British English
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
British English is the kind of English language which is used in the United Kingdom.
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[change] Pronunciation (The Way People Say Things) in British English
In the United Kingdom, many different people say words in different ways. For example: a man from a place near London may not say his "r"s the same as a man from Scotland or a man from Northern Ireland. In fact, people in some places in the United Kingdom have spoken different languages in the past, and some places still speak those languages today. In some places, the way people speak is changed by knowing the other language, such as Gaelic. Other times, peoples' English accent (the way they sound when they speak English) has been changed by the groups people socialize in.
[change] Spelling in British English
- Some English words ending in "er" end in "re" when written in British English. Examples: center becomes centre - litre becomes liter - metre becomes meter.
- Some English words ending in "or" end in "our" when written in British English. Examples: color becomes colour - favor becomes favour - honor becomes honour.
- Some words spelled with "f" are instead spelled with an "ph". Example: Sulphur is the British spelling of Sulfur.
- Some words in British English use "s" where "z" is used in American English. Example: colonisation is the British spelling of colonization.
- Many of these rules are also used in other countries outside of the United Kingdom, more often in countries that are members in the Commonwealth of Nations.
[change] Vocabulary in British English
In British English, "dock" refers to the water in the space between two "piers" or "wharfs". In American English, the "pier" or "wharf" could be called a "dock", and the water between would be a "slip".
Some simpler differences:
British - American
- accelerator - throttle
- autumn - fall
- biscuit - cookie
- bonnet - hood (of a car)
- boot - trunk (of a car)
- bum, arse - butt, ass
- car - automobile
- caravan - trailer, mobile home
- chips - French fries
- courgette - zucchini
- crisps - chips
- face flannel - washcloth
- flat - apartment
- football - soccer
- garden - yard
- handbag - purse
- jumper - sweater
- lift - elevator
- lorry - truck
- manual gearbox - stick shift
- metro, underground, tube - subway
- motorway - freeway
- mum - mom
- nappy - diaper
- number plate - license plate
- pavement - sidewalk
- pram - stroller
- petrol - gas or gasoline
- post - mail, mailbox
- railway - railroad
- shifting - moving
- shopping trolley - shopping cart
- surname - last name
- take-away - take-out
- tap - faucet
- trousers - pants
- to let - to rent
- torch - flashlight
- tram - streetcar
