Learn English
As all major languages do, English comprises a diverse family of speakers across a wide variety of geographical and ethnic boundaries. There is a world of difference between the English spoken in Oxford, Boston, Nashville, Toronto, Delhi, and Sydney. While most of the countries that stayed in the old British Commonwealth (like Canada and Australia) have generally retained the UK spellings of words, two centuries ago the United States declared not only its political but its linguistic independence.
English can be a difficult language to learn even today, but it must have been even more confusing back in the 1700s. Standardized spellings hardly existed for anything: if you read Shakespeare, for instance, in the original text, you?ll see some truly wild spelling of familiar words. Indeed, he even used variants of his own name such as "Shakspere" and "Shakspeare" in his own will! So you can see that later on, when colonists in the New World were setting up their own civilization, they felt very free to establish their own language as well.
The publication of Noah Webster?s A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language in 1806 first codified a distinctly American language. It included many novel technical terms, reflecting the already famous ?Yankee ingenuity,? as well as some of the more noteworthy alternate spellings we still associate today with American English. For example:
British: centre
American: center
British: defence
American: defense
British: traveller
American: traveler
British: pretence
American: pretense
British: analyse
American: analyze
British: gaol
American: jail
British: honour
American: honor
(This also goes for colour/color, favour/favor, flavour/flavor, harbour/harbor, labour/labor, neighbour/neighbor, rumour/rumor!)
Webster published his later, more comprehensive work American Dictionary of the English Language in 1828. By that time the two variants of English were well on their way to permanence, and with both nations establishing themselves as world powers in commerce, things became awfully confusing for the various peoples for whom English (any kind of English!) was a second language.
And even for Americans who go to England, or for Brits who come to America, it can be like learning a whole new tongue. As the Irish playwright and wit George Bernard Shaw put it, the United States and the United Kingdom, regardless of the unity emphasized in both of their names, are truly ?two countries separated by a common language.?
- British & American Phonetics
Tim Bowyer offers us online pronunciation guides to 9 varieties of the English language and 9 other languages. Instant sound. Pronunciation samples by over 40 native speakers. All 1,000+ pages free. Just click on the links bellow. British English American...
- Voa News - Special English
Voice of America is an excellent web page that offers very valuable material for learning American English and much more besides. If with "BBC Learning English" we can practice British English, with "VOA Special English" we can listen to very interesting...
- English Has Made The Greatest Contribution To The Promotion Of Better Understanding
Which language do you think has made the greatest contribution to the promotion of better understanding among the people of the world? The human race is divided by a multiplicity of languages, many of which have come to play an important part in the affairs...
- How To Respond To "thank You"?
Most languages have an automatic response to thanks. The British don't automatically respond to thanks, but Americans do. A response is not necessary in British English, but is becoming more frequent. Some of the ways of responding to thanks are:...
- Holidays Or Vacations?
It is holiday in British English and vacation in American English. Is it true or false? The situation is a bit more complicated: In America: holidays (="Holy Days"): eg. Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Independence Day. Not official national holidays...
Learn English
British vs. American English: Colour/Color Them Different
As all major languages do, English comprises a diverse family of speakers across a wide variety of geographical and ethnic boundaries. There is a world of difference between the English spoken in Oxford, Boston, Nashville, Toronto, Delhi, and Sydney. While most of the countries that stayed in the old British Commonwealth (like Canada and Australia) have generally retained the UK spellings of words, two centuries ago the United States declared not only its political but its linguistic independence.
English can be a difficult language to learn even today, but it must have been even more confusing back in the 1700s. Standardized spellings hardly existed for anything: if you read Shakespeare, for instance, in the original text, you?ll see some truly wild spelling of familiar words. Indeed, he even used variants of his own name such as "Shakspere" and "Shakspeare" in his own will! So you can see that later on, when colonists in the New World were setting up their own civilization, they felt very free to establish their own language as well.
The publication of Noah Webster?s A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language in 1806 first codified a distinctly American language. It included many novel technical terms, reflecting the already famous ?Yankee ingenuity,? as well as some of the more noteworthy alternate spellings we still associate today with American English. For example:
British: centre
American: center
British: defence
American: defense
British: traveller
American: traveler
British: pretence
American: pretense
British: analyse
American: analyze
British: gaol
American: jail
British: honour
American: honor
(This also goes for colour/color, favour/favor, flavour/flavor, harbour/harbor, labour/labor, neighbour/neighbor, rumour/rumor!)
Webster published his later, more comprehensive work American Dictionary of the English Language in 1828. By that time the two variants of English were well on their way to permanence, and with both nations establishing themselves as world powers in commerce, things became awfully confusing for the various peoples for whom English (any kind of English!) was a second language.
And even for Americans who go to England, or for Brits who come to America, it can be like learning a whole new tongue. As the Irish playwright and wit George Bernard Shaw put it, the United States and the United Kingdom, regardless of the unity emphasized in both of their names, are truly ?two countries separated by a common language.?
Stephanie Brooks is a freelance writer and blogger who mostly enjoys covering all things education, including at top10onlineuniversities, but also regarding traditional brick-and-mortar institutions. When she's not writing, she can be found at the gym working out to Zumba and cooking healthy recipes at home. She welcomes your feedback.
- British & American Phonetics
Tim Bowyer offers us online pronunciation guides to 9 varieties of the English language and 9 other languages. Instant sound. Pronunciation samples by over 40 native speakers. All 1,000+ pages free. Just click on the links bellow. British English American...
- Voa News - Special English
Voice of America is an excellent web page that offers very valuable material for learning American English and much more besides. If with "BBC Learning English" we can practice British English, with "VOA Special English" we can listen to very interesting...
- English Has Made The Greatest Contribution To The Promotion Of Better Understanding
Which language do you think has made the greatest contribution to the promotion of better understanding among the people of the world? The human race is divided by a multiplicity of languages, many of which have come to play an important part in the affairs...
- How To Respond To "thank You"?
Most languages have an automatic response to thanks. The British don't automatically respond to thanks, but Americans do. A response is not necessary in British English, but is becoming more frequent. Some of the ways of responding to thanks are:...
- Holidays Or Vacations?
It is holiday in British English and vacation in American English. Is it true or false? The situation is a bit more complicated: In America: holidays (="Holy Days"): eg. Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Independence Day. Not official national holidays...