Differences Between American and British English

Great Britain and the United State of America put away many of their differences long ago, but many interesting differences in language continue to this day. There is no right or wrong when it comes to the grammar and spelling of a language, but it is quite enjoyable and useful to explore the areas in which the two versions of the English language diverge.

The grammatically correct language

In American English, collective groups are always referenced as a single entity, but in British English, they are referenced as either singular or plural, depending upon the desired emphasis. A more commonly noticed difference in the area of grammar relates to the ending of past-tense verbs. The British are comfortable with many irregular verb endings, whereas Americans tend to stick with regular endings. This is evidenced by the past-tense of learn, which the British would say is "learnt," and the Americans would say is "learned." In this case, each version of the language is counted as correct by the other, but there is a least a strong tendency to diverge in that area.

So many words

There are many differences in the areas of words in the common lexicon and spelling. Some of the differences in the lexicon are not so much unheard of words, but a different application of the words in use. For instance, Americans use the term "driver's license," but the British use the term "driving licence." These terms also illustrate a difference in spelling. There are some British and American terms that are completely unique, such as the British term "nash" and the American term "copacetic."

Despite the many differences between American and British English, there are enough similarities to permanently bind the languages. Exploring the differences is, however, a good deal of fun.