Why do Americans pronounce words differently than British?
Why do Americans pronounce words differently than British?
An important reason why American English and British English sound different is rhotacism, the change of a particular sound in a language. Americans kept their rhotic American accent—for the most part. Port cities on the East Coast, especially in New England, had a lot of contact with the R-less Brits.
What is the difference in words and spelling between American and British English?
The main difference is that British English keeps the spelling of words it has absorbed from other languages, mainly French and German. Whilst American English spellings are based mostly on how the word sounds when it is spoken.
Is it OK to mix American and British spelling?
American: for example there are plenty of words which in Britain can correctly be spelled either -ize or -ise, but generally you should spell all of them the same in a given text, and certainly you should spell each one consistently.
Why do Americans pronounce can’t differently?
Another reason for the differences in pronunciation may be because many immigrants to the US were not native English speakers, speaking German or Dutch, which influenced pronunciation as well as grammar and vocabulary, with New York English influenced by German and Yiddish.
What is the difference between British and American spelling?
When it comes to the differences in British English and American English spellings even brits get caught out occasionally. The main difference is that British English keeps the spelling of words it has absorbed from other languages, mainly French and German. Whilst American English spellings are based mostly on how the word sounds when it is spoken.
Should I use the British or American spelling?
If you’re writing for British readers, you should only use British spellings. In one or two cases, the preferred American spellings are acceptable in British English as well, especially the – ize / -ization endings.
Does British mean the same thing as English?
It is also easy to confuse the term “British” as meaning the same as “English.”. “British” correctly refers to any people from Great Britain and not only the “English” from England. For the most part, people from England, Scotland , and Wales,…
What is the difference between “English” and “British”?
The main difference between English and British is that English is used in relation to people or things from England while British is used in relation to people or things from the Great Britain .