British English
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
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 North 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.
The accent that actors use in television from the BBC is called Received Pronunciation, sometimes called "The Queen's (or King's) English", or "BBC English".
[change] Spelling in British English
- Some English words ending in "re" end in "er" when written in American English. Examples: centre becomes center - litre becomes liter - metre becomes meter.
- Some English words ending in "our" end in "or" when written in American English. Examples: colour becomes color - favour becomes favor - honour becomes honor.
- Some words spelled with "ph" are instead spelled with an "f". Example: Sulfur is the American spelling of Sulphur.
- Some words in American English use "z" where "s" is used in British English. Example: colonization is the American spelling of colonisation.
- 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
- 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
