British and american english word pronunciation

Differences in pronunciation between American English (AmE) and British English (BrE) can be divided into

• differences in accent (i.e. phoneme inventory and realisation). See differences between General American and Received Pronunciation for the standard accents in the United States and Britain; for information about other accents see regional accents of English speakers.
• differences in the pronunciation of individual words in the lexicon (i.e. phoneme distribution). In this article, transcriptions use Received Pronunciation (RP) to represent BrE and General American (GAm) to represent AmE.

In the following discussion:

• superscript ^A2 after a word indicates that the BrE pronunciation of the word is a common variant in AmE.
• superscript ^B2 after a word indicates that the AmE pronunciation of the word is a common variant in BrE.
• superscript ^A1 after a word indicates that the pronunciation given as BrE is also the most common variant in AmE.
• superscript ^B1 after a word indicates that the pronunciation given as AmE is also the most common variant in BrE.

Stress[edit]

Subscript _a or _b means that the relevant unstressed vowel is also reduced to or in AmE or BrE, respectively.

French stress[edit]

For many loanwords from French, AmE has final-syllable stress, while BrE stresses an earlier syllable. French loanwords that differ in stress only are listed below.

BrE	AmE	words with relevant syllable stressed in each dialect[1]
1st	2nd	débâcleB2[nb 1]
2nd	1st	artisanalA1, liaisonabA2*[nb 2], macraméab, moustache/mustache,[nb 3] Renaissance,ab[nb 4] reveille[nb 5]
1st	last	ballet, bandeau, barragea,[nb 6] batonab*, beignet, bereta[nb 7], bidet, blaséA2, bouclé, bouffantA2, [nb 8] bourrée, brasserieb, brassièreab, brevetabA2,[2] brochureb*B2,[nb 9][3] brûlée, buffeta,[nb 10][4] bustier,[nb 11] cachetA2, café*a*b, caffeineA2, calvados,[nb 12] canardaB1,[5] chagrina, chaletA2, chassé, château, chauffeurA2, cliché*a, collagea*B2, cornet, crochet, croissant*a, croquet, debrisaA2,[nb 13] debut, décorA2, démarche, demimonde, denier,[nb 14] detailaA2, détente, duvet, épée, figurineB2, filetb,[nb 15][6] flambé,[nb 16] fouetté, foulard, frappé, fricandeau, frisson, frontier, garageaB2,[nb 17] gâteau, glacé, gourmetA2, lamé,[nb 18] lingerie,[nb 19] manqué, massif, massage, matinée, métier, mirageB2, moiré, montage, negligeeA2, névé, nonchalantbA2, nondescript, nouveau, outré, parfait, parquet*b, pastelbB2, pastilleb,[nb 20] pâté,[nb 21] peignoir, pension,[nb 22] pissoir, plateau, précisA2, protégébB2,[nb 23][8] purée, ragout, rapport, rentier, risqué, rosé, roué, rouleau, rusé, sachet, salona, saté, sauté, savantabA2, soignée, soirée, solfège,[9] sorbeta,[nb 24][10] sortie, soufflé, soupçon,[11] tableau, tonneau, touché, toupée, triage, trousseau, vaccine, valet, vermouthB2, vol-au-vent. Also some French names, including: Argand,[nb 25] Avignona[nb 26][12] Beauvoir,[nb 27][13] Bizet,[nb 28][14] Blériot,[nb 29][15] Boulez,[nb 30][16] Calais,[nb 31][17] Cambray,[nb 32][18] Cartier,[nb 33][19] Chablis,[nb 34][20] Chamonix,[nb 35][21] Chabrier,[nb 36][22] Chardonnay,[nb 37][23] Chirac,[nb 38][24] Chopin,[nb 39][25] Citroën,[nb 40] Cocteau,[nb 41][26] Dakar,[nb 42][27] Dauphin,[nb 43][28] Dauphine,[nb 44][29] Degas,[nb 45][30] Depardieu,[nb 46][31] Dijon,[nb 47][32] Dumas,[nb 48][33] Flaubert,[nb 49][34] Foucault,[nb 50][35] Franglais,[nb 51] Gerard,[nb 52][36] Godard,[nb 53][37] Lascaux,[nb 54][38] Lyon,[nb 55][39] Mallarmé,[nb 56][40] Manet,[nb 57][41] Marat,[nb 58][42] Massenet,[nb 59] Maurice,[nb 60][43] Millais,[nb 61][44] Molière,[nb 62][45] Monet,[nb 63][46] Perpignan,[nb 64][47] Perrault,[nb 65][48] Perrier,[nb 66] Peugeot,[nb 67] Piaf,[nb 68][49] Poirot,[nb 69][50] Poitiers,[nb 70][51] Poussin,[nb 71][52] Rabelais,[nb 72][53] Renaulta,[nb 73][54] Rimbaud,[nb 74][55] Rodin,[nb 75][56] Roget,[nb 76][57] Rouen,[nb 77][58] Rousseau,[nb 78][59] Roussillon,[nb 79][60] Satie,[nb 80][61] Seurat,[nb 81][62] Thoreau,[nb 82][63] Tissot,[nb 83] Truffaut,[nb 84][64] Valois,[nb 85][65] Vouvray,[nb 86][66] Watteau.[nb 87][67]
last	1st	addressbA1(noun), cigarette, esquireb*A2, lychee,[nb 88] magazineA2, mayonnaiseA2,[nb 89] penchant,[nb 90] potpourri,[nb 91] shallotA2,[nb 92] solitaire, timbale,[nb 93] tiradeA2, ([bi]p)artisana.B1/2[nb 94] Also some French names, including: Dunkirk, Niger[nb 95]
2nd	last	accouchement, arrondissement, attaché, au courant, charivari, consomméa, cor anglaisB2, décolleté, déclassé, démodé,[68] dénouement, divertissement,[nb 96] distingué, escargot, exposé, fiancé(e)A2,[nb 97] financier, hors de combat, hotelier, papier-mâché, par excellence, portmanteau, poste restante, rapprochement, retroussé, soi-disant, sommelier. Also some French names, including: Debussyb, Dubonneta, Élysées, Montpellier, Parmentier, Piaget, Rambouillet.

