Differences between British and American English

[calikak]

I get a usage tip of the day newsletter via e-mail and today's issue had a difference between British and American English that I wasn't aware of:

 

gratis is pronounced /GRAT-is/ in American English, /GRAY-tis/ in British.

 

It got me thinking that it might be fun to have a thread about the common language that separates our two peoples, so when I go on my first Cunard cruise next year, I'll know which words to watch out for.

[exlondoner]

Despite being English, I have never pronounced it any other way than graht-is, which is also how I pronounce it in Latin.:) I have rarely heard it pronounced the way they claim is the UK way.

[K.sailaway]

Despite being English, I have never pronounced it any other way than graht-is, which is also how I pronounce it in Latin.:) I have rarely heard it pronounced the way they claim is the UK way.

 

I agree.

 

K.

[Traveler Nina]

What about spellings? Such as color vs colour.

[FranKes2000]

What about spellings? Such as color vs colour.

 

Or GREY vs gray?

I agree with grah-tis

[Wadadli1]

Or GREY vs gray?

I agree with grah-tis

 

I spell it grey. Whose version is that?

A jumper is a sweater you pull over your head?

And is it the whistle or the horn?

 

The Aussies have their own language too.

[anifaniks]

I have been lurking on your board for several years! But I could not help myself today.

 

My degrees are in British History and Elizabethan Literature. I simply adore reading your threads. I will eventually get the last (fifth!) child through university and be able to book a Cunard cruise.

 

For now, I am a voyeur on your board. Hope you don't mind?

 

So here is one for you . . .

 

Linguistically, this will vary depending on part of US one lives in . . . but basically, Americans (especially in the South) pronounce Tuesday and Tudor as TOOS-DEE and TOO-TER, not TYOOS-DAY and TYOO-DER. This is not atypical in the midwest, as well.

 

I get some really strange glances when I insist on pronouncing Tudor as it is supposed to be pronounced. :-)

 

My son is named Stewart (my mother's maiden name). He is referred to as STOO-urt. No one anywhere in the USA has ever pronounced his name correctly.

 

And one that drives me nuts:

 

Medieval. Americans say (UGGGHHH!!) Me-dee-evil rather than MeDEEval.

 

I have never heard anyone, anywhere, pronounce Gratis as GRAY tis. Ever.

 

Now here is one I would appreciate someone enlightening me on:

 

"Culinary"

 

Here in US - it is pronounced - CULL - inary

 

I haven't bothered to pull out my Oxford English Dictionary but I would think Brits say - Cyoo-linary? Please enlighten me.

 

 

Ani

[threecats]

How about the pronunciation of "schedule"?

 

American: "sk"edule

British: "sh"edule

[RHefley228]

In the American theatre, the call for actors to get ready to begin the play is "Places, please." In Britain, it is (or was; the usage may have changed) "Beginners, please."

[Traveler Nina]

It gets very complicated to try and teach children to spell in the Dutch area I live in. Here we tend to drop our "T" if they are in the middle of a word or replace it with a "D" such as "Conradulations" and "Wader" instead of "Contratulations" and "Water". However it is cold here in "Winer" (Winter).

[Cornus]

...but I would think Brits say - Cyoo-linary? Please enlighten me.

 

 

Ani

 

Ooooooops....be prepared for a scolding from some :eek:. Just read this week in another thread [forget which one] that many resent being called a *Brit*. Go figure...:)

 

Just a guess, but they probably would say cyoo-linary, since I've heard many pronounce the beginning of Cunard the same way.

[mufi]

Here in US - it is pronounced - CULL - inary

 

I haven't bothered to pull out my Oxford English Dictionary but I would think Brits say - Cyoo-linary? Please enlighten me.

 

 

Ani

 

I don't know of anyone in Britain who would pronounce it any other way than it is written.

 

The problem is that I have even started to use "Americanisms" through reading these boards. But "folk" does sound so much friendlier than "people" and tux is so much shorter than dinner jacket. Maybe in a few years we will all speak the same way - pity.

 

Oh, and England isn't the UK. That is made up of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland (until they do a bunk, but that's another story) as well.

 

David.

[Cruachan]

Ooooooops....be prepared for a scolding from some :eek:. Just read this week in another thread [forget which one] that many resent being called a *Brit*. Go figure...:)

 

Just a guess, but they probably would say cyoo-linary, since I've heard many pronounce the beginning of Cunard the same way.

 

This has the making of a good thread.

 

Never heard of cyoo-linary. I think it's always been cull-inary and still is. There's very little logic in the pronunciation of British English. Some good examples would be:

 

Bough (pronounced "bow"), rough (pronounced "ruff"), trough (pronounced "troff"), and through (pronounced "threw"). And that's without wandering off in to the myriad byways of regional dialects and accents.

 

It's not possible to give a hard and fast rule for any particular combination of letters - Cunard is pronounced Cyoonard simply because it is.

 

Reminds me of the story about a little German lad who was learning English. He came to England on holiday and read on the billboard outside a cinema "Gone With the Wind - pronounced success!" He packed it in and started learning Japanese !!!

