Differences between UK and US English

Overview and examples

Differences between UK and US English

America was initially set up by people who emigrated from the UK and Europe after 1600. UK English and US English are therefore very similar. However, there are quite a lot of minor differences in the way the two languages have evolved. Can you think of any?

Spelling
There are a few main ways in which the spelling of words in US English differs to UK English:
UK Colour/Favour Centre Travelling Realise Grey US Color/Favor Center Traveling Realize Gray Rule US has no U in British -OUR words US has ER in British RE endings US has a single L for many continuous verbs US has Z instead of S for British SE endings Individual spellings may differ too

The alphabet
The alphabet is the same in both languages, apart from the pronunciation of the name of the final letter Z:
UK pronunciation Zed US pronunciation Zee

Vocabulary
The vocabulary of UK and US English has many differences, however there is a lot of crossover due to the spread of language due to modern factors such as movies, literature and social networking. Here are some of the famous ones:
UK English Lift Flat The underground Pants/Knickers Trousers US English Elevator Apartment The subway Underwear/Panties Pants

Pronunciation
The languages of UK and US English sound quite different in terms of pronunciation. This is probably the most notable difference between the two languages. Here are some common examples:
UK English Silent r - Jumper-Jumpa Shorter vowel sounds - Ham Ham The t sound is more like a t in UK Computu US English Stronger r sound - Jumper-Jumperrr Longer vowel sounds Ham Haarm The t sound is more like a d in US Compudar

Idioms
One of the very interesting ways the two languages have evolved separately is in the use of idioms (and phrasal verbs). Both languages share a vast array of idioms, but because some originated in a different culture, some may not be so well known in the other:
UK English
Do a U-turn Watch a movie

US English
Flip a bitch! (U-Turn would be OK too) Go see a movie

Im confused, which one should I use?!

A common fear is mixing up the languages, and worrying about using the wrong form of the language in the wrong situation. Do not worrymost native speakers you are likely to meet will understand both forms of the language and it will not cause a problem. Generally US English is in everyday use more now due to it being the default language of Hollywood and the internet/technology (such as Microsoft Word, Facebook etc.) which have been pioneered by innovative American companies.