Verbs ending in -ate[edit]

Most 2-syllable verbs ending in -ate have first-syllable stress in AmE and second-syllable stress in BrE. This includes castrate, collate, cremate^A2,^[69] curate, dictate^A2, donate^A2, frustrate, gestate, gradate, gyrate, hydrate, locate^A2, migrate, mutate, narrate_b^A2, notate, phonate, placate_b^B2, prostrate, pulsate, rotate, serrate^A2, spectate, stagnate, striate,^[70] translate^A2, truncate, vacate_b*^A2,^[71] vibrate^A2. Examples where AmE and BrE match include conflate, create, debate, equate, elate, inflate, negate; and mandate and probate with first-syllable stress. Derived nouns in -ator retain the distinction, but those in -ation do not. Also, migratory^B2[72] and vibratory^B2[73] sometimes retain the distinction.

Most longer -ate verbs are pronounced the same in AmE and BrE, but a few have first-syllable stress in BrE and second-syllable stress in AmE: elongate_a^A2, impregnate, inculcate, inculpate, infiltrate^A2, remonstrate_ab^A2,^[74] sequestrate, tergiversate_a^{A1[nb 98]}.^[75] For some derived adjectives ending -atory stress-shifting to -a(tory)- occurs in BrE. Among these cases are celebratory_a^[76] (BrE: ), compensatory_a,^[77] participatory_a,^[78] regulatory_a^B1.^[79] AmE stresses the same syllable as the corresponding -ate verb (except compensatory, where AmE stresses the second syllable). A further -atory difference is laboratory^B2: AmE and BrE .^[80]

Miscellaneous stress[edit]

There are a number of cases where same-spelled noun, verb and/or adjective have uniform stress in one dialect but distinct stress in the other (e.g. alternate, prospect): see initial-stress-derived noun.

The following table lists words not brought up in the discussion so far where the main difference between AmE and BrE is in stress. Usually, it also follows a reduction of the unstressed vowel. Words marked with subscript _A or _B are exceptions to this, and thus retains a full vowel in the (relatively) unstressed syllable of AmE or BrE. A subsequent asterisk, _*, means that the full vowel is usually retained; a preceding _* means that the full vowel is sometimes retained.

Words with other points of difference are listed in a later table.

BrE	AmE	words with relevant syllable stressed in each dialect[1]
1st	2nd	AdonaiAB2, adultBAB2, albumen/albumin, aristocrat, Bernard,[nb 99] bitumen, Boudicca, cerebral/cerebrumA2, combatant/combative, communal, complex (adj.), composite, converseA2(adj.),[81] illustrativeA2, Kodály, majusculeA2, miniscule/minuscule, Mosul, omegaA,[nb 100] paprika, patinaA1, perfume (noun), pianistAB2, raceme, Riyadh, sitar, sojourn (verb), stalactiteA2, stalagmiteA2, subalternA2,[nb 101] SuezA2*, thanksgivingABB2, transferenceAA2, travail, UlyssesA
2nd	1st	accent (verb)A2, alternate (adj.), amortise/amortize, ancillaryB, archangelB1, Argyle, AugustineBA2, Azores, backfire (verb), banalA2, Bantu, baptize, Baghdad, Balthazar, Byzantine, capillary, capsize, catenary, cervicalAB2,[nb 102] (bi/quin/quater)centenaryB2, circulatory, controversyB1, Corfu, corollary, defence/offenseAA2(sports only), deficitB1,[nb 103] despicableB2, elsewhereABAB2, enquiry/inquiryAA2,[nb 104] epsilon, expletiveA, fritillary,[nb 105] Galbraith, guffawA1,[nb 106][82] hegemony, Hong KongA2, implicative/multiplicative/predicative, Koblenz, lasso, Malay, Mardi Gras[citation needed], marshmallowAB,[nb 107] maxillary, medullary,[nb 108] metallurgy, miscellany,[nb 109] nomenclatureAB2, obligatory, patronal, pretence/pretenseAA1, princess*AB2,[nb 110] prospect (verb), recluse, recourse, research (noun), resource, respiratory, rupee, salivary, Senegal, saxophonist/xylophonistBB2, skeletalBB2,[nb 111] spinet, spread(-)eagledAB,[83] Stonehenge, stonewall, substratumABA2, tracheaAB2, urinalAB2,[nb 112] vaginalAB2,[nb 113] volatilise/volatilize, wastepaper, waylay, weekendABB2, Zoroaster
1st	3rd	opportuneABB2
3rd	1st	Bucharest, Budapest, disciplinary,[nb 114] furthermore, h(a)emoglobinAB, manganese, manateeB2, margarineB, PakistanA2,[84] Panama, PyreneesAB, Singapore, stewardessB2
2nd	3rd	submarinerA2, Yom Kippur
3rd	2nd	aboveboard, alumin(i)um, arytenoidA1, CaribbeanA2, centrifugalB2, chimpanzeeA1, obscurantismABA2[85]
4th	1st	manageress

Affixes[edit]

-ary, -ery, -ory, -mony, -ative, -bury, -berry[edit]

Where the syllable preceding the suffixes -ary, -ery, -ory, -mony or -ative is unstressed, AmE pronounces the penultimate syllable with a full vowel sound: for -ary and -ery, for -ory, for -mony and -ative. BrE reduces the vowel to a schwa or even elides it completely: [-əri] or [-ri] (hereafter transcribed as in diaphonemic transcription), and . So military is AmE and BrE ,^[86] inventory is AmE and BrE ,^[87] testimony is AmE and BrE ^[88] and innovative is AmE or and BrE .^[89] (The elision is avoided in carefully enunciated speech, especially with endings -rary, -rery, -rory.^{[citation needed]})

Where the syllable preceding -ary, -ery, -ory, -mony or -ative is stressed however, AmE also usually reduces the vowel: , . Exceptions include library,^[90] primary^A2,^[91] rosemary.^[92] (Pronouncing library as rather than is stigmatized in the United States, for example as associated with African-American Vernacular English,^[93] whereas in BrE, is common in rapid or casual speech.)

The suffix -berry is pronounced by similar rules, except that in BrE it may be full after an unstressed syllable, while in AmE it is usually full in all cases. Thus we have strawberry: BrE , AmE , and whortleberry: BrE/AmE .

The placename component -bury (e.g. Canterbury) has a similar difference: AmE has a full vowel: where BrE has a reduced one: .

Note that stress differences between the dialects occur with some words ending in -atory (listed above) and a few others like capillary (included in #Miscellaneous stress above).

