American English vs. British English – Top 4 Differences
Business Language Services is based in the UK, so by default we use British English when submitting English-language translations and texts. However, we work for a variety of clients around the world, and are often asked to translate into American English for a US audience. Below are the four main differences between the two variations.
Spelling
There are a number of words which are spelt differently in the USA. The table below presents some of the most common differences.
| British English | American English |
| -our, e.g. colour, odour | -or, e.g. color, odor |
| -ise, e.g. publicise | -ize, e.g. publicize |
| -re, e.g. centre, metre | -er, e.g. center, meter |
| -yse, e.g. paralyse | -yze, e.g. paralyze |
| -ae/oe, e.g. paediatrics, coeliac | -e, e.g. pediatrics, celiac |
| -ll, e.g. travelled | -l, e.g. traveled |
| -ogue, e.g. dialogue, analogue | -og, dialog, analog |
Vocabulary
There are plenty of words that are simply used differently, or not at all, between the two countries. Below are a few of our favourite examples.
| British English | American English |
| Pants = underwear | Pants = trousers |
| Jelly = wobbly pudding | Jelly = jam |
| Bathroom = room containing a bath | Bathroom = toilets |
| Football = soccer | Football = American football |
| Wrench = sudden, violent pull | Wrench = spanner |
Verb use
The distinctions in this category are generally more subtle.
| British English | American English |
| Tendency to use irregular form of past participle, e.g. smelt, spoilt | Tendency to use regular form, e.g. smelled, spoiled |
| Uses past perfect, e.g. He had driven the car. | Uses past simple, e.g. He drove the car. |
| Uses ‘have got’, e.g. I’ve got 2 brothers. | Uses ‘have’, e.g. I have 2 brothers. |
Prepositions
In our increasingly globalised world, English is becoming more ‘international’, and many Britons would no longer think twice about hearing or using expressions that a decade ago would have sounded like real Americanisms. However, below are a few that would still raise eyebrows if you got them the wrong way round.
| British English | American English |
| At the weekend | On the weekend |
| Monday to Friday | Monday through Friday |
| Play in a team | Play on a team |
| Enrol on a course | Enrol in a course |
As we’ve shown, there is a multitude of minor – and a few major – differences between British and American English, and it definitely pays to localise your texts to your target audience to avoid miscommunication.
Adam Burman
Adam is a successful MBA (Masters in Business Administration), fluent in Spanish having lived and studied in Seville (Spain), Madrid and San Sebastián (Basque Country) for many years. He speaks several European languages, including French and some Italian and Portuguese. After graduating with a BA (Hons) in Spanish, he later completed his MBA at Kent Business School and at the University of Deusto (San Sebastián), during which time he received a distinction in Advanced Business Spanish.Adam worked as a management accountant for an industrial holding company, and as a professional Spanish to English translator for many years. He is a full member of the Institute of Linguists (MCIL), and is qualified to teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). Among his other duties, Adam is ultimately responsible for the overall management of the company, with specific focus on the supervision of all translation work carried out at Business Language Services Ltd.Qualifications: BA (Hons) Spanish, MBA, MCIL, TEFL, Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD)
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