Differences between American & British English

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_English

Aha...

The pronunciation of interesting is intristing in American English and interésting in British English?

It actually is pronounced both ways in American English. The "intristing" pronunciation is what could be classified as an "American abbrevation."

I think that American English tends to be rhythmic, whereas British English tends to be melodic. This is what accounts for Americans often shortening words--we try to fit words into an expressive rhythm. With Brits, its all about using inflection to create meaning.

Where are you from, Tatiana Santos? Are you from Latin America?

What about words like "knickers" and "bloomers" (in America, underwear or what have you) and then there's the elevator thing.. apparently in England (or in some PARTS of England) they say "lift".. and the trunk thing. In America we call the back part of a car (like where you put your luggage) the trunk, but I've heard that English people call it the "boot". I don't really understand the whole "got" vs. "gotten" thing.

Do you ever wonder if when people are learning English (like if they're french and they're learning how to speak it like in school or such) if they learn American English or British English terms. Like would they learn "chips" or "crips"?

Hi everyone.....just found this site and I think it's brill...oops, sorry, I meant cool. This is a huge thread so only read bits and pieces of it to get the general gist...not to keen on bashing each others' nationalities though! I'm looking forward to contributing in my own way on anything to do with British/American English and the differences. Or any other form of English I guess...it is a world wide language after all. I am a 22 year old Scottish guy just about to take my finals at uni here in England. My major happens to be English (see, I used an Americanism!) I speak my native language in an Edinburgh/Lowland Scottish accent and the US students I have met here seem fascinated by the way I speak.....a lot of Americans seem obsessed with accents. It's been really great finding out the differences in the expressions we use..can be embarrassing. I was working alongside an American student one day when I made a mistake in what I was writing and I asked her if she had a rubber. Now that really WAS a mistake...

Most of Europe learns British English, for the obvious reason of geography. South America & Asia are mixed, however, depending on economic circumstances. When I went to China, the British model definitely appeared to be in place, particularly around Hong Kong and Shanghai owing to their English history. Japan does far more business with the US than Britain, and would probably take the American model.

hi, I am having problems with pronunciations like the j in project. In british english, how would it be?

Hello. I am an American working as an Assistant English Teacher in a high school in Japan. One of my JTL's (Japanese Teacher's of Language) asked me a question about the differences between British and American English. The sentence he gave as an example was, "She went in hospital." He wants to know if this sentence is correct according to British standards. It is not uncommon for articles to be ommited in specific cases, but the general rule (according to the Harbrace College Handbook) is that all articles should be included for "clarity and completeness." But I don't know anything about British English.

So, can anybody help us out?

P.S. By the way, Ben, it seems that many schools here in Japan do choose the American model over the British one. But there is at least one Engish teacher at my school who prefers British English. Also, there are AETs (also known as ALTs) here in Japan from all over the world.

Sorry about the typos. JTLs (Japanese Teachers of Language)

Hi again.
Maxine: The word "project" has different meanings and is pronounced differently according to its use. To answer your question about the "j" letter...it is prounced the same way whatever. The same as the "j" in words like "judge" or "junior"..the same sound as in say "budgie" or "lodge". (the letters "dg" together are pronounced the same as a "j"). It is not like the "j" in some Continental languages like German or Swedish or Dutch where it is like a "y" sound as in the German "ja". In British English "project" (the noun, meaning a proposal or scheme) is pronounced "pro-dgect" with equal stress on the two syllables. "Project" (the verb meaning to jut ("dgut") out, to predict, to throw) is pronounced "pro-DGECT", with the stress on the second syllable. Wow, I hope I haven't complicated things and that you understand this!

Drena: The most usual way in British English is to say "She went INTO hospital". What would Americans say in this situation? You know nothing about British English?.....stay in here and I guarantee you'll soon be fluent! :-)

UKers say - She's in hospital
USers say - She's in the hospital.

I grow up in the caribbean and we still use the british english in our writing. Eventhough, we haven't being a part of the english ruling for a number of years. When I came to the US I had to change some of my writing style to suite the American english. I had one person tell me that we don't write like that in this country as though I was offending him. If you ever travel throughout the caribbean you hear people speaking and you will say to yourself what the hell are they saying? It is a mixture of Broken french and english that because these countries was once under the control of the British, French and even the the Dutch. These broken english are still spoken by people in the carribean. Throughout the slavery time the slaves had to come up with their own way of communicating in order for their owner to not know they were up to. Throughout the caribbean the people speak english perfectly. Any place you go throughout the world most people don't speak english well. However, I think Americans are the worst and they have a tendency to make fun of people who do not speak english properly when they themselves are just as bad. I believe American tend to mangle the English language more than anyone else. Most American think because you have and accent you can't possible speak or write english properly. I was in school and there was this African student who took and english class because the administrators thought that he couldn't possible write properly. The only reason they thought that was because he had a strong accent. little did they know he did not need to take the class because although, he had an accent he wrote english perfectly, that because he was taught British english in his country. He wrote better than all of the people in the class who are from this country and being living here their entire life. Most poeple need to realise that because you come from a different country where english may not be your first language doesn't mean you can't speak or write it as well as they can and sometime even better. Many of us don't use the proper grammer when speaking with our friends and families however, I think if you are going to be around strangers or in a professional setting you should at least try and not have people thinking you are ignorant or can't command the english language. If you live in NYC and take the train I don't don't where half of these poeple were taught english but they need to take some english classes especially younger people and even some adults. I think some of these young black, hispanic and white teenagers need to stay in school until they are able to speak english properly. no one english is perfect but good god it's embarrassing. I think black and Hispanics are the worst not all of them of course but most of them.