Formerly the BrE–AmE distinction for adjectives carried over to corresponding adverbs ending -arily, -erily or -orily. However, nowadays some BrE speakers adopt the AmE practice of shifting the stress to the penultimate syllable: militarily is thus sometimes rather than , and necessarily is in BrE either or .^[94]

-ile[edit]

Words ending in unstressed -ile derived from Latin adjectives ending -ilis are mostly pronounced with a full vowel in BrE but a reduced vowel or syllabic L in AmE (e.g. fertile rhymes with fur tile in BrE but with furtle in AmE).

AmE will (unlike BrE, except when indicated with^B2) have a reduced last vowel:

• generally in facile, (in)fertile, fissile, fragile, missile, stabile (adjective), sterile, tensile, versatile, virile, volatile
• usually in agile, docile,^{[nb 115]} decile, ductile,^[95] futile, hostile, juvenile, (im)mobile (adjective and phone), puerile, tactile
• rarely in domicile^B2,^{[nb 116]} erectile, febrile^A2,^{[96][nb 117]} infantile, nubile, pensile, percentile, projectile,^[97] reptile, senile^A2,^{[nb 118]} servile, textile, utile^[98]
• never in crocodile, exile, gentile, reconcile; nor to compounds of monosyllables (e.g. turnstile from stile)

In some words the pronunciation also comes into play:

• BrE , AmE : c(h)amomile^A2, mercantile^A2, mobile/stabile (decorations)
• BrE , AmE or : motile, prehensile, pulsatile, tractile
• BrE , AmE or : imbecile
• BrE , AmE : rutile (BrE, AmE also )^[99]

Related endings -ility, -ilize, -iliary are pronounced the same in AmE as BrE.

di-[edit]

The pronunciation of the vowel of the prefix di- in words such as dichotomy, digest (verb), dilate, dilemma, dilute, diluvial, dimension, direct, dissect, disyllable, divagate, diverge, diverse, divert, divest, and divulge as well as their derivational forms vary between and or in both British and American English.^[100]: 237

-ine[edit]

The suffix -ine,^[9] when unstressed, is pronounced sometimes (e.g. feline), sometimes (e.g. morphine) and sometimes (e.g. medicine). Some words have variable pronunciation within BrE, or within AmE, or between BrE and AmE. Generally, AmE is more likely to favor or , and BrE to favor .

BrE , AmE (1) : carbine^A2, Florentine^A2, internecine^A2, philistine^A2, pristine^{B2[nb 119]}, saline^A2, serpentine^A2.

BrE , AmE (1) (2) : adamantine^A2.

BrE , AmE : uterine^B2.

BrE , AmE (1) (2) (3) : crystalline, labyrinthine.^[101]

BrE (1) , AmE (1) (2) : strychnine^A2.

Effects of the weak vowel merger[edit]

The weak vowel merger causes affixes such as -ate (as in climate), be- (before a consonant), de- (as in decide), -ed (with a sounded vowel), -es (with a sounded vowel), -est, -less, -ness, pre- (as in prepare) and re- (before a consonant) to be pronounced with the schwa (the a in about), rather than the unstressed (found in the second syllable of locksmith). Conservative RP uses in each case, so that before, waited, roses and faithless are pronounced , rather than , which are more usual in General American. The pronunciations with are gaining ground in RP and in the case of certain suffixes (such as -ate and -less) have become the predominant variants. The noun carelessness is pronounced in modern RP and in conservative RP; both pronunciations typically merge in GA (usually towards the latter). This variation is denoted with the symbol ⟨ᵻ⟩ in some of the dictionaries published by Oxford University Press and in the Routledge Dictionary of Pronunciation of Current English. In the latter, the British pronunciation of climate is transcribed ⟨ˈklʌɪmᵻt⟩, though carelessness is transcribed ⟨ˈkɛːləsnəs⟩.

Affixes such as dis-, in-, -ing and mis- contain in conservative RP as well as General American and modern RP, so that words such as disloyal or teaching are phonemically and in all three varieties.

Weak forms[edit]

The title Saint before a person’s name has a weak form in BrE but not AmE:
before vowels, .^[102]

Miscellaneous pronunciation differences[edit]

These tables list words pronounced differently but spelled the same. See also the table of words with different pronunciation reflected in the spelling.

Single differences[edit]

Words with multiple points of difference of pronunciation are in the table after this one. Accent-based differences are ignored. For example, Moscow is RP and GAm , but only the – difference is highlighted here, since both the presence of a contrastive /ɒ/ vowel in RP (which falls together with /ɑː/ in GA) and the RP use of [əʊ] rather than [oʊ] are predictable from the accent. Also, tiara is listed with AmE ; the marry–merry–Mary merger changes this vowel for many Americans.

Many sources omit the length marks in transcriptions of AmE, so that words such as father or keep are transcribed /ˈfɑðər/ and /ˈkip/ rather than and . Even though it is not phonemic, vowel length in GA works in a very similar manner to RP, so this is mainly a difference in transcription.

