Before we take a look at some of the differences between the two main types of English Id

like to stress that these differences are somewhat minor and with the ongoing
internationalization of our modern world they could even said to be diminishing.
The few differences that exist between British and American English tend rather to enrich
communication than slow it down.
Although not all British readers might agree, I think that the American version of spoken
English is becoming more and more dominant for several reasons. Let me give you an
example to show you why American English has a stronger impact on British (and Australian
) English than vice versa.
When you go to the UK and switch on the TV you will see a lot of American shows, movies
and films which, of course, are shown in the original, American version. Thus, especially
young people watching TV will learn a lot of American vocabulary and phrases which they
easily internalize and use as their own. It follows, modern British English is much more
likely to be influenced by American English than the other way round because when you live
in the US and watch TV you rarely will see a British show or film.
Another area where US English dominates is international business. Most globally operating
companies are based in the US and hence the influence of American English terminology is
very strong.
However, as with any issue, the more you think about it, the more variations you will
encounter and it would be impossible to cover them all in one article.
Thats why well move on now to the differences between British and American English.
Instead of giving you a comprehensive rundown of all imaginable items Ill limit myself to a
small selection of my personal observations.

Spelling
When it comes to different spellings there isnt really that much to say because in the near
future the world will more or less agree on one uniform version.
British English has a tendency to keep the spelling of many words of French origin whereas
Americans try to spell more closely to the way they pronounce words and they remove
letters not needed, which makes sense to me.
Here are some examples:
British English
American English

centre
theatre
realise
catalogue
programme
travelled
neighbour
grey
plough
to practise (verb)
practice (noun)
cheque

center
theater
realize
catalog
program
traveled
neighbor
gray
plow
to practice (verb)
practice (verb)
check (noun)

Again, these are in my opinion examples for the most important spelling differences
between British and American English. Of course, there are more of them and the purpose
of this article is not to elaborate on orthography but to raise your awareness of the subject
so you can make your own observations and draw conclusions.
There are two major standards of spoken English -- British and American English.
Interestingly enough "RP" ("Received Pronunciation", which is also known as "Queen's
English" or "Oxford English") is spoken only by about 5% of the UK population which means
there are many different dialects to be found in the British Isles. If you travel the UK you
will notice that the differences in pronunciation are stronger and wider than in the US
although the latter clearer is the bigger country.
I think this is due to the fact that statistically the average US American relocates more often
within the US than his British counterpart. A dialect develops when people live closely
together for a longer period of time and the community creates their own unique way of
speaking. No doubt people in the southern US states have that distinctive "drawl" whereas
people from Boston sound pretty different. But let's focus on the major differences between
RP and standard US American English:
Americans usually pronounce the letter "r" by rolling their tongue back and pressing it to
the roof of their mouths whereas most British people don't pronounce the letter "r",
especially when it occurs at the end of a word.
In American English the words "can" and "can't" sound very much alike while in standard
British English you can clearly make out a difference. (not so in most British made pop
songs, though).
Americans tend to pronounce words like "reduce", "produce", "induce", "seduce" -mostly verbs that end with "duce" -- more relaxed, that means after the letter "d" there
follows the vowel "u". In British English after the letter "d" you can make out a little "j".
Americans have a tendency to reduce words by omitting letters. The words "facts" for
example sounds in American English the same as "fax" -- the "t" is not spoken.
Sometimes letters are omitted in British English such as in the words "secretary", where
the "a" is not spoken.

 In American English, the letter combination "cl" in words such as "cling", "climate",
"club" etc., sound more fricative. You can produce these sounds by straining your vocal
cords.
Word Stress sometimes is different in both versions:
British
English
advertisement
details

American
("advertisement" sounds
English
advertisement completely different
details
in both versions)

Vocabulary
There are some words and terms that are either used only in British or American English.
However, with new media like the internet and in the more internationalized world these
words become fewer and fewer.
That's why I'll give you only a selection of the examples I've personally come across. What's
really important is not that there are differences but that any British person understands
any American without great difficulty and the other way round. I know I'm repeating myself,
but please don't forget that British and American English are more similar than different.
British English
lift
boot
autumn
litter
crossroad
trousers

American English
elevator
trunk
fall
garbage
crossing
pants

Well, we could add to this list a couple of hundred words and phrases and even then the
vast majority of the almost 1 million English words would be the same in both versions of
English.
Just one last example I'd like to give you here as it might be a bit amusing. The rather
colloquial phrase "I'm totally pissed" means different things in British and American English.
I won't give you the two different meanings here -- if you really want to I'm sure you'll have
your own way of finding out.

Use of the Present Perfect

In British English the present perfect is used to express an action that has occurred in the
recent past that has an effect on the present moment. For example:
"Shes lost her purse. Can you help her look for it?"

In American English the following is also possible:

"She lost her key. Can you help her look for it?"
In British English the above would be considered incorrect. However, both forms are
generally accepted in standard American English. Other differences involving the use of the
present perfect in British English and simple past in American English include "already",
"just" and "yet".
British English:
"Ive just received an email."
"Ive already answered it."
"Have you completed your article yet? "
American English:
"I just received an email." OR "Ive just received an email."
"Ive already answered it." OR "I already answered it."
"Have you completed your article yet?" OR "Did you complete your article yet?"
Possession
There are two forms to express possession in English. -- "have" or "have got"
"Do you have a computer?" "Have you got a computer?" "She hasnt got any hobbies." "She
doesnt have any hobbies." "She has an interesting new book." "Shes got an interesting
new book."
While both forms are correct (and accepted in both British and American English), "have
got" ("have you got", "he hasnt got", etc.) is generally the preferred form in British English
while most speakers of American English use the "have" ("do you have", "he doesnt have"
etc.)

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."
American English
"Im liking this conversation more and more."

British English
"I remember this quite clearly."
American English
"Im remembering this quite clearly."
Adverbs
Americans tend to use adjectives instead of adverbs. Instead of "Thats really good" you
might hear them say "Thats real good" or instead of "Im doing very well" they say "Im
doing pretty good".
Here are some more examples:
British English
He did that really quickly.
Lets take things slowly.
Her car drives more quickly.

American English
He did that real quick.
Lets take things slow.
Her car drives quicker.

Plurals
There are a number of nouns that are uncountable (they dont have a plural form) in British
English while they do have a plural form in American English.
Here are some examples:
British English
types of accommodation
types of food
a lot of fruit
strands of hair

American English
accommodation
foods
many foods
hairs

Conclusion
British and American English are more similar than they are different. New media and
globalization enable more and more people to participate in an active exchange of ideas and
experiences and therefore the geographical differences in the versions of English are
becoming less instead of greater