Exchanging English Over the Pond: U.S. and U.K. Part I
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The U.S. and the U.K. are connected in many meaningful ways, perhaps most notably by a common language. At the same time, we each have variances that make our expressions distinctive, as well as interesting to learn and understand.
Stateside, it’s also good for us to recognize U.K. style as that being used in countries such as Australia, India, Canada, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. Those of us speaking either U.S. or U.K. English have our own national accents as well, which makes the hearing of English even more rich.
Through the years we’ve received many inquiries from both U.S. and Commonwealth readers about English style and grammar that look correct to one but irregular to another. We thought it would be fun to review some basic usage principles with the aim of appreciating both dialects’ colorful qualities.
In our first examination, we’ll look at spelling. The Oxford International English Schools website points out the main difference is that U.K. English maintains word spellings it has absorbed from languages such as German and French. U.S. spellings often follow how words sound when spoken (of course with many exceptions).
The following are some of the most recognizable distinctions.
| U.S. |
U.K. |
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U.S. |
U.K. |
| theater |
theatre |
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organize |
organise |
| liter |
litre |
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recognize |
recognise |
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| traveled |
travelled |
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license |
licence |
| canceled |
cancelled |
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defense |
defence |
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| color |
colour |
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catalog |
catalogue |
| behavior |
behaviour |
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dialog |
dialogue |
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| bank |
banque |
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aging |
ageing |
| check |
cheque |
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judgment |
judgement |
The two dialects also approach many other words in a host of different ways.
| U.S. |
U.K. |
|
U.S. |
U.K. |
| airplane |
aeroplane |
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pajamas |
pyjamas |
| program |
programme |
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sulfur |
sulphur |
| toward |
towards |
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tire |
tyre |
| mustache |
moustache |
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maneuver |
manoeuvre |
| draft |
draught |
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plow |
plough |
| mom |
mum |
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pediatric |
paediatric |
| aluminum |
aluminium |
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artifact |
artefact |
This is a wonderful opportunity for U.S. and U.K. writers and speakers to engage. What stands out to you about variations in style and usage? Stay tuned as we continue exploring the vocabulary and grammar that distinguish communication over the pond.
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