BrE	AmE	Words
		Excluding words changed by the trap–bath split,[103] (which affects most southern British speakers and almost no American speakers): banana, cabana, choraleA2, ColoradoA2, finale, Internationale, khakiA2, localeA2, mascara, morale, musicale, NevadaA2,[nb 120][104] pajama(s)A2, PakistaniAB2, pastorale, plaqueB2, rale, rationale, SaharaA2, sarsaparilla, scenarioA2, seraglio, sopranoA2, SudanB2, sultana, tiaraA2. Suffix words ending in -orama/-ramaA2: cyclorama, diorama and panorama.
		«A» in the anglicised pronunciation of many foreign names and loanwords,[105] e.g.: Abu Dhabi, Abu Nidal, accelerando, AngstA2, AnkaraA2, aquaA2, Ariosto, Asti, Asunción, Avogadro, Baku, Balaton, banzai, Basra, Białystok, Bratislava, camaraderie, CaracasB2, Carpaccio, CasablancaA2, Casals, caveatA2, Cézanne,[nb 121] chiantiA2, Chiapas, dacha, Dachau, d’Annunzio, Delgado, Dushanbe, Dvořák, Francesca, ganja, Gdansk, , gazpacho, gestalt, glissando, goulashA2, grappa, Gulag, gratin, hacienda, Haryana, jalapeño, Jaruzelski, Kafka, Kalashnikov, kakemono, kamikaze, Kampala, kampong, kanji, Kant, katakana, kebab,[106] lambada, La Paz, Las (placenames, e.g. Las Vegas)A2, lasagnaB2, latteB2, Lausanne, Lillehammer, Luhansk, macho, mafia, mamba/o, MannA2, mantra, maraca, MarioA2, Mascagni, Mazda, MilanA2, Mohammed, MombasaA2, Pablo PicassoA2, paparazzo, paso doble, pasta, patioA2, Paternoster, Pavlova, pilaf(f), Pusan, quattrocento, Rachmaninoff, Rafsanjani, rallentandoA2, Ramadan, ravioliA2, regattaA2, ritardando, Rwanda, salsa, samba, samizdat, sanitaire, sashimi, sforzando, shiatsu, SlovakA2, squacco, Sri LankaA2, stalag, taco, tagliatelle, trattoria, Traviata, tzatziki, Uganda, Vivaldi, volte-face, wigwam, Wuhan, Yap (island), Yasser/sir, Yerevan
		charade, cicadaA2, galaAB2,[nb 122] graveA2(accent), pralineB2,[107] promenadeB2(square dancing), strafe, stratumB2,[nb 123][9] tomatoA2
		agave, swathe
		AdolfA2, basil (plant)A2, canineB2, granary, (im)placable, macronA2, pal(a)eo-, patronise/-izeA2, (com/un)patriot(ic)B2, (ex/re)patriate/-ationB2, phalanxA2, plaitA2, Sabine, satrapA2, satyrA2,[9]
		apparatusA2, apricotA2, babel, comrade, dahlia,[nb 124] dataA2, digitalisA2, gratisB2, patentB2, rabidB2, statusA2[9]
B2		twat
		quagmireB2,[108] scallopB2, wrath[nb 125]
		Boulogne, Dordogne
B2	A2	Xhosa
	or	sloth, trothA2, wontA2, wrothB2
	A2	schmaltz(y)
		Excluding words changed by the lot-cloth split: alcoholA2, atollA2, gnocchiA2,[nb 126] parasolA2
	A2	leprechaun[109]
		asphalt, mall
or [9][110]	A2	falcon
		Aesculapius, Aeschylus, (a)esthete/-ticB2,[111] an(a)esthetist/-ize, amenityB2,[112] breveA2, D(a)edalus, (d)evolutionB2, eco-A2, ecumenicalB2, epochalB2,[113] esotericB2,[114] h(a)emo-A2, Hephaestus, hygienicA2,[nb 127] KenyaB2, lever(age)A2, methaneB2, OedipusA2, (o)estrogenB2,[115] (o)estrusB2,[116] p(a)edophile, penalizeA2, Ph(a)edrus, predecessorA2, predilectionA2, pyrethrinA2, qu(a)estor, schizophreniaA2, Semite, systemic
		crematoriumA2, cretin, depotA2, fetidB2, hedonism/-ist(ic), leisureA2, presentationA2, reconnoit(re/er)A2, zebraB2, zenith
		gazeboA2, heinousB2, Mekong, quayA2, reparteeA2. Greek alphabet letters containing eta: beta, theta and zeta.
		detourB2, HeleneA2
B2		Zimbabwe
		commedia dell’arte, Haggai,[117] IsraelA2
		ateB2, éminence grise, étui, mêléeA2,[9] Pécs, presa
		again(st)B2, cortègeB2, machete, nonpareil[9]
	A2	mayor
		coloratura, comme il faut, hoverA2, Somme, Sorbonne. Also the strong forms of these function words: (every/some/no/any)bodyA2, from, of, was, whatA2
		accomplice/-ishB2, colanderB2, conjureA2, constableB2, monetaryA2, -mongerA2
		adios, Aeroflot, ayatollah, Barbados, baroqueB2,[118] BoccheriniA2, Bogotá,[nb 128] cognacA2, compost, doldrumsA2, dolo(u)r, groschen, grossoA2, homo-B2, Interpol, Lod, mocha, olfactoryA2, Pinocchio, pogrom, polkaB2, produce (noun)A2, professorialA2, prophy-(lactic/laxis), realpolitikA2, riposte, Rosh HashanahA2, sconeB2, shone, solsticeA2, Sonia,[119] TolstoyA2, trollB2, yogurtB2.[120] Also, in general, Greek-derived names of places, people, or ideas that end in «-os», for example, ErosA2, ethos,[nb 129] Helios, logos (singular)A2, mythos, pathos,[nb 130] etc.; although chaos follows the British norm in both countries.
		Adonis, codicilB2,[121] codifyA2, goffer, ogleA2, processA2(noun), projectB2(noun)
		dynasty, hibiscus, housewifery,[113] idyll, italicA2, pipette, privacyB2,[122] simultaneousA2, sinecure, tinnitus, totalizator, tricolo(u)rB2,[123] trimester, Tyrolean, vitaminB2. See also —ine.
		butylB2, condyle, cyclic(al)B2, doctrinal, finance/-ialAB2, forsythia, —isation/-izationA2, kinesis/-ticB2, Minotaur, primer (schoolbook),A2 Pythagoras,A2 respite,[nb 131] subsidence/-ent, synapseB2,[nb 132] umbilicalB2. See also —ine.[9]
		Isaiah
		(n)eitherAB2,[nb 133] Pleiades, via. See also —ine.
		albino, geyser, migraineB2, oblique (verb),[nb 134] reprise. See also —ine.
B2		symbiosis/-tic
