1. THE DIFFERENCES IN AMERICAN
ENGLISH AND BRITISH ENGLISH

2. Importance of knowing the differences
 The two varieties of English most widely found in print and
taught around the world are British and American - it is
therefore important for teachers to be aware of the major
differences between the two. And while lexical differences are
the easiest ones to notice, a knowledge of grammatical and
phonological differences can be useful not only for teachers to
be aware of, but also to be able to deal with should they come
up in class.
 Lack of awareness can lead to embarrassment and confusion.

3. Formalizing the differences
 One particular contribution towards formalizing these
differences came from Noah Webster , who wrote the first
American dictionary (published 1828) with the intention of
showing that people in the United States spoke a different
dialect from Britain.

4. What do we mean by
American English and
British English?

5. American English
American English (AmE)
 is the form of English used in the United State. It includes
all English dialects used within the United States of
America
 Regional dialects in the United States typically reflect the
elements of the language of the main immigrant groups in
any particular region of the country, especially in terms of
pronunciation and vernacular vocabulary. Scholars have
mapped at least four major regional variations of spoken
American English: Northern (really north-eastern),
Southern, Midland, and Western.

6. British English
 British English also has a reasonable degree of uniformity
in its formal written form. The spoken forms though vary
considerably, reflecting a long history of dialect
development amid isolated populations. Dialects and
accents vary not only between the countries in the United
Kingdom, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales,
but also within these individual countries.
 There are also differences in the English spoken by
different socio-economic groups

7. Areas of Differences
 Differences between the two include
 pronunciation,
 grammar
 vocabulary
 spelling
 punctuation
 idioms
 formatting of dates and numbers

8. Grammatical Differences
In British English and American English

9. Simple past tense for present perfect
 Speakers of American English generally use the
present perfect tense (have/has + past participle) far
less than speakers of British English. In spoken
American English it is very common to use the simple
past tense as an alternative in situations where the
present perfect would usually have been used in
British English.

10. EXAMPLES
BRITISH ENGLISH AMERICAN ENGLISH
I have lost my keys. Can you help I lost my keys. Can you help me
me look for it?(incorrect in BrE) look for it?(accepted in AmE)
Have you finished your work? Did you finish your work?
I‘ve already seen that film. I already saw that film.
I‘ve just had lunch. I just had lunch.

11. Some more examples
BRITISH ENGLISH AMERICAN ENGLISH
 Jenny feels ill. She's eaten Jenny feels ill. She ate too
too much. much.
I can't find my keys. Have you I can't find my keys. Did you
seen them anywhere? see them anywhere?
A: Is Samantha here? A: Is Samantha here?
B: No, she's just left. B: No, she just left.

12. Some more examples
A: Can I borrow your book? A: Can I borrow your book?
B: No, I haven't read it yet B: No, I didn't read it yet.
A: Are they going to the show A: Are they going to the show
tonight? tonight?
B: No. They've already seen it. B: No. They already saw it.

13. The verb “get”
AMERICAN ENGLISH BRITISH ENGLISH
He has gotten much better at He has got much better at playing
playing tennis tennis.

14. Have you got/ do you have
In AmE ‘have’ and forms with do/does/did are the
usual way to show possession, etc,in positive
statements,negatives and questions. Have got is not
used in questions but is used in positive
statements,especially to emphasise that somebody
has one thing rather than the other. “Does your
brother have brown hair”?. “No, he has got blond hair.”
“Have you got” is the usual verb in BrE to show
possession,etc, in positve statements in the present
tense, in negative statements and in the questions.

15. have you got/ do you have
They have got a wonderful house. They have a wonderful house.
(BrE) (AmE)
Have you got a meeting today? Do you have a meeting today?
I have got no objection. We don’t have a television
I have no objection.(formal)

16. Collective nouns
 In British English collective nouns, (i.e. nouns referring to
particular groups of people or things), (e.g. staff , government,
class, team) can be followed by a singular or plural verb
depending on whether the group is thought of as one idea, or as
many individuals , e.g.:
 My team is winning.
The other team are all sitting down.
In American English collective nouns are always followed by a
singular verb, so an American would usually say:
 Which team is losing?
whereas in British English both plural and singular forms of the
verb are possible, according to whether the emphasis is,
respectively, on the body as a whole or on the individual
members as in:
 Which team is/are losing?

17. Examples
 committee was appointed
 the committee were unable to agree
 Compare also the following lines of Elvis Costello's song
"Oliver's Army": Oliver's Army are on their way / Oliver's
Army is here to stay. Some of these nouns, for example staff,
actually combine with plural verbs most of the time.
 In AmE, collective nouns are usually singular in
construction: the committee was unable to agree
 the team takes their seats

18. The Differences of
Vocabulary
In British English and American English

19. CLOTHES
BRITISH ENGLISH AMERICAN ENGLISH
trousers pants
tie necktie
vest undershirt
waistcoat vest
nightdress nightgown
tracksuit Sweats/sweatsuit/sweatpants
Jumper sweater
Pinafore Jumper(a dress without sleeve worn over a
shirt)
Wellies Boot/ galoshes
spectacles glasses
Pants Underwear/underpants/boxers

20. TRANSPORTATION
BRITISH AMERICAN
indicator blinker
Handbrake Emergency brake
boot trunk
Numberplate License plate
tyre tire
bonnet hood
windscreen windshield
lorries trucks
Tram( an elctric vehicle) Trolley( an electric vehicle)
accelerator Gas pedal

21. TRANSPORTATION
BRITISH AMERICAN
lorries trucks
coach Bus
Overtake/pull out pass
Underground subway
motorway Freeway / Highway
Wing mirror Side mirror
Gear stick Gear shift
flyover overpass
Cycle path Bicycle route

22. BUILDINGS
BRITISH AMERICAN
Tv aerial Tv antena
flat apartment
Block of flats Apartment buildings
pavement Sidewalk
fence Picket fence
Dustbin/ bin Garbage can/ wastebasket
elevator Lift
tap Faucet
pram Baby carriage
cooker stove

23. MISCELLANEOUS
BRITISH AMERICAN
Laundry basket hamper
row argument
tin can
mince Chopped beef
biscuit cookie
rubber eraser
torch flashlight
chips fries
handbag purse

24. MISCELLANEOUS
BRITISH AMERICAN
University college
Public school Private school
Toilet /lavotary/Gents/ Ladies/ WC/ Loo Bathroom /restroom/ Washroom
coach Bus
Hat stand Coat stand
Notice board Bulletin board
trolley Shopping cart
cot Crib( a small bed for a child)

25. MISCELLANEOUS
BRITISH AMERICAN
banknotes bills
solicitor lawyer
Bloke/ chap guy
Mobile phone Cellular phone
post mail
football soccer
maize corn
tortoise turtle
Jam jelly
Queue line

26. MISCELLANEOUS
BRITISH AMERICAN
Cinema Movie theatre/ movies
Hoover Vacuum
Zip Zipper
Bung Stopper
Garden Yard
Watch strap Watchband
Letterbox Mail slot
Frying pan Skillet
Worktop Counter