british and american english
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This is the powerpoint used to teach British andTRANSCRIPT
British and American English
K. Kaviarasu, M.A., M.Phil.,Assistant Professor of English,
Bishop Heber College (Autonomous),Tiruchirappalli – 620 [email protected]
Early 1600’s: The first wave of English-speaking settlers arrive in North America
as part of the British colonization movement. They bring English, now an “emigrant language,” to native North Americans; in addition, the settlers and their families continue to speak their own native tongue.
The process of an emigrant language’s evolution: 1) The language evolves from a specific homeland language.
2) The emigrant language begins to change course because of lack of direct contact with the homeland. 3) The emigrant language continues to evolve away from the homeland, gradually creating a new dialect. 4) The homeland dialect continues to evolve as well, diverging further away from the emigrant dialect of the language.
Bringing English to America.
Between the end of the 17th century and the 21st century, many gradual changes to the form of the English language have taken place under this process.
The process caused the Americans and the British to diverge so drastically in terms of the forms of their languages that they are now considered two separate English language dialects.
1806 – Noah Webster publishes his first dictionary, A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language.
Up until this time, English dictionaries included strictly British vocabulary, spellings, and pronunciations.
Webster was convinced that an outline of a common, American, national language would unify his country.
over the next 400 years…
1828 –publishes American Dictionary of the English Language 1890 – Merriam brothers {who received the rights to Webster’s
dictionaries after his death} publish Webster’s First International Dictionary, an all-encompassing look at the English language
Noah Webster’s intentions? To prove that Americans spoke a different dialect than the
British {but a dialect that was in no way inferior – he believed it deserved a unique documentation of its own trends}
Merriam’s intentions?"The purpose of the dictionary is to provide a record of
the language as it is used by educated people have been speaking and writing it all their lives.“
-- H. Bosley Woolf {Merriam's editorial director}
Webster’s Dictionaries.
West-Germanic A “borrowing language” – enriched by Anglo-
Saxon, Scandinavian, and Norman influences Evolved over many centuries; experienced many
shifts/changes Spread of British English is attributed to trade
and commerce throughout the established British Empire
British English: history.
American and British English are taught in
English as a foreign language programs No one version is "correct" RULE: be consistent in your usage The largest difference is probably in the choice
of vocabulary and pronunciation
Which is correct?
British v American English
American English (AmE) is the form of English used in the United States. It includes all English dialects used within the United States of America.
General American (GA) is considered to be "standard" or "accentless"
British English (BrE) is the form of English used in the United Kingdom. It includes all English dialects used within the United Kingdom.
In the United Kingdom, Received Pronunciation (RP) is considered "standard“
also called the Queen's English and BBC English
There are quite a few noticeable differences between the
British English dialect and the evolved dialect of American English.
These are the ones we will cover:
SpellingPronunciation {accent}Pronunciation {affixes}Pronunciation {stress}GrammarVocabulary
Visible Changes?
English spelling was standardized after the
publishing of influential dictionaries British-Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of
the English Language (1755)
American- Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language (1828)
Historical Origins
Samuel Johnson
A Dictionary of the English Language
aks. Johnson's Dictionary (1755) The pre-eminent English dictionary before
the OED “one of the greatest single achievements
of scholarship” Deduce to the origin Illustrate with literary quotations Provide Multiple definitions With illustrations
A Compendious Dictionary of the English
Language (1806) Introducing American spelling and
words American Dictionary of the English
Language (1828) Expanding to 70,000 entries
Spelling reform
Noah Webster
Greek Spelling: -our/-or; -se/-ce; -re/-er Latin-derived Spelling: -ise/-ize; -yse/-yze; -
ogue/-og Doubled Consonants: -ll Dropped “e”
Common Spelling Differences between BrE
and AmE
Spelling
British English
Centre Theatre Realise Catalogue Programme Travelled Neighbour Grey Plough To practise Practise cheque
American English
Center Theater Realize Catalog Program Traveled Neighbor Gray Plow To practice Practice Check
AMERICAN – “-or” BRITISH – “-our”
Color Colour
Honor Honour
Favorite favourite
Spelling.
AMERICAN – “-ll” BRITISH – “-l”
Enrollment Enrolment
Fulfill Fulfil
Skillful skilful
AMERICAN – “-ze” BRITISH – “-se”
Analyze Analyse
Criticize Criticise
Memorize Memorise
Spelling, continued.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
Spelling, continued.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
AMERICAN BRITISH
Jewelry Jewellry
Draft Draught
Pajamas Pyjamas
Plow Plough
Program Programme
Tire Tyre
Spelling, continued.Other word-specific differences --
BASE WORD AMERICAN BRITISH
Counsel Counseling Counselling
Equal Equaled Equalled
Model Modeling Modelling
Quarrel Quarreling Quarrelling
Signal Signaled Signalled
Travel Traveling Travelling
Spelling {last one!}.Base words that end in L normally double the L in British English when a suffix is added.
