Comparison of American and British English in a List Pdf

Comparison of American and British English! Here is a useful list of comparisons between different vocabulary words and Phrases that are used in British and American English separately.

What is the Difference between British and American Grammar?

While British English and American English are largely mutually intelligible, there are some notable differences in grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation. Here, we’ll focus on some of the key grammatical differences between the two dialects:

1. Collective nouns: In British English, collective nouns can be treated as either singular or plural, depending on whether the group is seen as a single entity or as a collection of individuals. In American English, collective nouns are usually treated as singular.

For example:

British English: The team are playing well today.

American English: The team is playing well today.

2. Past tense of get: In British English, the past tense of “get” is “got,” and the past participle is “got” or “gotten” (when used with “have”). In American English, the past tense is “got,” and the past participle is “gotten” (when used with “have”).

British English: I’ve got a new job. / I’ve gotten a new job.

American English: I’ve gotten a new job.

3. Prepositions: There are some differences in the use of prepositions between British and American English.

British English: She studied at university.

American English: She studied in college.

4. Present perfect vs. simple past: British English often uses the present perfect tense to describe past events that have relevance to the present, while American English may use the simple past in the same situations.

British English: Have you eaten dinner yet?

American English: Did you eat dinner yet?

5. Use of auxiliary verbs: In British English, “have” is used as an auxiliary verb with “got,” while in American English, “have” is often dropped in informal speech.

British English: I’ve got a new car.

American English: I got a new car. (informal)

6. Spelling differences affecting grammar: Some words are spelled differently in British and American English, which can lead to minor grammatical differences.

For example:

British English: I will practise my piano lesson.

American English: I will practice my piano lesson.

7. British English mostly follows an informal manner of speech i.e. ‘Shall’, while Americans English favors the informal manner of speech i.e. ‘Will’.

What is the Difference between British and American Pronunciation?

There is a lot of difference in American and British pronunciation: The most basic difference between the American (GA) and the British (GB) is the omission of alphabet ‘r’ in British standard, the rule is that you only pronounce alphabet ‘r’ if there is a vowel sound after it, so we don’t say it in PARK /pɑːk/, HORSE /hɔːs/ or FURTHER /ˈfɜːðə/.

Comparison of American and British English Vocabulary

Also Check: List of Irregular verbs

Also Check: List of Suffixes a to z

Info-Graphics (Uk and US Vocabulary)

Video Lesson – American V/S British

American and British Vocabulary PDF