The Differences between American English
and British English
Name:张琦
Number: 110801304
Class: 3
Abstract: 1. with the process of globalization continues to accelerate, the links between
various countries has become increasingly close, so the status of English has become increasingly important. So for us to learn English by English majors would be necessary. English as the common language of the world today, is that we can have more interaction with a foreign language platform.
British English and American English are the two major varieties of English in the world at present. They are belong to the same language -- English, there is there're common ground between them. Due to them developed independently with the different historical backgrounds, geography and culture. Of course, there are also many differences between them. As the English learners, it is necessary for us to get somewhat acquainted with the differences between them to help our study and keep us from unnecessary troubles. Because someone who does not know British and American English clearly, and have a prejudice about British and American English, like that \British English and American English in terms of history, pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary and grammar, hoping to help you completely and objectively know the differences between British and American English.
2. The thesis can be divided into 3 parts. The first part is introduction. First of all, I will introduce the origin and development of English. British English American English with the original one. However, since 1775 the United States since the war of independence, as the Americans claim language should get rid of the British yoke, as well as economic, geographical and historical reasons for the changes, In English pronunciation, In fact, not only in pronunciation but also in wording, spelling and grammar, American and English, there are some differences.
Part 2 is the main body, which can be divided into 3chapters: Pronunciation spelling Third part is the conclusion.
Key words: American English British English Differences Pronunciation Usage
摘要: 1. 随着全球化进程不断加快，各个国家之间的联系变得越来越紧密，因此，英语的地
位变得越来越重要。所以学好英语对我们英语专业者而言是必要的。英语作为如今世界通用语言，是我们能够与国外进行更多交流的一种语言平台。英式英语和美式英语是当今世界两种最为主要的英语变体，它们隶属同一种语言——英语，两者间有着必然的联系。由于它们各自成长于不同的历史背景和地域文化，两者之间也存在许多差异。事实上，两者之间的差异并不只是在偶尔的语音或拼写上表现出来而已。据1986年的统计，世界上以英语为母语的人近4亿，差不多每十个人中就有一个人讲英语。英国、美国、加拿大、澳大利亚、新西兰等国家的人都讲英语。世界上约有20个国家把英语作为官方语言或第二语言使用，共计约有8亿人。也就是说，世界上差不多每五个人中有一个人至少在一定程度上懂英语。英语已经成为当今世界数十个国家的官方语言，这些国家独占了全世界70%以上的财富 ，不懂英语就意味着跟这70%的机会无缘。另有一大批原本的非英语国家，如我们的近邻日本韩国，随着经济起飞，跟国际市场快速融合，英语早已普及化，大众化，大大改变了这些国家的语言使用面貌。调查显示，在这些国家，英语水平跟个人社会地位等级明显成正比。作为英语学习者，我们应该清楚他们之间的区别，以便在使用的过程中避免一些不必要的错误。由于对英语与美语了解不全面，许多人对英语或美语存有偏见，认为其中的某一种更优越。通过此文对英式英语和美式英语历史、读音、拼写、词汇以及语法几个方面的分析和比较，希望能够帮助大家全面客观地看待英式英语和美式英语的区别。
2．本文可划分为三个部分。首先第一部分是介绍，我会为大家整体介绍一下英语的起源和具体发展过程。美国英语同英国英语原本一体。然而，自1775年美国独立战争以来，由于美国人要求语言文字也要摆脱英国的羁绊，以及经济、地理的原因和历史的变迁，美国英语和英国英语逐渐形成了一些变异。在英语发音方面，我们应该采取什么标准呢？是英国发音呢？还是美国发音呢？事实上，不仅在发音方面，而且在用词、拼写和语法方面，美语和英语都存在一些差异。早在1933年，丹麦哥本哈根大学英语教授叶斯泊森就指出过：“在英语发音方面，我们应该采取什么标准呢？是英国发音呢？还是美国发音呢？”事实上，不仅在发音方面，而且在用词、拼写和语法方面，美语和英语都存在一些差异。第二部分是文章的主体，主要分为三个要点。1 语音差异。2. 拼写差异 3 用词差异 最后的第三部分是总结，
关键词：美国英语 英国英语 发音差异 语法差异 拼写差异 英语起源
Contents
1 The Differences between American English and British English
2 Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………...4 2.1 The origin of the American Language …………………………………………………….....4 2.2 The development of the English Language……………………………………………………..4 2.3 Present situation of English………………………………………………………………...4 3 Main body………………………………………………………………………………………4 Chapter1The differences between American English and British English…………………………4 Differences in pronunciation……………………………………………………………………..4
Differences in individual sounds ……………………………………………………………...5 Differences in spelling………………………………………………………………………..6 Chapter2 Usage differences………………………………………………………………………9 Chapter 3 Grammar differences…………………………………………………………………….9 4 Conclusion….……………..………………………………………………………………….10
The Differences between American English
and British English
Introduction
① Origin of American English and British English. American English with British English
derives from one. However, since 1775 the United States since the war of independence, as the Americans claim language should get rid of the British yoke, as well as economic, geographical and historical reasons for the changes, American English and British English gradually formed a number of variations. Back in 1933, professor of English at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark Jespersen had pointed out: \take what standard? British pronounce it? Pronounce it or the United States?\in pronunciation, but also in terms, spelling and grammar, American and English, there are some differences.