The letter can double in American as well – but ONLY IF the stress is on the second syllableof the base word.
BASE WORD
AMERICAN BRITISH
Excel Excelling Excelling
Propel Propelling Propelling
The British accent was created by a mixture of the Midland and Southern dialects of the Middle Ages.
There are many sub-dialects and varying accents under British English.
American English was not so strongly influenced by the accent as Australia or New Zealand, for example – the Americas broke away from British control much earlier and were distanced from direct speakers of the language as a result.
Pronunciation {accent}
British English = non-rhotic; American English = rhotic
This means that “R” is only pronounced in British English when it is immediately followed by a vowel sound.
“R” in British English is either not pronounced or replaced with a schwa
Pronunciation {accent}
-ary, -ery, -ory, -bury, -berry, -mony
When the syllable before these affixes is stressed, American and British English pronounce these endings in a similar way: /əri(ː)/When it is unstressed, American English uses a full vowel rather than a schwa while British English retains the reduced vowel or elides it completely.
{i.e. “military” – American: /'mɪlɪtɛriː/ and British: /'mɪlɪtəriː/ or /'mɪlɪtriː/}
Exceptions, in which the full vowel is used in American English even though the preceding syllable is stressed: library, primary, rosemary
Pronunciation {affixes}
Adverbs: -arily, -erily or -orilyBritish English speakers follow the American practice of shifting the stress to the antepenultimate syllable {i.e. militarily is /ˌmɪlɪ'tɛrɪliː/ not /'mɪlɪtrɪliː/}
-ileWhen words end in an unstressed “-ile,” British English speakers pronounce them with a full vowel: /aɪl/ while American speakers pronounce them with either a reduced vowel /ɪl/ or a syllabic /l/ {i.e. in British English, “fertile” rhymes with “fur tile” – in American English, it would rhyme with “turtle”}
examples of words this applies to:mobile, fragile, sterile, missile, versatile, etc.
examples of exceptions to this difference:reptile, exile, turnstile, senile, etc.
-ineWhen unstressed, this affix can be pronounced as /aɪn/ (like feline), /i(ː)n/ (like morphine), or /ɪn/ (like medicine). Generally speaking, British English uses /aɪn/ most often while American English favors /in/ or /ɪn/ {i.e. crystalline}
Pronunciation {affixes}
There are words borrowed from French that feature stress differences.
American first-syllable; British last-syllable: address, mustache, cigarette, magazineAmerican 1st-syllable; British 2nd-syllable: liaison, RenaissanceAmerican 2nd-syllable; British last-syllable: New Orleans
Pronunciation {stress}
Most two syllable verbs that end in –ate have
first syllable stress in American English and second-syllable stress in British English (i.e. castrate, locate)
Derived adjectives with the ending -atory differ in both dialects; for British English,
the stress shifts to –at whereas American English will stress the same syllable as the corresponding –ate verb (i.e. regulatory, celebratory, laboratory)
Pronunciation {stress}
Pronunciation Differences
British English [o] in spot [a:] in fast [t’] in better [r] – sometimes
silent
[ɪ] in privacy
American English [a:] in spot [ae] in fast [d] in better [r] pronounced
everywhere [aɪ] in privacy
Differences in spoken English
AE BE
dance [dæns] [da:ns]
not [nat] [not]
fast [fæst] [fa:st]
clerk [klэ:k] [kla:k]
class [klæs] [kla:s]
The differences in American and British grammar are as small and few as holds true for both versions of their lexicon. Still, here are some of them:
Grammar
NOUNSIn British English, collective
nouns can take either singular or plural verb forms, depending on whether the emphasis is on the body or the members within it.
i.e.“A committee was appointed.” “ The committee were unable to agree.”
Grammar.
VERBSmorphology American -- "-ed" British -- "-t" i.e. learned/learnt, dreamed/dreamt British English rarely use “gotten;” instead, “got” is much more common. Past participles often vary: i.e. saw – American: sawed; British: sawntenses British English employs the present perfect to talk about a recent event {i.e. “I’ve already eaten,” “I’ve just arrived home.”}auxiliaries British English often uses “shall” and “shan’t” American English uses “will” and “won’t”
There are two forms to express possession in English. -- "have" or "have got““Do you have a computer?" "Have you got a computer?" "She hasn’t got any hobbies." "She doesn’t have any hobbies." "She has an interesting new book." "She’s got an interesting new book.“
While both forms are correct (and accepted in both British and American English), "have got" ("have you got", "he hasn’t got", etc.) is generally the preferred form in British English while most speakers of American English use the "have" ("do you have", "he doesn’t have" etc.)
Grammar.Possession
Present Progressive (also known as Present Continuous)
There are some verbs in British English that cannot be used in the Present Progressive while in American English they can. Here are two examples:
British English
"I like this conversation more and more.”
"I remember this quite clearly."
