Differences between American and British English

There are many differences between American and British English. While both are kinds of English, American English and British English differ in a number of ways. I think the one difference that jumps out at you when you compare the two kinds is in their spelling.
American English adopts a simpler approach to English spelling where the spelling of a word usually follows its pronunciation. For example, in British English the spelling of the term that describes the unborn child in the womb follows its Latin equivalent: we write foetus, while in American English we instead write fetus. You see how American English spelling follows the way in which the term is actually pronounced i.e. FE-TUS, while British English spelling does not follow its pronunciation. Several other examples include color vs colour (we pronounce it as COL-OR without the u), favorite vs favourite (we pronounce it as FAVOR-ITE without pronouncing the u) and organize vs organise (we pronounce it as ORGAN-IZE with the z and not the s).

Another example concerns grammar. The present perfect of the verb ''get'' in American English is ''gotten'' while in British English it remains like the past tense i.e. ''got''. Vocabulary concerns another. Famously, British English calls football what Americans call soccer. Americans call diapers what English people call nappies. There are so many other differences. Nevertheless, I think our English language is definitely enriched by these contrasts. In regard to which English, you should study of course I should say both, but I have a sneaky preference for British English since I am of British descent!
February 8, 2019
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John Bostock

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Hi, I am a fun, interesting and kind native English speaker from the southern tip of Africa. I like to eat, drink and merry. I am a big fan of drinking the occasional glass of red wine while at the same time having stimulating conversations with people. I can also be incredibly nostalgic about music, particularly boy bands from the 1990s like NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys (and who can forget Westlife?). I love EDM music too, particularly European house music, although my favorite song is actually ''Mr Brightside'' by ''The Killers''. My favorite color is blue and my favorite film is the Matrix. I like going to festivals and eating out as well as clubs and parties. I am a keen reader and curious about why things are the way they are and how we change as we get older. I really enjoy teaching English and my sincere wish is to help you improve your overall English ability whether it is in grammar, vocabulary or conversational English. I hope you will consider me to be your English t...
Flag
English
globe
South Africa
time
25
Speaks:
Spanish
B1
Hi, I am a fun, interesting and kind native English speaker from the southern tip of Africa. I like to eat, drink and merry. I am a big fan of drinking the occasional glass of red wine while at the same time having stimulating conversations with people. I can also be incredibly nostalgic about music, particularly boy bands from the 1990s like NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys (and who can forget Westlife?). I love EDM music too, particularly European house music, although my favorite song is actually ''Mr Brightside'' by ''The Killers''. My favorite color is blue and my favorite film is the Matrix. I like going to festivals and eating out as well as clubs and parties. I am a keen reader and curious about why things are the way they are and how we change as we get older. I really enjoy teaching English and my sincere wish is to help you improve your overall English ability whether it is in grammar, vocabulary or conversational English. I hope you will consider me to be your English t...
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