	A2	In the prefixes anti-, multi— and semi— in loose compounds (e.g. in anti-establishment, but not in antidote).
		beenB2,[124] cliqueA2, creekA2, invalid (noun)B2, prima
		aphrodisiac, Biarritz, bulimia, memorabilia, pi(t)taB2, prestigiousA2, tricot
		enclave, envoi/-voy
	A2	catch, femme fatale, pall-mall[nb 135][9]
	A2	nous
		kümmel
		Buddha, cuckoo, Düsseldorf, Gutiérrez, guru, Ljubljana, Mussolini, Tuzla
		boogie-woogie, boulevard,[125] hoofA2, roofAB2, rootA2, snooker, woofA2 (weaving)
		ferrule, fortune
	A2	courier
or B2		brusque
		surplus
B2		cumin
[nb 136][126]	A2	(re)route(r)
		broochA2, provenB2
		cantaloup(e), hecatomb
		plover
	A2	Moscow
	A2	Madagascar
		Berkeley, Berkshire, Cherwell, clerk, derby, Hertford(shire). (The only AmE word with ⟨er⟩ = is sergeant.)
	A2	err
B2		Ernst
	A2	deterrent
		ampereA2
	A2	inherent
	A2	coherent, era, hysteria
		Irkutsk
		chirrupA2, squirrel, stirrupA2, syrupA2
	A2	whorl
		acornA2,[127] record (noun), the weak form of or (occasional in RP)
		Eleanor, metaphorB2, Westmor(e)land
		Amazon, anacoluthon, automatonA2, Avon, capon, crampon, crayonA2, Lebanon, lexicon, marathon, (m)ascot, melancholy,[128] myrmidon, OregonA2, pantechnicon, paragon, Parthenon, phenomenon, pylon, python, Rubicon, saffronA2, siliconA2, wainscot. Also any geometric shapes ending in «-agon»; for example, hexagon, octagon, pentagon, polygon, etc.
		AesopA2, Amos, condom, despot, EnochA2, ingot, mosquito, sombrero, Winthrop
		röntgen, Stendhal
		accent (noun), nonsense
	,	congress, Kentucky, parallelepiped[129]
B2		Manchester, Winchester
		Ceylon
		Some of the words affected by the weak vowel merger: carpet, Martin, rabbit, etc. The merger also creates weak forms of words such as in and it which are non-RP.
B2	A2	Some of the words affected by the weak vowel merger: impetigo, orange, Semitic, etc. See also effects of the weak vowel merger.
		baboonA2, bassoonA2, CapriA2, fastidiousAB2, nasturtiumA2, papooseA2, platoonA2, raccoon, saucepan, taboo, tattoo, toucan, trapeze
		DraconianA2, hurricaneB2, legislature, satanic. Also, longer words ending in —ative.
		entrailsA2, magistrateA2, portrait, template[130]
	A2	foyer
		Göttingen, Koestler
		föhn, Göthe
		Montreux, Schönberg
	or	bleu, œuvre, pas de deux
		Bofors, Mauritius
		anchovy, borough, thorough, varicose, volitionA2. Also place names that end in «-burgh«, such as EdinburghA2 and surnames ending in -stone, e.g. Johnstone (see also —ory and -mony). Words prefixed with an unstressed «pro-«A2, with the exceptions of process, progress and project (verb), commonly use either pronunciation in American English; for example, probation, procedure, prohibit, proliferate, prolific, Prometheus, prophetic, propinquity, prorogation, protest (verb), protract, protrude, protuberance/-ant, and Provence.
		Excluding words altered by the yod-dropping phenomenon: barracuda, culotte, pumaA2
		couponA2, fuchsine, HoustonB2
		conduitA2, iguanaB2,[131] unguent
	A2	figure
		eruditeA2,[132] purulent, virulenceB2
		duress, Kuwait, résuméA2[133]
B2		Excluding words altered by the yod-dropping phenomenon: Honduras
[nb 137]		nougat
	A2	Huguenot
	A2	connoisseur, entrepreneur, masseur
	A2	tournament
		Betelgeuse, chanteuse, chartreuseA2, masseuse
		berceuse
		AussieA2, blouse (noun), blouson, complaisantA2, crescentB2, dextrose, diagnoseA2, erase, fuselageA2, glasnost, Manresa, mimosa, parse, ruseA2, talisman, treatise, valise, venisonB2, visaA2,[134] xylose
		asthma, chromosomeA2, Zaragoza
		piazzaA2, schnauzer, terrazzo
		xi
		luxury
		AsiaB2, cashmere, PersiaB2, (as/dis)persionA2, (ex/in)cursionB2, (im/sub)mersion, (a/con/di/in/per/re)versionA2
		erasure
		Elgin
B2		sandwich,[135] spinach
		Chou (en Lai)
	A2	braggadocio
		chassis
		cassiaA2, CassiusA2, DionysiusA2,[136] hessian, Lucius, (ne/omni/pre)scient/-ence, Theodosius
B2	or	issue, sexual,[nb 138] tissue
or	, , or	nausea,[137] transient[138]
,		artesianB2, Elysian, FrisianB2, Frasier, glazier, grazier, hosieryB2, IndonesiaB2, MalaysiaB2, Parisian, PolynesiaB2, Rabelaisian, visualB2[139]
		cordial[nb 139]
		bastion,[140] besti(al/ary), celestial,[141] (Se)bastian[142]
		consortiumA2,[143] otiose, ratiocinate, sentientB2[144]
B2[145]		schedule
B2	A2	niche
		bequeath, boothB2, loath(ful/ly/some)A2, smithyA2, withA2
B2		Anthony
	A2	Excluding words changed by flapping (sometimes described as the /t–d/ merger): Taoism
		conquistador, sequoia
B2		questionnaire
B2[nb 140]		nephew
(sounded)	(silent)	Excluding words changed by nasal flapping: bona fideA2, chthonicB2,[113][147] coupé (vehicle), diaper, furore, herbA2,[148] KnossosB2,[149] phthisisB2, ricochetB2, salveA2,[150] solder,[nb 141] (un)toward(s)A2(prep.), B2, vaudeville
(silent)	(sounded)	Excluding words changed by non-rhoticity: geographyB2, Maupassant, medicineB2, miniature,A2 Nantes, Nehru, physiognomy, schismB2, Singhalese, suggestA2,[9] traitB2, Valenciennes, vehicleA2, Warwick(shire). See also —ary —ery —ory -bury, -berry.