② Development of American English and British English. In short, the language is changing, and
learned a lot of American English loanwords and the United States in the fight for independence in the struggle to win the language, American English and English gradually increases the difference between each other.
③ Present situation. If we simply use the language of population and development trends,
American English instead of English is likely.
Main Body:Chapter1 the differences on vocabulary
1.1pronunciation (1) English word sometimes one or two vowels in unstressed syllables (mainly
[ I ]) omit or soften, and American English words all syllables must be read out, and thus, the American Speech slow and clear than the British, the British have \vowel phenomenon, beginners do not used. For example: Am.E Br.E
factory [secretary [dormitory [history [medicine [
f
tsekrdhist
ri] [t:mit
f
ctri]
tri]
ri] [ sekrri] [
d
:mitri]
ri] [histri] medsin]
medisin] [
interest [intrest] [intrist]
(2) []—[:]: 当字母a出现在-s, -f, -th, -lf, -ph, -n等前面时，美国英语读成[]，英国英语读成[:]，例如： Am.E Br. E answer [broadcast [staff [stpath [phalf [hadvance [aircraft [paragraph [
pnsbr
] [:dk
st] [
:f] :] :f ]
d
vkrp
:ns] :ft] r
gr
:f]
:nsbr] :dk
:st ]
f] [st] [pf] [hd
vkrr
ns] [ft] [gr
f ] [
(3) [:]—[]: 元音字母o为在后接一个爆破辅音的重读闭音节中，英国标准英语读成[]，美语中却读成[:] 例如： Am.E Br.E job [dbody [object [
b
:b] [d:di] [:bd
ikt] [
bb] di] bd
ikt]
(4) 美语中，r在所有的情况下都要发音。而英语中，r除在元音之前外一般不发音，例如：
Am.E Br.E modern [popular [floor [fl
mp
dpjul
rn] [r] [
:]
mp
dpjul
n] ]
] [fl
(5) 非重读音节中的字母e在美语中读成[e]，而在英语中却读成[i] 例如： Am.E Br.E effect [eextend [exexpress [eks
fekt] [i
fekt]
tend] pres]
tend] [ikspres] [iks
(6) 以-ile 结尾的词，美语读成[il]或[l]，英语读成[ail]。例如：
Am.E Br.E missile [fertile [reptile [
misil] [f
:tl] [
misail] f
:tail]
reptl] [reptail]
(7) 以wh-开头的词，美语中读[hw-],英语中读[w-]，例如： Am.E Br.E when [when] [wen] wheat [hwi:t] [wi:t]
(8) [e]—[ei]: 凡是美语中读[e]的地方，英国人都读[ei]，例如： Am.E Br.E date [det] [deit] make [mek] [meik]
(9) []—[]:元音字母u在重读音节中，美国人读成[]英国人读成[]。 Am.E Br.E up [cup [kstudy [push [p
p] [p] [kst
di] [] [p
p] p] st]
di]
(10) [u:] —[ju:]:在n-, d-, t-等后面的u和new, 美国人读成[u:]，英国人读成[ju:]，例如： Am.E Br.E knew [nu:] [nju:] duke [du:k] [dju:k] tube [tu:b] [tju:b]
(11) [i:] —[ai]: 元音字母组合ei在美语中读成[i:]，在英语中读成[ai:]。例如： Am.E Br.E either [neither [(12) []—[
i:ni:
] [] [
ainai
] ]
u]。例如：
u]: 字母o在重读音节中，美国人读成[]，英国人读成[
Am.E Br.E process [
pr
ses] [
pr
uses]
progress [over [token [
t
prvk
gres] [] [n] [
pruvt
ugres] ] uk
n]
(13) 同一单词，美语和英语发音不同的还有： Am.E Br.E actual [
kt
ku
] [
ktju
l]
ate [eit] [et] clerk [klfigure [graduate [leisure [mayor [newspaper [
li:mei
:k] [klfigju
r
] [d
:k] fig
] r] ] nju:speip
] nai
zei
]
djuit]
uit] [
le
] [] [m
nju:zpeip
ni
] [zei
organization [:schedule [situated [situation [sittomato [t
skedsitu
n] [:
edju:l] sitjueitid]
ei:tou]
ul] [ueitid] [ei
n] [sitju
m
n]
meitou] [t
:z]
vase [veis] [v
1.2spelling. Most words, two kinds of English spelling is the same, but the spelling of some words,
American English is different from British English, for example: (1)美语中以-er 结尾的词，英语中有时以-re结尾。例如：
meter
metre center
centre
(2)美语中以-or结尾的词，英语中有时拼成 -our,例如： labor
labour color
colour
(3) 美语中以-ize结尾的单词，英语中以-ise结尾，例如： memorize
memorise realize
realise
(4)美语中以in开头的词，英语中有时拼写为en, 例如： inclose
enclose inquiry
enquiry
(5)美语中以-se结尾的词，英语中以-ce结尾，例如：
defense defence license licence
(6)美语中，有些单词只含有一个-l-，英语中有2个(-ll-) traveller— traveler installment— instalment
(7)美语中有些-g结尾的词，英语中用-gue结尾，例如： dialog
dialogue catalog
catalogue
(8) 美语中-able结尾的复合形容词，英语中仍保留前一个词的词尾，拼写成-eable。例如：
Am.E Br.E likable likeable lovable loveable sizable sizeable
