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UK vs. USA - British & American English Differences - Part 2

thespanglishspeake

Let's look at some additional differences between British and American English!  This time the focus is on spelling & grammar!

phrasal verb word cloud

As promised, we’re back exploring some of the differences between British and American English. This time, let’s focus on spelling and grammar.


Spelling


-our vs -or

- UK: colour, favour, harbour, labour

- US: color, favor, harbor, labor


-re vs -er

- UK: centre, theatre, metre

- US: center, theater, meter


-ise vs -ize

- UK: organise, realise, apologise

- US: organize, realize, apologize


-ence vs -ense

- UK: defence, licence, pretence

- US: defense, license, pretense


Grammar and Usage


There are subtle but important grammar differences too:


Past Tense Forms

- UK: learnt, dreamt, burnt

- US: learned, dreamed, burned


Present Perfect vs Simple Past

- UK: "I have just eaten" (more common)

- US: "I just ate" (more common)


Collective Nouns

- UK: "The team are playing well" (plural)

- US: "The team is playing well" (singular)


Prepositions

- UK: "different to/from"

- US: "different than"

- UK: "at the weekend"

- US: "on the weekend"


In conclusion, both varieties of English are equally valid! Due to the film industry, technology and medicine, the truth is that most English content nowadays uses American English. But if you studied in Europe and are more familiar with British English, that’s great too!

However, if you're planning to study or work in a specific English-speaking country, it's worth familiarizing yourself with their particular version of English. Also, if you’re going to do some sort of certification exam, be sure to be consistent. Both versions of English are correct, but you can’t mix them if you’re doing an exam. Choose one version and stick with it throughout!




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