Multiple differences[edit]

Spelling	BrE IPA	AmE IPA	Notes
advertisement			Older Americans may use the British pronunciation, and some British dialects use the American pronunciation.
agent provocateur		(1) [verification needed] (2)
Ajaccio			BrE approximates more to French [aʒaksjo]; AmE reflects the word’s Italian origin [aˈjattʃo].
Algarve	(1)  (2)		The original Portuguese pronunciation is [alˈɣaɾvɨ].
Aloysius
amateur	(1)  (2)	(1)  (2)
appliqué		(1)  (2)
atelier		(1)  (2)
avoirdupois
basalt		(1)  (2)
Boccaccio			The original Italian pronunciation is [bokˈkattʃo].
böhmite	(1)  (2)	(1)  (2)	The first pronunciations approximate German [øː] (spelled ⟨ö⟩ or ⟨oe⟩); the second ones are anglicized.
bœuf		(1)  (2)  (3)	The original French pronunciation is [bœf].
bolognaise/bolognese			BrE uses two spellings & pronounced . In AmE the word is usually spelled bolognese & pronounced .
bouquet	(1)  (2)	(1)  (2)
boyar	(1)  (2)	(1)  (2)
Buchenwald			The original German pronunciation is [ˈbuːxn̩valt].
buoyA2			The British pronunciation occurs in America more commonly for the verb than the noun; still more in derivatives buoyant, buoyancy & lifebuoy.
Burkina Faso
canton		(1)  (2)	difference is only in military sense «to quarter soldiers» other senses can have stress on either syllable in both countries.
caramelA2		(1)  (2)
carburettor/carburetor	(1)  (2)		BrE is spelled carburettor & pronounced or . In AmE the word is usually spelled carburetor & pronounced .
cheong sam
clientele
cloisonné	(1)  (2)		The original French pronunciation is [klwazɔne].
corral
cosmosA2[151]		(1)  (2)
dachshund	(1)  (2)  (3)
dal segno			The original Italian pronunciation is [dal ˈseɲɲo].
Dante	(1)  (2)
dilettante	(1)  (2)	(1)  (2)	BrE reflects the word’s Italian origin; AmE approximates more to French.
divisiveA2
Don Quixote			Compare to Spanish [doŋ kiˈxote]
epochA2
foreheadAB2
fracas		(1)  (2)  (3)	The BrE plural is French fracas . For AmE examples (1) and (2), the plural is anglicized fracases
fusillade
Galápagos
glacier	(1)  (2)
harem	(1)  (2)
holocaustA2		(1)  (2)
impasse	(1)  (2)	(1)  (2)
IranA2
IraqA2
jaguarB2
jalousie	(1)  (2)
junta			The BrE pronunciation is anglicized; the AmE is closer to Spanish.
kudos
Lanzarote
lapsang souchong
lieutenantB2	(1)  (2)		The 2nd British pronunciation is restricted to the Royal Navy. Standard Canadian and Australian pronunciation is the same as the British.
liqueur		(1)  (2)
longitudeB2
Los AngelesB2		(1)  (2)
Ludwig			The original German pronunciation is [ˈluːtvɪç].
machismo	(1)  (2)  (3)	(1)  (2)	AmE reflects the word’s Spanish origin; BrE example (3) approximates more to Italian.
mama[152]	(1)  (2)
methyl
Meuse			The original French pronunciation is [møz].
milieuA2	(1)  (2)	(1)  (2)
Möbius		(1)  (2)	The original German pronunciation is [ˈmøːbi̯ʊs] and this is approximately reproduced in BrE.
Neuchâtel			The original French pronunciation is [nøʃɑtɛl].
NicaraguaB2	(1)  (2)
oreganoB2		(1)  (2)
Otranto			The original Italian pronunciation is [ˈɔːtranto].
pedagogyB2		(1)  (2)
penult		(1)  (2)
phthisic[153]	(1)  (2)	(1)  (2)
premature[154]	(1)  (2)	(1)  (2)
premierA2		(1)  (2)
première		(1)  (2)
premise (verb)
progress	(noun)  (verb)	(noun)  (verb)	In both British and American, the noun has stress on the first syllable. The verb has stress on the second syllable. Canadians follow the British pronunciation.
ProvençalA2	(1)  (2)	(1)  (2)
provostA2[155]
quasi-		(1)  (2)
quinine		(1)  (2)
Rawalpindi
renegue/renege	(1)  (2)	(1)  (2)	BrE uses two spellings & pronounced or . In AmE the word is usually spelled renege & pronounced or .
Richelieu		(1)  (2)	The original French pronunciation is [ʁiʃ(ə)ljø].
Rioja[156]
risotto		(1)  (2)  (3)
Roquefort			The original French pronunciation is [ʁɔkfɔʁ].
Salzburg			The original German pronunciation is [ˈzaltsbʊʁk].
Santander	(1)  (2)
Schleswig-Holstein
Silesia	(1)  (2)	(1)  (2)
slough			sense «bog»; in metaphorical sense «gloom», the BrE pronunciation is common in AmE. Homograph «cast off skin» is everywhere.
StavangerA2	(1)  (2)	(1)  (2)	The original Norwegian pronunciation is [stɑˈvɑ̀ŋːər]. The BrE pronunciation is common and also occurs in AmE.
Strasbourg			The two original pronunciations are: French [stʁasbuʁ] & German [ˈʃtʁaːsbʊʁk].
Taranto		(1)  (2)	The original Italian pronunciation is [ˈtaːranto].
tourniquet		(1)  (2)
Trondheim			The Urban East Norwegian pronunciation of this word is [ˈtrɔ̂nː(h)æɪm].
Tunisia
turquoiseA2	(1)  (2)
Van Gogh	(1)  (2)		The original Dutch pronunciation is [vɑŋˈɣɔx].
vaseA2[nb 142][157][158]		(1)  (2)
Z (the letter)			The spelling of this letter as a word corresponds to the pronunciation: thus Commonwealth (including, Canada) zed and U.S. zee.

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M., & Goodwin, J. M. (2010). Teaching pronunciation: A reference and course text (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
• Kenyon, J.S.; T. Knott (1953). A Pronouncing Dictionary of American English. Merriam-Webster. ISBN 978-0-87779-047-1.
• Lewis, J. Windsor (1972). A Concise Pronouncing Dictionary of British and American English. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-431123 6.
• Jones, Daniel (2011). P. Roach; J. Esling; J. Setter (eds.). Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (18th ed.). Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-15255-6.
• Upton, C.; Kretschmar, W.; Konopka, R. (2001). The Oxford Dictionary of Pronunciation for Current English. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-863156-1.
• Wells, John C. (2000). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. 2nd ed. Longman. ISBN 0-582-36468-X.

This post is the fourth in a series on the subject of differences between American and British English. For more information on this topic, please see the first three parts of the series:

1. British Versus American “A”
2. News About American “oo” and British “you” That You Never Knew
3. The “oo” Sound: American Versus British Pronunciation

As mentioned in the previous posts in this series, if you are an adult who speaks English as a second language, the English that you learned in your school classroom was likely to have been British English. This may cause confusion about certain pronunciations if someone is living in the U.S. and/or trying to learn American English. There are many differences in pronunciation between American and British English (and differences within these forms too -of course, neither British nor American English pronunciation are a monolith- but that’s a more complex topic for a different day. So here, I’ll speak in general terms, for the sake of simplicity.) The previous blog posts linked above all pointed out patterns in differences between American and British pronunciation.

This blog post will point out the most common examples of words that are pronounced differently in American versus British English. Some of these words fit into a pattern, but many of the pronunciations of these words are unpredictable and simply need to be memorized. These words are split up into two categories: Words Pronounced Differently in American vs. British English, and Words with Different Stressed Syllables in American vs. British English. A “stressed syllable” is the syllable of a word which is emphasized – in other words, the syllable of a word which is said a little bit louder and a little bit longer than the other syllables in the word.

