English Conversation | British vs American English
Whenever I come across an English conversation on the differences between American and British English, I picture these two great nations arguing over the ‘u’ in color, while the rest of the world looks on in confusion. Well, this one goes out to those of us looking on in confusion.
It turns out that despite sharing a common language, there are many differences between the English spoken in the U.S and in the U.K. Besides the difference in pronunciation, the terminology (jumper or sweater), spelling (favourite or favorite), cultural references (cricket vs. baseball), idioms, heck, even their sense of humor is different.
The major differences in American and British English spelling essentially stem from the fact that American English emphasizes maintaining consistency between the pronunciation and spelling of a word. British English, on the other hand, has kept a more historical style of spelling words that it derived from other languages (such as Latin or French).
Let’s take a look at some of the common differences in the way American and British words are spelt. I mean, spelled! I think?
-our vs. -or
Words that are generally spelled with ‘our’ in the UK, are replaced with ‘or’ in the U.S.
Example:
UK Spelling/ US Spelling
Favour/ Favor
Neighbour/ Neighbor
Colour/ Color
-ise vs. -ize
Another common distinguishing factor in both spellings is the use of ‘z’ in American spelling of certain verbs. Whereas, their British variants use either ‘s’ or ‘z’.
Example:
UK Spelling US Spelling
Realise/ Realize Realize
Organise/ Organize Organize
Legalise/ Legalize Legalize
-re vs. -er
Words that end with ‘re’ in British English are reversed to ‘er’ in American English in order to keep the spelling consistent with its pronunciation.
Example:
UK Spelling/ US Spelling
Centre/ Center
Theatre/ Theater
Fibre/ Fiber
Verbs ending with a vowel + l: In British English, verbs such as travel, cancel, signal that end with a vowel + l, the ‘l’ is doubled when endings like -ing or -ed are added to the root form of the verb. Here’s an example:
UK Spelling/ US Spelling
Cancel/ Cancel
Cancelling/ Canceling
Cancelled/ Canceled
-logue vs. -log: Some words that end in -ouge in British English are changed to -og in American English.
Example:
UK Spelling/ US Spelling
Analogue/ Analog
Catalogue/ Catalog
Dialogue/ Dialog
It is worth noting that some American style guides recommend the usage of ‘dialogue’ in reference to a conversation between two people. ‘Dialog’ on the other hand is more commonly used as a technical term, such as a ‘dialog box’ on your computer.
Irregular past tense forms: Some verbs that are regular in American English, are irregular in British English.
Example:
UK Spelling/ US Spelling
Dreamt/ Dreamed
Spelt/ Spelled
Learnt/ Learned
Similarly, some verbs that are irregular in American English, are regular in British English.
Example:
UK Spelling/ US Spelling
Dived/ Dove
Wetted/ Wet
Quitted/ Quit
So which of these two are we supposed to use for learning English? Honestly, there is no straightforward answer to that, and luckily the vast majority of words have no spelling variation and do not sound different during an English conversation. However, if writing professionally, it’s a good idea to identify your target audience. For instance, British English is predominantly used in some European countries, India, and some parts of Asia and Africa. In that case, make sure that you use British spelling.
Also, make sure that the English variant (U.S/U.K) you picked is used consistently. Switching from one style to another can confuse the audience and lower the credibility of your presentation.
Improve your English Conversation skills with EnglishHelper
The language variants do not matter as far as English conversation is concerned. In a professional setting, the standard way to go is to speak clearly, confidently and professionally.
If you like to improve your spoken English and English conversation skills from the comfort of your home, try EnglishHelper’s free English speaking course.