Differences between American and British dialects

Presented by Mohammed Abdullah bin Gaber.

SN: 426000015.

Supervised by Dr. Y. Al maini.

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Differences between American and British dialect

Introduction: In the beginning, English language as other language has many varieties of dialects. The most important different varieties are American and British dialect. They have a lot of differences in the levels of pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and so on. Although both American and British people can generally understand what each other's saying sometimes it is necessary to explain some things. Some words or phrases could be taken the wrong way.

Britain and America speak the same language, but you simply have to visit each country to realize that, while they all speak English, it is far from a universal language. The English spoken in Great Britain and America has many similarities, but a surprising number of differences as well. The main reason for this is the vast distance between each country. Here are some of the common differences you will find between these two versions of English.

This research is going to explain these fields to make them clear.

Literature review:

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Many researchers talked about the American and British dialects. The book which is A History of the English Language by Baugh, Albert C. and Thomas Cable mentions the differences between American and British varieties.( 2006)Also in The new Englishes by John Talbot Platt, Heidi Weber, Mian Lian Ho, it talked about American and British English language.(1984Routledge)

In Writer's guide and index to English by Porter Gale Perrin is the discussion about the varieties of English language.( Scott, Foresman1959)

In Language in the Making by Wilhelmina M. Thoma it talked about dialects of english.( Harcourt, Brace and company1922)

In Landmarks Of American Language & Linguistics by Frank Smolinski is a discussion about differences between AME and BRH in vocabulary "the American vocabulary frequently preserves words and meanings of words which have been discontinued in England . American English , for example, retains the term druggist, which has been replaced by chemist in England". (1988)

After mentioning these books my research will explain the differences by adding more information and explanation.

Body:

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Although the British and the Americans use the same language, There are slight differences between American English and British English in levels of spelling ,pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary ,and so on.

1-_Grammar:

The differences between American and British in the term of grammar are so obvious. The differences in their grammar have largely been understood . The common grammatical differences can be grouped under three levels: differences with the verb , with noun and pronoun, and differences with the preposition. The differences in verb show that American and British have different usage of verb. British and American English by Peter Strevens states the differences between American and British in grammar" In both British and American English , the verbs to have and to get are among the most frequent, especially in speech. As a result, differences of usage in these verbs make up a high proportion of the differences actually encountered.The American usage over gotten is changing , so is British usage over have got "(1972)(2).

In differences of pronoun Victoria Formkin and Robert Rodman's book which is an introduction to language states that "in a number of American dialects the pronoun I occurs when me would be in British English. For example:

Am. Between you and I Br. Between you and me.Am. Won't he permit you and I to swim? Br. Won't he permit you and me to swim?

Also , In British English a grammar permits the deletion of the pronoun in the sentence I could have done it to form I could have done, which is not permitted in the American grammar" (1983)(3).

The American and British varieties have some differences with prepositions. For example; "In British, one calls (or rings) someone on his or her telephone number; in American, one calls someone at his or her telephone number. Another example : It is common in British to say opposite to as an alternative to opposite of, the only form normally found in American. The use of opposite as a preposition (opposite the

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post office) has long been established in both dialects, but appears to be more common in British usage."(4)

There are also a few differences in preposition use including the following:

American English - on the weekendBritish English - at the weekend

American English - on a teamBritish English - in a team

American English - please write me soonBritish English - please write to me soon.(5)

Also prepositions with date , days is another distinction occurs here. British English requires on before a week or day or at specific date. American English immediately write it without a preposition .There are examples in British and American English

"BE The new air service begins on January I. AE The new air service begins January I. BE I start my holidays on Friday. AE I start my vacation Friday."(1972)(2)

In addition , there are a difference in the article for example:" there is one common expression in which British English has no article but American English has the.

BE He's in hospital.AE He's in the hospital."(2)

2-Vocabulary:

Probably the major differences between British and American English lies in the choice of vocabulary. Indeed there is noticeable variation in the vocabularies of American English and British English. Some words mean different things in the two varieties for example:"Mean: (American English - angry, bad humored, British English - not generous, tight fisted)."(5)

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" The word "football" in BrE refers to Association football, also known as soccer. In AmE, "football" means American football."(4)

"In AmE the word quite used as a qualifier is generally a reinforcement: e.g. "I'm quite hungry" means "I'm very hungry". In BrE quite can have this meaning, as in "quite right" or "quite mad", but it more commonly means "somewhat", so that in BrE "I'm quite hungry" means "I'm somewhat hungry" – and this divergence of use can lead to misunderstanding."(4)

