The British have their own version of the English language.
The conflict between American English and British English is not new. For centuries, each side has maintained that its version of the English language is correct and the other is incorrect. As George Bernard Shaw describes the situation, "England and America are two countries separated by the same language." An American traveling to England today would sometimes find being understood difficult, as would an Englishman traveling to America for the first time. The British have their Cockney and Queen's English, and Americans have varied dialects in different parts of the country.
History
American English started in the colonial period.
The English language today is not the same as it was during the days of Chaucer or Shakespeare. The English language spread and changed as a result of the influence of the British Empire. Cultural changes throughout different periods brought variations in the language.
British English predates American English. The British brought English to America with the formation of the colonies. In time, however, many other immigrants also came to America. This, coupled with the influence of Native Americans, slaves and sailors, resulted in American English taking on its own characteristics.
Throughout the years, as England's power in the world decreased, America became more dominant. Recently, American culture has expanded even more with movies, television and rock music. Both American English and British English are used today in international communication.
Differences in Expressions
Many differences in expressions exist between American English and British English. In England the phone is not "busy," it's "engaged". "Mind your bag" in British English translates into "be aware of pickpockets" in American English. "Go to the top" in British English is "go to the end of the street" to Americans. "Boxing Day" in England has nothing to do with the sport of boxing. It is the day after Christmas when people return gifts in boxes that they don't want or need. If you want to see the manager in the supermarket, British English would require that "you request an audience with the governor."
Differences in Words
In the supermarket, Americans push a "cart," the British a "trolley." British "football" is the equivalent to American "soccer." American English identifies a group of rooms in a house as an "apartment." To the British, it is a "flat." In British English, a "fag" is a "cigarette," a "joint" is a "cut of roast beef," and "the hood of a car" is a "bonnet." In American English, you would place a "period" at the end of the sentence, but in British English you would place a "full stop." A "lawyer" in England is a "solicitor," a "bandaid" is "plaster," and a "flashlight" is a "torch." If an American steps on a scale in England, the weight is not shown in "pounds"; it is indicated in "stones."
Differences in Spelling
British English tends to add letters, whereas the American English eliminates some. For example, Americans write "color," and the British spell it "colour." "Flavor" is spelled "flavour," "aging" becomes "ageing," and "judgment becomes "judgement" in British English. Other spelling differences would be "centre" for British and "center" for Americans and "theatre" for the British whereas it's "theater" for Americans.
Other Differences
Americans play "on a team", but the British "play in a team". The British will say, "He's in hospital with a broken arm" whereas the Americans would add "the" and say, "He's in the hospital with a broken arm." Americans pronounce "schedule" as "skedjuel," but the British say "shedjuel."
