American vs. British English

Something that used to catch me out (okay, it still gets me sometimes) is the difference in spelling between American and British English. When the written word was first introduced, there was no standard – and though the British had introduced the language to the Americas, their lexicographer decided to spell their version differently in order to show cultural independence.

And thanks to that decision, there are some quite subtle differences between the two which make it difficult to know which is which. That’s why I’m typing up this blog – as a point of reference for some common differences to be aware of. Let’s begin!

Common vocabulary differences between British and American English

Perhaps the easiest to spot is the difference in vocabulary – which is word choice. There is more than one way to refer to an item, and technically you wouldn’t be wrong to use one over the other, but if you were writing something which needed the correct references, then it’s worth recognising the difference!

In British English, you would call clothing that covers your legs trousers, whilst in American English, the very same item would be called pants.

An oft-quoted example is the difference between crisps in British English, and chips in American English!

Another famous example is American English’s soccer and British English’s football.

So you can see that these examples tend to be based around localisation, and as such you’ll only really be aware of them by doing your proper research. Talk to people from the places you’re writing about, take widely from their offerings (books, films, TV series etc.) and if all else fails, get a proofreader with experience in that language!

Common spelling differences in British and American English

Though not a steadfast rule, the spelling differences between British and American English seemingly come from Americans preferring to spell words more closely to how they are pronounced, whereas the British versions are similar to the original French or German spellings from where the words originated.

In British English, word endings are often different to their American counterparts, such as defence/defense, offence/offense, organise/organize, catalogue/catalog, colour/color and many other differences! Again, make sure you brush up on the language in order to put your best foot forwards when writing about this kind of thing.

Common grammar differences in British and American English

We’re not done yet! There are also grammatical differences between the two. For example, collective nouns need different approaches based on which language you’re using – in British English, they can be either singular or plural, though plural does tend to be the most commonly used. In American English, collective nouns are singular. For example:

British English = The workforce are striking.

American English = The workforce is striking.

Why do localisation differences matter in writing?

Whether you’re using American English, British English (or any other language variation, for that matter), it is important to get the language use consistent. Having a careful proofread of your work specifically to make sure you’re getting the language right is a good way of eliminating small errors that may turn audiences off your work.

When writing for business use, this is also very important, as using the right language appeals to your audience, as well as making the work look polished and professional. Heck, even in your own writing you should be aiming to keep it on track as much as possible as a general rule.

Additional differences

As always, this is a completely non-exhaustive list, however there are a few other things to be aware of. For example, in British English, people use the present perfect (a verb tense to describe a past action that still is relevant to the present moment), however American English usually uses the past simple as soon as the action is completed. Confused? Let’s break it down with some examples:

British English = He isn’t late. He has already clocked in.

American English = He isn’t late. He already clocked in.

World tour!

So that was a brief foray into the wonders of subtle but important differences between British and American English. It’s not easy – as the languages are so similar, it can be exceedingly hard to spot little slip-ups, but keep at it and do your due diligence to ensure your work is as strong as possible!