To hear and practice these examples, please listen to the audio file at the bottom of the page.

Words Pronounced Differently in American vs. British English:

Word	American pronunciation tips
schedule	The “ch” is pronounced as /k/
issue	The “ss” is pronounced like “sh” as in shoe
progress	The “o” sounds like the /a/ sound as in “want”
Tuesday	first syllable sounds like “too” (without a “y” sound between the “t” and the “oo”)
knew/new	rhymes with “too” (without a “y” sound between the “n” and the “oo” sounds)
tomato	“a” sounds like “a” in late
vase	rhymes with “base”
privacy	1st syllable “pri” sounds like “pry”
vitamin	1st syllable “vit” rhymes with “bite”
water	“t” sounds like a flap (a quick “d” sound); see this blog post about “t”  for more detail, and the final “r” gets a full pronunciation
ate	Sounds like “eight”
again	Rhymes with “ten”
banana	1st and 3rd “a” sound like “uh”, 2nd “a” sounds like “a” as in “cat”
basket	“a” as in “cat”
ball	“a” as in “aw” in “awesome”
bath	“a” as in “cat”
herb	Do not pronounce the “h”
h (letter of the alphabet)	Sounds like “ate” + “ch”; “atch”
z (letter of the alphabet)	Sounds like “zee”

Words with Different Stressed Syllables in American vs. British English:

Word	American pronunciation with stressed syllable capitalized:
adult	uh-DULT
advertisement	AD-ver-tize-ment
ballet	ba-LAY
buffet	buh-FAY
caffeine	kaf-EEN
café	kaf-AY
chauffeur	show-FUR
controversy	KON-truh-ver-see
debut	day-BYOO
detail	DEE-tail
garage	guh-RAZH
gourmet	gor-MAY
ice cream	ICE kreem
mobile (adjective)	MO-bill
montage	MON-tazh
nonchalant	non-shu-LAHNT
premature	pree-muh-CHURE
princess	PRIN-sess
salon	sa-LON
Thanksgiving	thanks-GIVE-ing
vaccine	vaks-EEN
weekend	WEEK-end

Practice these words at home with this audio file of the word list above! Simply listen and repeat while reading along.

Do you have more questions about British vs. American English, or are you interested in accent training? Reach out and contact me!

English is the second-most widely spoken native tongue globally and an official language in 53 countries. It first developed in Britain—or, more precisely, in the British Isles—but the majority of its speakers live in the United States. English is the main language for global communication and the most popular language among foreign-language learners.

Like any language, English has many varieties. The best-known varieties are British and American English. Can you tell them apart? Consider our comparison.

Are British and American English the same?

These two English varieties are definitely not the same, but they aren’t too different either. This is important to know if you’re a foreign English speaker and find yourself afraid that swapping a few words would render you incomprehensible. While this almost never happens, these two varieties do sometimes differ in spelling, pronunciation, vocabulary or even grammatical structures (as you will see below). However, globalization and the Internet have caused these differences to shrink. You may raise some eyebrows in London when asking whether the pants you want to buy have pockets, but we guarantee that you’ll eventually walk away with a nice pair of trousers.

We do advise that you stick to one variety when writing an official document or email, or when speaking to anyone in an official context. When writing, always make sure to switch your spell-checker to the desired variety. That way you will seldom make spelling mistakes. For vocabulary differences, check the Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries to see which words are typical to each variety.

But why are there differences in the first place? The answer isn’t simple, as many factors are involved. American English, which is older than British English, came to the American continent with the English settlers, whose pronunciation was based on rhotic speech. This means that the letter r was clearly pronounced, much like today. In Britain, the higher social classes softened the r sound which remained to this day. Different spellings were caused by Americans attempting to differentiate themselves from the British, which is mainly thanks to Mr. Noah Webster whom I advise you to Google. Having different words for the same thing resulted from both countries borrowing from neighboring countries. While Americans took many Spanish words, the British borrowed many from French. This is why the former uses cilantro and the latter uses coriander.

Sometimes, the differences are rather laughable, and you can watch plenty of hilarious YouTube videos where native speakers compare their vocabulary. To take a break from all this information, check out this British-American couple struggling to communicate while raising their child. But be sure to come back, as we’re about to dive into some major differences between British and American English.

British vs American spelling

While writing a text, you may have found your text editor marked a spelling as incorrect. Yet, when you checked it in a dictionary, the spelling was in fact correct. This can often be accounted for by the differences between British and American English.

The key spelling difference between British and American English is the letter omission in American English. For example, in writing, the British keep the letters that account for the spelling differences in these words:

The spelling differences between British and American English also include letter changes and letter reversals:

Interestingly enough, British English doesn’t use a period after honorifics, for instance Mr Bean, Mrs Smith, House, M.D. Meanwhile, Americans normally use them.

British vs American pronunciation

British English and American English differ even more regarding their pronunciation. You immediately know the difference between British and American accents when heard.

While the r sound is pronounced in American English, it remains silent in British English unless it occupies an initial syllable position. For example:

The stress can fall on different syllables as well:

British pronunciation	American pronunciation
A-dult	a-DULT
week-END	WEEK-end

American English sometimes simplifies the pronunciation by altering or omitting some vowel sounds:

British pronunciation	American pronunciation
waw-tah	wa-der
moun-tin	moun-nn

American vs British grammatical differences

The differences between British and American English grammar are slightly more complicated. The differences are small, but they are significant.

Take the verb to have, for instance. To talk about possession, British English uses the verb to have got (I have got a book.), whereas American English uses to have (I have a book.). An important note: the verb have got is also used in American English, but mostly to indicate obligation (I have got to go.).

The present perfect tense usage differs as well. The British normally use the verb to have (I have just arrived.) in this tense, whereas the Americans usually omit this verb. As a result, the sentences sound simpler: I just arrived.

Other differences concern preposition usage:

The grammatical differences also include irregular verbs, for example:

British English	American English
spill, spilt, spilt	spill, spilled, spilled
dive, dived, dived	dive, dove, dived

Collective nouns are also used differently. The words team and committee can be either singular or plural in British English, with the plural being more frequent, pointing to the fact that the group consists of multiple individuals. In the United States, the group is considered as a single entity; consequently, these words are always considered as singular.

