Differences between British English and American English
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Abstract
English is one of the most important languages in the world. It is important becau of its worldwide u. English is unmistakably one language but can be grouped into two major varieties, British and American English which have their own character. With the development of the two countries __ America and the UK ,the differences in some fields are clear and are also reflected in their language.
Key words: American English, British English, differences, 70年pronunciation, spelling, meaning, u.
English is the most studied and ud language in the world. There are many different aspects between American English and British English,and here,i just want to introduce the differences in the following aspects: spelling ,pronunciation , vocab
ulary grammar etc.
Ⅰdifferences in spelling
British English and American English are belong to the same system, but the two countries in the spelling system are still a little different.
⑴ American spelling always more adjusted to the spelling regularity and pronunciation than British English. The most typical example in American English in u –or or –er instead of –our or -re.
e.g.: color colour center centre
humor hunour kilometer kilometre
⑵ American spelling always avoid the repetition of the letter of consonant. Generally, l is not doubled in American English.
e.g.: canceled canceling cancelled cancelling
marveled marveling marvelled marveling
⑶ American spelling always simplified some letter compound like –e -ae –oe -o -ou
e.g.: esthetic aesthetic mold mould
⑷ American spelling always omit the un-pronounced letters.
e.g.: catalog catalogue ax axe
dialog dialogue good-by good-bye
Ⅱ. D水浒传的好词ifferences in Pronunciation：
⒈differences in individual sounds
⑴ Americans retain the r at the end of the words car, etc. , or before consonants as in hard, etc. ;择校是什么意思 in British English the r is not pronounced, as in teacher [＇ti: tʃə].
BrE star [sta:] car [ka:]
AmE star [stʌr] car[stʌr]
⑵ In terms of the consonant, the most obvious systematic difference is the pronunciation of /r/ behind vowels in American 只是因为你English. But this pronunciation do not exist in British English.
Here are some examples:
AmE BrE
door / d ɔ: r / /d ɔ:/
father / `f a: ð ə r/ / `f a: ð ə/
pleasure /` p l eʒə r/ /` p l e ʒə/
⑶ The other important systematic is the pronunciation of / t/ between two vowels. It pronounced as / 银龙鱼混养t/ in British English but pronounced as / d/ in American English.
e.g.: butter better matter fatter
⑷ Americans prefer to u flat a similar to / æ/, in words path, grass, answer, etc. against the broad a currently ud by Englishmen.
⑸ The third obvious systematic difference is related to /l/. There is difference between clear /l/ and dark /l/ in British English but not in American English. Americans pronounced it as dark /l/ anytime.
e.g.: calm /k a: l百家姓图 m/ /k a: m/
⑹ The letter a in consonant combinations at, ask, ass, ath, alf and ance is pronounced as/ a:/ in British English, whereas a is pronounced as / æ/ in American English.
e.g.: after / a: f t ə/ / æ f t ə/
half / h a: f/ /h æ f/
⑺ / ʌ/ in British English is pronounced as / ə/ in American English.
e.g.: cup / kʌp/ / k ə p/
⑻ Diphthongs in British English are replaced by long vowels in American English.教研组计划
/ ei/ by / e/ / əu/ by / ɔ/
/εə/ by / e/ / iə/ by / i/
⑼ / j u:/ in British English pronounced as /孝女曹娥 u:/ after a dental in American English.
duke / d u: k/ / d j u: k/
news / n u: z/ / n j u: z/
2 differences in stress
There is obvious change on stress in British English and American English. British English tends to stress strongly one syllable, usually the first and hurry over the re
st of the word. American English tends to put the stress on the first syllable but also to put a condary stress on the latter syllable and pronounces the remaining syllables more distinctly.