American English
"I’m liking this conversation more and more.“
"I’m remembering this quite clearly."
Adverbs
Americans tend to use adjectives instead of adverbs. Instead of "That’s really good" you might hear them say "That’s real good" or instead of "I’m doing very well" they say "I’m doing pretty good".
British English He did that really
quickly. Let’s take things slowly. Her car drives more
quickly.
American English He did that real quick. Let’s take things slow. Her car drives quicker.
Plurals
British English
types of accommodation types of food a lot of fruit strands of hair
American English
Accommodation Foods many fruits hairs
The past participle of the verb get is got
differences in preposition use:
at the weekend Different from from 5 to 6
Past Simple/Past Participles
Burnt OR burned irregular form is
more common in Br. E.
is gottenHe's gotten much better
at playing tennis.
on the weekend Different than from 5 through 6
dreamt OR dreamed regular form is
more common to American English.
From the beginning, Americans borrowed words from Native
American languages for unfamiliar objects {i.e. opossum, squash, moccasin}
They took many “loanwords” from other colonizing nations {i.e. cookie, kill, and stoop from Dutch; levee , prairie, and gopher from French; barbecue, canyon, and rodeo from Spanish}
British words were obviously borrowed, but often evolved to mean new things in an American landscape {i.e. creek, barrens, trail, bluff, etc.}
With the development of the new continent, new words were necessarily brought in to describe new things: split-level {in real estate}, carpetbagger {in politics}, commuter {in transportation}, and a variety of vocabulary to distinguish among professions.
Many words originated as American slang: hijacking, boost, jazz, etc.
Creation of American Lexicon.
American& BritishEnglishsometimeshavedifferentwords forthe samethings --
Vocabulary.AMERICAN BRITISH
Apartment Flat
Argument Row
Carriage/coach Pram
Bathroom Loo
Can Tin
Cookie Biscuit
Diaper Nappy
Elevator Lift
Eraser Rubber
Flashlight Torch
Fries Chips
Gas Petrol
Guy Bloke/chap
AMERICAN BRITISH
Highway Motorway
Hood {of a car} Bonnet
Jelly Jam
Kerosene Paraffin
Lawyer Solicitor
Line Queue
Mail Post
Napkin Serviette
Nothing Nought
Period Full stop
Potato chips crisps
More Vocabulary.AMERICAN BRITISH
Truck Lorry
Trunk Boot
Vacation Holiday
Windshield Windscreen
License Plate Number Plate
Pacifier Dummy
Parking lot Car park
Pharmacist Chemist
Sidewalk Pavement
Soccer Football
Trash can Bin
American and British English speakers often use
the same words but intend very different meaning with them:
More Vocabulary.
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
Lexical Differences
British English Pardon? Autumn Film Trousers Flat Tin Mobile phone Biscuit lorry
American English Excuse me? Fall Movie Pants Apartment Can Cell phone Cookie truck
1. Q: Vocabulary ‘round trip' - I booked a round trip.
2. Q: Spelling 'check' - I wrote a check for the full amount.
3. Q: Spelling 'tire' - Do you know how to change a tire? 4. Q: Vocabulary 'subway' - I took the subway to work.
5. Q: Spelling 'color' - Do you have this shirt in a different color?
Quiz: What are the British equivalents?
Return ticket
cheque
tyre
underground
colour
6. Q: Vocabulary 'trunk' - Put your luggage in the trunk.
8. Q: Vocabulary 'flashlight' - The lights have gone out. Where is the flashlight?
9. Q: Expression with preposition 'Monday through Friday' - He works Monday through Friday
. 10. Q: Grammar 'seven hundred thirty' - eight
thousand seven hundred thirty
12. Q: Vocabulary ‘gas' - I think we need
some gas.
torch
to
And thirty
petrol
Lorry
13. Vocabulary call collect' - (on the telephone) I'd like to call collect
14. Grammar 'this' - (on the telephone) Hello, is this Peter?
15. Past participle form - He's gotten more difficult.
17. Q: Vocabulary 'diaper' - Honey, can you change the baby's diaper?
18. Q: Grammar 'committee meets' - The committee meets tomorrow.
19. Q: Vocabulary 'chips' - I'm hungry. Let's stop and get a bag of chips at the supermarket.
'reverse the charges
that
nappy
will meet
crisps
got
20. Q: Vocabulary 'intersection' - Take a left at the second intersection.
21. Q: Vocabulary 'stand in line' - We had to stand in line for three hours to get into the concert.
22. Q: Expression with preposition 'do over' - Can I do that over?
23. Q: Vocabulary 'garbage' - Why is there so much garbage in here?
23. Q: Vocabulary 'rest room' - Excuse me, where is the rest room?
25. Q: Vocabulary 'vacation' - We went on a two week vacation last month.
crossroads
queue
again
rubbish
Public toilet
holiday
http: // iteslj. org/v/e/ck-british-american.html
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/alle_words.htm