1.3wording differences: the same word, the United States and English in different words to
express, for example:
a half→half a apartment→ flat
barber→ men’s hairdresser corn→ maize guy→chap icebox→ refrigerator insurance→ assurance no place→ nowhere truck→lorry pants→trousers
sales girl→ shop assistant some place→somewhere package→parcel vacation→holidays to hang up →to ring off to drive→to motor cop police
1.4 Syntax differences: American English and English is insignificant, but the most prominent
point is: the verb have used inconsistently. American English is always with the auxiliary verb do, does, did constitute interrogative (Do you have ...?) And negatives (I do not have ...), but in English, when have said, \constitute interrogative and negative mode, while pressing a special finite verb (anomalous finites) of rules interrogative and negative type, that is have you a (any) ...?, and I have no (not any) .... For example:
Am.E Br.E
Do you have any brothers? Have you any brothers? Does he have a high fever? Has he a high fever? He doesnt have much fever? He hasnt much fever? Chapter2 Usage differences
There are countless other small and interesting differences between British English and American English, which come under the heading of usage. For example:
For Americans the number billion has 9 zeros (a thousand million); for most Britons it has 12 zeros (a million). Zero itself is a much more common word in AE than in BE, where nought is more widespread. Americans say the number 624 as six hundred twenty four, whereas in British it would be said six hundred and twenty four.
Chapter 3 Grammar differences:
British English and American English grammar is mostly in agreement; there are however some interesting variations.
A. Americans use a simple past tense in some cases where British people use a present perfect.
AE: He just went home. BE: He has just gone home.
B. There are differences in certain verb forms : BE: fit-fitted AE: fit-fit
C. Americans use the verb “ have ” a little differently from British people in some cases. BE: Have you got a cold? AE: Do you have a cold?
D. Americans are much more likely to be technically correct in the agreement of collective noun and verb form than Britons. BE: The teams are playing well. AE: The team is playing well.
F. In informal speech, Americans sometimes use adverb forms without “-ly”.
AE: He looked at me real strange. BE: He looked at me really strangely. G. on the phone BE: Hello, is that Jane? AE: Hello, is this Jane?
Conclusion: American and British English will be two major variants of one language because of
the similarities of the basic word stock, the basic grammar and the basic phonetic system, and because of rapid development of modern science, technology, mass media, and constant cultural and economic exchanges between these two nations. British English and American English are the two major varieties of English in the world at present. They are belong to the same language -- English, there is there're common ground between them. Due to them developed independently with the different historical backgrounds, geography and culture. Of course, there are also many differences between them. As the English learners, it is necessary for us to get somewhat acquainted with the differences between them to help our study and keep us from unnecessary troubles.
References
1 郭伯愈，“美语与英语的差异” [M].北京：商务印书馆，1979年3月。 2 胡鑫镛，“英语语法五十题” [M]. 上海：上海教育，1983年
3英国英语和美国英语的词汇差异现象，孟宪友，广东农工商职业技术学院学报，2003，第1期.
4英语词汇学 , 汪榕培，王之江， 上海外语教育出版社，2008.
The Differences between
