eggplant
Baked potatoes	Jacket potato	Jacket potatoes
Schedule	Timetable	Schedule, schedule
Trunk	Boot	Trunk
eraser	Rubber	Eraser, eraser
Takeout	Takeaway	Takeaway
Mail	Post	Mail
The Big Dipper	The Plow	Big Dipper
Fall	Autumn	Autumn
Drugstore	pharmacy Chemist's	Pharmacy
Vacation	Holiday	Vacations, vacation
Subway	Underground	Metro
Phone booth	Phone box	telephone booth
Main street	High street	Main street
Cotton candy	Candy floss	Cotton candy
Candy	Sweets	Candies, sweets
Popsicle	Ice lolly	Ice lolly
Line	Queue	Queue
Molasses	Treacle	Syrup
Pacifier	Dummy	Pacifier
Diaper	Nappy	Diaper
TV	Telly	TV
Restroom, bathroom	Loo	Lavatory, toilet
Flashlight	Torch	Flashlight
Cell phone	Mobile phone	Mobile phone
Truck	Lorry	Truck
Elevator	Lift	Elevator
Trashcan	Bin	Trash can, basket
Apartment	Flat	Apartment
Cup of tea	Cuppa	Cup of tea
Garbage, trash	Rubbish	Garbage
Sandwich	Butty	Sandwich
Commercial	Advertisement	Advertising
Chips	Crisps	Chips
Money	Dosh	Money
Sidewalk	Pavement	Sidewalk
Cab	Taxi	Taxi
beet(s)	beetroot	Beet
cookie sheet	baking tray	Baking tray
heavy cream	double cream	Heavy cream
jelly beans	jelly babies	Marmalade
ladybug	ladybird	Ladybug
corn	size	Corn
gas; gasoline	petrol	Petrol
appetizer	starter	Snack
sneakers	trainers	Sneakers
crosswalk	zebra crossing	Zebra
zipper	zip	Lightning

Conclusion

We found out how British English differs from American English. Now the question arises: which option should be preferred? You need to know both options. Knowing American English will help you understand everyone, and knowing British English will help everyone understand you correctly.