I grew up in the caribbean and we still use the british english in our writing. Eventhough, we haven't being a part of the english ruling for a number of years. When I came to the US I had to change some of my writing style to suite the American english. I had one person tell me that we don't write like that in this country as though I was offending him. If you ever travel throughout the caribbean you hear people speaking and you will say to yourself what the hell are they saying? It is a mixture of Broken French and English that because these countries was once under the control of the British, French and even the the Dutch. These broken english are still spoken by people in the carribean. Throughout slavery time the slaves had to come up with their own way of communicating in order for their owners to not know what they were up to. Throughout the caribbean most people speak english perfectly. Any place you go throughout the world most people don't speak english well, and believe me I have traveled. However, I think Americans are the worst and they have a tendency to make fun of people who do not speak english properly when they themselves are just as bad. I believe Americans tend to mangle the English language more than anyone else. Most Americans think because you have and accent you can't possible speak or write english properly, therefore, they make fun of you. I was in school and there was this African student who was given an english class because the administrators thought that he couldn't possible write properly. The only reason they thought that was because he had a strong accent. little did they know he did not need to take the class because although, he had an accent he wrote english perfectly, that's because he was taught British english in his country. He wrote better than all of the people in the class who are from this country and being living here their entire life. Most poeple need to realise that because you come from a different country where english may not be your first language doesn't mean you can't speak or write it as well as they can and sometimes even better. Many of us don't use the proper grammar when speaking with our friends and families however, I think if you are going to be around strangers or in a professional setting you should at least try and not have people thinking you are ignorant or can't command the english language. If you live in NYC and take the train I don't know where half of these poeple were taught english but they need to take some english classes again especially younger people and even some adults. I think some of these young black, hispanic and white teenagers need to stay in school until they are able to speak english properly. No one's english is perfect but good god it's embarrassing. I think black and Hispanics are the worst not all of them of course but most of them.

Open minded, please keep in mind that the sole purpose of language is communication. You mention that during slavery slaves devised their own system of language. In many different cultures and times people have created language based on their needs and purposes.

I am a bit confused about your reference to the caribbean. You say that some people in the caribbean speak a mixture of broken French and English, but then you also say that most people speak English perfectly. It seems that the caribbean represents the world. People speak their own and other languages in various ways for different reasons to achieve myriad goals or effects. Except that, according to you most Americans think that people from other countries can't speak English well and most Americans mangle the English language. And some young black, hispanic and white teenagers need to stay in school until they learn to speak English properly.

I find the terms "some" and "most" to be troublesome, especially when used by a person of a specific race or nationality in reference to people of a race or nationality different than that of the speaker/writer. It seems to be difficult for you to speak for the caribbean, so how much moreso when speaking for Americans? Or any group of people, for that matter? People are all different, and even though generalizations can be made about behaviors, its not as easy when it comes to people's motivations. I find the reasons behind the behaviors a lot more interesting (and revealing) than the generalizations themselves.

I don't think that people go out of their way to embarass themselves, Open-Minded, so maybe something else is going on that has less to do with the language itself. Also, sometimes people change the way they speak their language depending upon their audience. Regardless, when any of us attempt to impose our ideas of what's proper and professional onto others who are strangers to us (or even friends or kin), we only create walls and barriers instead of bridges.

Several nights ago my friend, another ALT here in Japan, spoke at length about a conversation she had with a stranger on her flight from the States back to Japan. (She went home several weeks ago to attend her sister's wedding.) Well, she spent the better part of that fourteen-hour flight talking to a stranger she felt a connection with. But the strange part, at least to her, was that he was someone who in the past she would never have been drawn to. He used a great deal of slang (i.e. didn't speak proper English) and had a style of dress and a background that normally would have kept her distant. But she let her guard down and he let his guard down and she really listened and learned a lot about who he was as a person. She didn't understand all of the words he used, but she learned a lot about judgement and openmindedness in the process.

In truth, its natural for us to make generalizations. I must admit that. But as a person with flaws and awkwardness, as well as talents and insights, I would rather be understood than judged. . Because of my race and nationality I am represented by one of your generalizations, yet I have never accepted for myself the conclusions you came to. I would rather speak for myself instead of having a generalization imposed upon me. Maybe that is what the African student in your class would have preferred. Maybe it's what you want too. I am sorry that there are people in the world who criticize first. I am sorry for all of the times I have been one of those people.