Also there are a lot of differences between American and British in vocabulary term for example: "students in universities while they are studying ;the American majors in a particular subject, but also take electives: British students usually take main and subsidiary subject."(2)

There are some words which have different usage between these two dialects for example:" one takes a lift to the first floor in England, but an elevator in America; one gets five gallons of petrol in London , gas in America."(3)

These are many example in this field: "

WORD AMERICAN BRITISH

Biscuit Dinner roll Cookie

Brew Beer Tea

Bureau Chest of drawers Writing table/desk

Casket Coffin Jewelry Box

First Floor Ground Floor “Second” Floor

To hire To employ To rent (7)

Professor has different meanings in British and American. In British it is the highest academic rank that followed by Reader, Senior Lecturer and Lecturer. In American Professor refers to academic staff of all ranks, with Full Professor-largely equivalent to the UK meaning- followed by Associate Professor and Assistant Professor.(2)

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3-Spelling:

In general, American and British English have differences in spelling. It can be said that American English has the more economical and phonetic spelling. Unnecessary letters are left out and words are spelled how they sound. "An obvious example is the omission in AE of the letter u in words such as color, neighbor, honor etc. Compare also the AE words traveling, jewelry and program with their BE counterparts travelling, jewellery and programme."(6)

also the deletion of the second constant letter in many words with double consonant. For example" traveller-traveler, waggon- wagon "(2) also the replacement of –re by –er in words of French origin. For example" theatre- theater , centre-center".(2)

In addition, there are some words that have a different ending according to these two dialects expressed in these schedules:

When a British words ends with "-se", the Americanequivalent usually has a "-ze" ending.

AMERICAN – “-ze” BRITISH – “-se”

Analyze Analyse

Criticize Criticise

Memorize Memorise

AMERICAN – “-ll” BRITISH – “-l”

Enrollment Enrolment

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Fulfill Fulfil

Skillful skilful

4-Pronunciation:

The concerns here is in the differences between American and British English in term of pronunciation. "Here are the major differences in pronunciation:

1- Before a voiceless fricative and occasionally /n/, British /a/ American/æ/, e.g., callf , patch, pass , aunt.

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AMERICAN – “-og” BRITISH – “-ogue”

Analog Analogue

Catalog Catalogue

Dialog Dialogue

AMERICAN – “-e” BRITISH – “-ae” or “-oe”

Encyclopedia Encyclopaedia

Maneuver Manoeuvre

Medieval Mediaeval

2- The British /r/ is usually pronounced with a flat tongue and hence we have the r- less dialect. The American /r/is usually a retroflex.

3- The British /o/ is often an American /a/,e.g., cot, dog , hot.

4- The intervocalic British /t/ is usually American /d/, e.g., letter , water."(1976) (8)

5- British English has three open back vowels while American English has only two {or even one}:

Most American English speakers use the same vowel for “short O” as for “broad A” – father and brother often rhyme.

There are several words that are pronounced differently in American and British English:

1-as in: dance, lastGeneral American: dance = [dQns]British: dance = [dA˘ns]

2-arm (noun)General American: [A˘rm]British: [A˘m]Also applies to: car, park, arch, apart, storm, torn, fur, stir, clerk, etc.

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3-laboratory is LAB-uhr-uh-TOR-ee or LAB-ruh-TOR-ee in American English, luh-BOR-uh-tuhr-ee or luh-BOR-uh-tree in British. Clerk rhymes with murk in the United States, but the British pronounce it to rhyme with mark. And what Americans call VEIT-uh-minz most Britons call VIT-uh-minz.(9)

Conclusion:

In spite of the American and British differences they don't cause big problems. I have mentioned differences in the choices of vocabulary , spelling, pronunciation , and grammar. The most noticeable differences between AmE and BrE are at the levels of pronunciation and vocabulary.

References:

1- In Landmarks Of American Language & Linguistics by Frank Smolinski(1988) p196

2- British and American English by Peter Strevens (1972) p47.

3- introduction to language by Victoria Formkin and Robert

Rodman(1983)p250.p248.4- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

American_and_British_English_differences5- http://esl.about.com/od/toeflieltscambridge/a/

dif_ambrit.htm6- http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/easy/aebe.htm 7- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

List_of_words_having_different_meanings_in_British_and_American_English

8- English as a foreign language Ali Alkhuli,(1976) p 35.

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9- http://www.bartleby.com/68/19/4819.html

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