Finally, for true English language connoisseurs, there is the present subjunctive. Before the 20^th century, this structure had been used in both American and British English, but it remained only in the former. Americans use it regularly in mandative clauses, such as “I demand you be here.” or “She suggested he arrive early.” In Britain, this form is only used in formal writing. Also, in day-to-day life, should is usually inserted in the sentence, such as “She suggested he should arrive early.”

American vs British vocabulary differences

The vocabulary differences between British and American English are no less tricky. British and American English sometimes use different words to refer to the same thing. In fact, there are many cases of this in both varieties. You may ask how many words are different between British and American English. While it is hard to determine the exact number, some lists state there are over one hundred, if not many more.

Sometimes these words can be used in just one variety. But a problem arises when a word is used in both varieties but with completely different meanings, for example:

These differences mean that you should always specify which variety should be used by the translator in your English translations.

British and American slang and colloquialisms

“Taking a vacation” (American English) / “Going on a holiday” (British English) in either the US or Britain probably won’t get you invited to a formal conference. Yet they will work well among regular people. Unsurprisingly, the slang is different in both countries. Whether you wind up in a bar or a pub, you might hear some of the words in the following table.

Standard word	American Colloquialism	British Colloquialism
mouth	piehole	cakehole
house	crib	gaff
friend	homie	mate, fam
tired	beat	knackered, shattered
excited	hyped, amped	buzzing
share the bill (BrE) / check (AmE)	go Dutch	split the bill
police officer	cop	copper, bobby
angry	pissed	pissed off
pleased	stoked	chuffed
drunk	wasted, trashed	hammered, battered

Naturally, you won’t hear all of these words in every part of the US or Britain. Slang is, by definition, used only by a particular social group, which there are many of in both countries. If you are a translator, these words can often prove useful when translating modern literary texts, such as contemporary novels or television and movie scripts. In fact, many mistakes are made in these translations due to the lack of knowledge of slang terms and colloquialisms.

British vs American differences in monetary values

When traveling between Britain and the US, money can get a bit complicated, especially when trying to use proper English in these countries or translating economic texts or subtitles for movies. The colloquial term for the British pounds (£) is quid. While in the US, dollars ($) are sometimes referred to as bucks. And they don’t stop there. Unlike the British, who call coins smaller than £1 pences, Americans often use the word nickel for 5 cents, dime for 10 cents and quarter for 25 cents.

Things become even more complicated when discussing larger amounts of money but we’ll try to clarify it for you.

Amount	American English	British English
$/£1.70	a dollar seventy	one pound seventy
$/£5.80	five-eighty five dollars and eighty cents	five-eighty five pounds eighty

Regarding amounts under one dollar or pound, in American English the indefinite article is preferred, while in British English the numeral one is used. However, when discussing amounts higher than one dollar or pound, in America you either drop the words dollars and cents completely or mention them both, connecting the two parts of the phrase with the conjunction and. While in Britain you can use the denomination-less option, which is similar to the American method, or you can say both the amount and the denominations without a conjunction. Moreover, in the United States, the indefinite article is used together with the conjunction and and the use of numerals while omitting the conjunction after the thousands. And in Britain, the conjunction is omitted. This is why you would sooner hear this amount, $1.500, pronounced as “a thousand and five hundred dollars” and this one, £1.500, pronounced as “one thousand five hundred pounds.”

Confused? Try wrapping your head around this custom of American English: pronouncing larger amounts of money as multiples of hundreds. For example:

Amount	American English
$7.520	seventy-five hundred and twenty dollars

If you still haven’t had enough money talk, take a look at actual American and British bills (American English) / notes (British English) and coins. Many English speakers go about their lives without ever seeing them. Check out this excellent comparison video. You can also notice the differences in the monetary amounts we described in this section.

American vs British differences in dates

Now we arrive at one of the most confusing things: date formats. This confusion is largely thanks to the United States because they use the MM/DD/YY format, meaning that we celebrate Halloween on October 31, 2020 (10/31/2020). For non-Americans, this is spooky enough on its own. Whereas in Britain the format is more similar to most of the world, where they would write this date as 31 October 2020 (31/10/2020 or 31.10.2020). Moreover, in British English you are free to use dots instead of slashes (American and British English) / obliques (British English).

British vs American differences in time

Have you ever heard the expression military time? If yes, then chances are you heard it in an American film, not a British one. Military time is what many Americans call the “24-hour clock,” as this system of telling time is uncommon there and is predominantly used by the military, police, or in aviation. And, while it is used in Britain and the rest of Europe, Americans mostly use the 12-hour clock. Additionally, they use colons when telling time, whereas the British often use the full stop. This means that in Britain people may wake up at 8.00 and go to bed at 20.00, whereas in the US they may get up at 8:00 AM and go to sleep at 8:00 PM. AM comes from the Latin phrase ante meridiem (before noon) and PM from the phrase post meridiem (after noon).

Christmas vocabulary

Let’s end this article on a lighter note after accidentally setting your head spinning with all these different date and time formats. Let’s talk about Christmas or Winter holidays. This will also help us understand the nature of all these differences, because language always reflects the state of our world and particularly our social and cultural environments. For example, in the United States, you might be waiting for Santa Claus to bring your gifts, while the British wait for Father Christmas. The former lives in the North Pole, and the latter has his workshop in Lapland. At that time of the year, when you take a walk through, let’s say, Birmingham, you’ll be greeted with “Happy Christmas”. But that won’t happen in Austin, where you’ll only hear “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”.

Parting words

Distinguishing between what is common in the United States and what is preferred in Britain can be incredibly useful. It shows that you have done your research and become more knowledgeable. When translating into English, it helps you sound natural when presenting to a native speaker from any English-speaking country. But, above all, once you’ve chosen the variety, the golden rule is to stay consistent. A purely British word or phrase in an otherwise American text can stick out like a sore thumb and disrupt the integrity of the text.

Yet when you’re outside of professional usage, enjoy both varieties in the same way native speakers often do. And don’t let yourself get flustered by the differences, as they hardly matter very much at all. In Britain, they do understand the concept of AM and PM, and in America, they don’t have any problem understanding that 16.07.2020 is the sixteenth day in July.

Useful resources about British and American English

• • Comparison of American and British English (Wikipedia.org)
  • Differences between British and American English (Britishcouncilfoundation.id)
  • How British English and American English are Different (Grammarly.com)
  • What Are The Differences Between American And British English? (Babbel.com)
  • British English and American English (Britishcouncil.org)
  • British vs. American English: 63 Differences (Infographic) (Grammarcheck.net)

Which variety of English do you normally use? Do you prefer the sound of British or American English? Let us know in the comments.