Differences between English in Great Britain and the United States

The English language is a lingua franca, which means that it is the official language of more than 60 countries and is spoken by hundreds of millions of people around the world. Although English is the same, there are significant differences between the dialects spoken in Great Britain and the United States. In this post we will tell you about the main differences between the two countries at a linguistic level.

There are notable differences between the English spoken in Great Britain and the English spoken in the United States. Although both countries share the same official language, there are differences in the way it is spoken and written. We always recommend living the experience in each country, which is why our English summer camps are so successful, because it is the best way to get to know all the peculiarities of each language.

First of all, keep in mind that there are different dialects in each country. Different dialects are spoken in Great Britain depending on the geographical area, such as Cockney in London, Scouse in Liverpool or Geordie in Newcastle. While in the United States you can also distinguish different regional accents, such as southern, northern or eastern.

Although in general, it can be said that the English spoken in Great Britain is more formal and that of the United States is more colloquial. As for the differences between the two countries, we can start with the pronunciation. In general, British people tend to pronounce words more clearly and more articulately than Americans. Another difference at the phonetic level is that in the United States the R is usually used at the end of words, while in Great Britain it is not pronounced. For example, the word "car" is pronounced /kÉ'Ë/ in Great Britain and /kÉ'Ë r/ in the United States.

Another major difference between British and American English is vocabulary. Although there are many words that are the same in both countries, there are also others that mean something different. For example, in Great Britain the word "biscuit" is used to refer to a sweet biscuit, while in the United States it is used to refer to a flour cake. Other words that mean something different are "nappy" (in Britain it refers to a baby diaper, while in the United States it is a towel) or "crisps" (which in Britain is French fries and in the United States chips).

In terms of grammars, there are some differences between the two countries. In general, British English tends to be more formal and has more grammatical rules than American. For example, in Great Britain the present perfect is often used to talk about an action that occurred in the past and is still relevant in the present, while in the United States the present perfect simple is used. Another difference is that in Great Britain the form "shall" is used to ask questions, while in the United States the form "will" is used. In summary, we can say that although English is a common language in both countries, there are significant differences between dialects and grammars. It is important to keep this in mind when learning English or traveling to one of these countries.

We already know that the English spoken in Great Britain and the English spoken in the United States are two dialects of the same language, but there are more differences between them than those already mentioned. As for the way of teaching, each country has its own methodologies. In Great Britain, for example, children start studying English from an early age and tend to receive very rigorous grammar lessons. In the United States, however, grammar is often less important and the emphasis is more on conversation. School hours are also different: in Britain, children tend to go to school in the morning and have the afternoon off, while in the US they tend to go to school in the morning and in the afternoon. For example, in our summer camps and in our camps in English we use the timetables of Great Britain.

As far as customs are concerned, there are some notable differences between the two countries. Something very common that we see in movies or television series is the English people having tea in the afternoon, we may think that it is only the image that is projected of them, but it really is a widespread custom and that many people carry out daily as part of your routine. On the contrary, in the United States this custom is not so widespread, there it is more common to drink coffee, since it is also considered one of the favorite drinks by Americans, among others.

There are also differences in terms of typical dishes: in Great Britain one of the dishes best known by tourists is fish and chips, while in the United States they are known for hamburgers and hot dogs. But let's not fall into clichés, its gastronomy goes far beyond what can be known by tourists and we have to reveal that in Great Britain they love meat stews with potatoes and peas while in the USA they are more lovers of chicken and Pasta.

As for tourist places, of course we recommend visiting London in Great Britain, which is a city full of history and culture, and New York in the United States, a cosmopolitan and modern city. You can do it in summer and take the opportunity to live an English summer. But we want to go further and tell you about other places of tourist interest, since each country has its own attractions. In Great Britain you can visit places like Stonehenge, Hadrian's Wall and Westminster Abbey. In the United States, meanwhile, you can visit places like Niagara Falls, the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon.

In short, there are notable differences between the English spoken in Great Britain and the English spoken in the United States. Although both countries share the same official language, there are differences in the way it is spoken and written.