Lecture Slides

Table of content:
oduction

Spelling
Differences

Pronounciation Differences

Activity

End
Topic:
“American & British English
Spelling & Pronounciation
difference”.
 INTRODUCTION
• English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the
world, and you’ll find its more than 1 billion speakers just
about everywhere.
• But there are two particular groups of English speakers we’ll
focus on in this presentation :
1. British People.
2. American People
Spelling and pronunciation of some words vary between British
American English vs British English

American English vs British English

Spelling differences
 Spelling rules for
words ending with –er and -re

uses “-re” at the end of uses “-er” at the end of

words words
For example: For example:
centre center
theatre theater
metre meter
litre liter
 Spelling rules for
Words ending with –our and -or

In British English, these In American English,

words are spelled with a u words are spelled
For example: without a u
colour For example:
honour color
humour honor
humor
 Spelling rules for
words ending with -ize

In British English these In American English these

words are spelled with a words are spelled with a
ise. ize.
For example: For example:
realise realize
recognise recognize
organise organize
 Spelling rules for
words ending with –ogue and og.

In British English, these In American English

words are spelled with an these words are spelled
ogue. with an og.
For example: For example:
analogue analog
catalogue catalog
dialogue dialog
 L-doubling Rule
When adding certain suffixes like
“-ed” or “-ing,” words with a single
vowel followed by an “L” often
double the “L” to preserve the
vowel sound and maintain the
stress pattern
Travel becomes "Travelling" and
"travelled"
Cancel becomes "Cancelling" and
"cancelled"
Regarding the doubling of the letter
"L" after a single vowel. American
English tends to maintain the base
spelling without doubling the "L" in
similar situations
Travel becomes "Traveling" and
"traveled"
Cancel becomes "Canceling" and
"canceled"
American English vs British English

American English vs British English

Pronounciation differences
 British vs. American English
Pronunciation Rules

American pronunciation:

• Also known as General American (GenAm) pronunciation

• used by educated Americans, on television and on radio,educational
institutions.
• GenAm pronunciation is rhotic = the letter r is always pronounced in
words.
 British vs. American English
Pronunciation Rules

British pronunciation
• Received Pronunciation (RP) is a form of British English that is usually spoken by upper-
class people, academics, actors, TV personalities, politicians, and English teachers. It is also
spoken by “normal people” in the southeast of England, near Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton,
and London (excluding working-class people of london).

• In other parts of the UK, “normal” Britons usually speak with their local accents,
which can be very different from RP and may be difficult to understand for
untrained ears. Sometimes, even cities that are only 20 km apart have very
different accents.
 Non-Rhotic & Rhotic
British English
Received Pronounciation is non-
rhotic = the letter r is usually
"silent", unless it is followed by
a vowel
In non-rhotic accents, when the
letter "r" appears at the end of
a word or before a consonant,
it's not pronounced.
American English
General American pronunciation
is rhotic = the letter r is always
pronounced
Rhotic accents, such as the
General American accent,
pronounce the "r" sound at the
end of words or before
consonants.
 Non-Rhotic & Rhotic
Examples

British English American English

Car = ka Car = kahr
Hard = hahd Hard = hahrd
Park = pahk Park = pahrk
Butter= buh-tuh Butter = buh-ter
World = wuhld World = wurld
American English vs British English

Dramatic Pronounciation differences

& Activity Pronounciation
 British vs. American English
Pronunciation Rules

Some words have relatively minor pronunciation differences

and catagorized as:

1. Words with less dramatic pronunciation differences.

2. words have much more dramatic pronunciation differences.

 words have much less dramatic pronunciation
differences

American English
British English
Advertisement = ad-vur-tis-muhn advertisement = ad-ver-tahyz-muhn
Mall = Mal Mall = Mawl
Missile = mis-ahyl Missile = mis–uhl
Dynasty = din–uh-stee Dynasty = dahy-nuh-stee
Baboon = buh–boon Baboon = ba-boon
 words have much more dramatic pronunciation
differences

American English
British English
zebra = zee-bruh
zebra = zeb-ruh
figure = fig-yer
figure = fig-er
schedule = shed-yool or shej-ool schedule = skej-ool or skej-oo-uhl

lieutenant = lef-ten–uhnt lieutenant = loo-ten–uhnt

 Activity

Words Pronunciation Pronunciation

mischievous mis-cheev-ee-us mis-chiv-us

jewelry jew-el-ree jew-el-ree

February feb-roo-er-ee feb-roo-er-ee

library lie-brer-ee lie-brer-ee

umbrella um-brel-la um-brel-la

 Answers

Word American Pronunciation British Pronunciation

mischievous mis-chiv-us mis-chee-vi-us

jewelry joo-l-ree jew-el-ree

February feb-yoo-air-ee feb-roo-er-ee

library lie-brer-ee lie-bra-ree

umbrella um-brel-la um-brel-la

That’s All.

Thank, You…