British English and American English are two dialects of English with subtle differences between them. These two dialects often confuse ESL students. The primary categories of differences include vocabulary, pronunciation, and spelling.

Spelling is most likely the difference that new ESL students will encounter. The historic reasoning for spelling differences is that British English tends to retain spellings of words that are absorbed from other languages while American English is typically spelled how the word sounds, or phonetically. While there are many words with differences in their spelling, it may be convenient for students to learn some of the general differences between American and British English spelling.

British English often includes an additional “u” compared to American English.

US	British
Color	Colour
Flavor	Flavour
Humor	Humour

British English allows for “ise” or “ize” at the end of verbs, however American English always defaults to “ize”.

US	British
Realize	Realise
Customize	Customise
Personalize	Personalise

Although there are many more differences, one last rule is the difference between verbs ending in “yse” and “yze”.

British English verbs that end in “yse” are always spelled as “yze” in American English.

US	British
Analyze	Analyse
Paralyze	Paralyse
Catalyze	Catalyse

Continuing on with a new category, ESL students may encounter pronunciation differences between British and American English. They will detect a consistency in pronunciation that aligns with these general rules: stressing vowels and only a moderate amount of intonation. In comparison, ESL students who study British English will most likely encounter teachers who place more stress on consonants and use stronger intonation.

One example of stressing vowels in American English in comparison to stressing consonants in British English is the word tomato. In American English, tomato is pronounced as “to-may-to”, whereas in British English, most speakers will pronounce it as “to-mah-to”. The stress, therefor, is taken off of the vowel in British English and there is greater stress on the first syllable, “to”.

Pronunciation differences between American and British English can even affect which article you should use. In American English, the “H” in herb is silent. However, in British English, the “H” is not silent. This means that in American, you would say “an herb,” but in England, you would say “a herb.”

One of the most interesting differences between British and American English is the vocabulary. Studying the dialectical differences in vocabulary can provide insight into specific cultures. For instance, people say “elevator” in the American English, while people refer to the same thing as a “lift” in British English. There are many examples of the differences between British and American English vocabulary, however for brevity’s sake, here are a few of some of the most relevant:

US	British
Cookie	Biscuit
Potato Chips	Crisps
Garbage / Trash Can	Dustbin
Truck, Semi, Tractor	Lorry
Freeway / Expressway	Motorway
Mailbox	Postbox
Vacation**	Holiday

** F-1 Visa students at The English Island can take a 12-week vacation (or “go on holiday” as British English speakers would say) after they have studied at the school for 7.5 months.

The list can go on and on, however the examples above serve as a brief overview of the kinds of distinctions to be made between British and American English vocabulary. Some words have completely different substitutes in either dialect while others change just a single part of the word, as in “postbox” versus “mailbox”.

For more advanced ESL students, higher level concepts can be applied to the differences in British and American English as well. For one example, the present perfect tense is used differently in British English compared to American English.

The present perfect tense refers to a verb tense that utilizes “has or have” in combination with a verb to connect the past to the present moment. For example, “I have come a long way” implies that the speaker traveled a far distance to arrive where they are in the present. In British English, the present perfect tense is used far more frequently than in American English in daily conversation, while American English speakers will more commonly use the simple past.

If a British English speaker asked someone “have you eaten yet?”, the most likely response would be “I have not eaten yet”, whereas in American English, someone could respond with “I did not eat”. While both are technically correct, the American English response, which is the simple past, would be considered almost grammatically incorrect to British English speakers. Tricky linguistic situations like this one require a skilled teacher to explain properly and thoroughly.

These kinds of subtle and complex nuances of the English language are what we teach in our F-1 Visa English Courses.

Are you an English language learner planning to study abroad? Sign up for ESL classes at The English Island in Atlanta.