Neil

Fred
Jayanth
Wendyl
Avinash
Raghu
 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.
 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.
 The differences between British and American English can be summarized in the
 following four categories:

 1. Grammatical differences

 2. Differences in pronunciation.

 3. Spelling differences

 4. Differences in vocabulary

 Differences in pronunciation.

 The differences in pronunciation between Britain and America can only be generalized
 as there are many different regional accents in both countries.
 AMERICAN BRITISH
American
Apartment Flat
& British Argument Row
English Carriage/coach Pram

sometimes Bathroom Loo

Can Tin
have Cookie Biscuit
different Diaper Nappy
words for Elevator Lift

the same Eraser Rubber

Flashlight Torch
things -- Fries Chips
Gas Petrol
Guy Bloke/chap
AMERICAN BRITISH AMERICAN BRITISH
Highway Motorway Truck Lorry
Hood {of a car} Bonnet Trunk Boot
Jelly Jam Vacation Holiday
Kerosene Paraffin Windshield Windscreen
Lawyer Solicitor License Plate Number Plate
Line Queue Pacifier Dummy
Mail Post Parking lot Car park
Napkin Serviette Pharmacist Chemist
Nothing Nought Sidewalk Pavement
Period Full stop Soccer Football
Potato chips crisps Trash can Bin
 Other word-specific differences --

AMERICAN BRITISH

Jewelry Jewellry

Draft Draught

Pajamas Pyjamas

Plow Plough

Program Programme

Tire Tyre
AMERICAN – “-or” BRITISH – “-our”
Color Colour
Honor Honour
Favorite favourite

AMERICAN – “-ze” BRITISH – “-se”

Analyze Analyse
Criticize Criticise
Memorize Memorise

AMERICAN – “-ll” BRITISH – “-l”

Enrollment Enrolment
Fulfill Fulfil
Skillful skilful
 British English = non-rhotic;
American English = rhotic

Rhotic speakers pronounce the letter r after

vowels in in all positions, including after a
vowel in words like world.

 Non-Rhotic speakers do not pronounce the

letter r after vowels in words like world. They
do pronounce it before a vowel.
 There are also many individual pronunciation
differences that depend on the particular
vocabulary word and the speaker who is
pronouncing it.
American English has final-syllable stress
while British English has penultimate or
antepenultimate stress.
British English first-syllable stress:
adult, ballet, baton, pastel, vaccine
British English second-syllable stress:
escargot, fiancee
American English stress :-
unreal! dessert
VERBS
American -- "-ed“ Simple Past
British – Present Perfect
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: sawn

tenses
 British English employs the present perfect to talk about a recent event {i.e. “I’ve already
eaten,” “I’ve just arrived home.”}
Americans use the simple past to talk about a recent event

auxiliaries
 British English often uses “shall” and “shan’t”
American English uses “will” and “won’t”
 British English:
 “I was waiting in _________ for the _____ before getting
some _______ for my ______ when I realized I left the
__________ on and the ______ were probably burning!”

queue lorry loo hob petrol aubergines

 American English:
 “I was waiting in ______ for the __________ before getting some
_____ for my ______ when I realized I left the ______ on and
the ___________ was probably burning!”

bathroom truck line gas stove eggplant

Thank
you !!