A regional or social variety of a language distinguished by pronunciation, grammar,

or vocabulary, especially a variety differing from the standard literary language or

speech pattern of the culture in which it exists.
American English is one of the most influential dialects of the English language, to
the extent that it now influences the vocabulary of British English. In itself it consists
of a variety of different accents and dialects, many of which stem from the original
settlers of various regions. Like all languages there is a large amount of social and
ethnic variation within the language, but there is also a great deal of variation from
British English. It has been shaped by its colonial history in both linguistic and
cultural aspects, but the physical separation from England has caused the language
to evolve separately. Regional dialects in the United States generally reflect the
elements of the language of the nationality of the original settlers, or those who have
consisted of a large percentage of immigration to the area since then, particularly in
regard to vernacular lexis and pronunciation.