 

Jimmy

[Jim Avery]

I always enjoyed "jag wire" or "jag u are" for the car.

[Cornus]

ghoti = fish

[happyscot]

It's true, you know.

 

In American: Bush = The President of the United States of America.

 

In British: Bush = Complete Tosser.

 

It's all in the pronunciation.

[jgsmuzzy]

To my American friends.

 

Herbs is pronounced with an H

Aluminium also has an extra syllable in English.

 

(oh, it is maths, not math).

 

:D

[pnhmrk]

Despite being English, I have never pronounced it any other way than graht-is

 

Same here:)

[Dorchester]

I get a usage tip of the day newsletter via e-mail and today's issue had a difference between British and American English that I wasn't aware of:

 

gratis is pronounced /GRAT-is/ in American English, /GRAY-tis/ in British.

 

It got me thinking that it might be fun to have a thread about the common language that separates our two peoples, so when I go on my first Cunard cruise next year, I'll know which words to watch out for.

 

Like 'exlondoner' I was always taught that the correct pronunciation for the majority of words, is the way that they would be pronounced in their own language. Thus "gratis" (being latin) is pronounced 'graht-iss'.

 

Examples of the main differences between American and British English spellings are given below:

• British English words that end in -re (e.g. centre, fibre, theatre) often end in -er in American English (center, fiber, theater).
  
• British English words that end in -our (e.g. colour, humour) usually end with -or in American English (color, humor).
  
• Verbs in British English that can be spelled with either -ize or -ise at the end (e.g. recognize/recognise) are always spelled with -ize in American English.
  
• Verbs in British English that end in -yse (e.g. analyse) are always spelled -yze in American English (analyze).
  
• In British spelling, verbs ending in a vowel plus l double the l when adding endings that begin with a vowel (e.g. travel, travelled, traveller). In American English the l is not doubled (travel, traveled, traveler).
  
• British English words that are spelled with the double vowels ae or oe (e.g. archaeology, manoeuvre) are just spelled with an e in American English (archeology, maneuver).
  
• Some nouns that end with -ence in British English (e.g. licence, defence) are spelled -ense in American English (license, defense).
  
• Some nouns that end with -ogue in British English (e.g. dialogue) end with -og in American English (dialog).

Just to make things more interesting, there are many words common to American and British English, but with totally different meanings: -

 

Commonly confused words American / British

Jumper / Pinafore Dress

Sweater / Jumper

Rubber / Condom

Eraser / Rubber

Pants / Trousers

Panties / Pants

Chips / Crisps

French Fries / Chips

 

 

Different words for the same thing American / British

Cart / Trolley

Diaper / Nappy

Eggplant / Aubergine

Fall / Autumn

Line / Queue

Scallion / Spring onion

Snow peas / Mange tout

Trunk / Boot

Vacation / Holiday

Zucchini / Courgette

 

Finally, as is common with several languages, in English it is impossible to give the correct pronunciation of certain words unless you know the context in which that word is written. Example: How do you pronounce the word L-E-A-D. This can be pronounced 'led' (as in the metal), or 'leed' (as in to lead someone to safety).

 

I am sure that there are many more examples in addition to the few that I have listed above, and it would be interesting to hear which words cause the most confusion - on both sides of the pond!

 

Regards,

David

[pb82]

... Just to make things more interesting, there are many words common to American and British English, but with totally different meanings: -

 

Commonly confused words American / British

Jumper / Pinafore Dress

Sweater / Jumper

Rubber / Condom

Eraser / Rubber

Pants / Trousers

Panties / Pants

Chips / Crisps

French Fries / Chips

...

Regards,

David

Interesting lists, David, especially the "Commonly confused..." Last year on the QM2 we much enjoyed a lecture titled "'Divided by a common language'? British and American English" by Dr. David Grylls from Oxford.

 

He remembered a visiting American scholar saying: I know the differences in how we speak English. We say "elevator", you say "lift". Our cars have "windshields", yours have "windscreens". We have "gasoline", you call it "coffee".

 

Paul

[fizzy1]

how do you all pronouce Cunard , i was having this arguement with my adult son, he says it,s CU-nard, with the accent on the first syllable, but i say it's cu-NARD, the stress being on the second syllable, what do you all think?

[calikak]

Interesting. I will submit your feedback to the publishers of the newsletter...I am now wondering what other mistakes they've made with regards to British English that I am too uneducated to have recognized?

 

Since a nappy is a diaper, what does one call the item used to dab the corner of one's mouth at the end of a meal?

[Piton1]

Like 'exlondoner' I was always taught that the correct pronunciation for the majority of words, is the way that they would be pronounced in their own language. Thus "gratis" (being latin) is pronounced 'graht-iss'.

 

Examples of the main differences between American and British English spellings are given below:

• British English words that end in -re (e.g. centre, fibre, theatre) often end in -er in American English (center, fiber, theater).
  
• British English words that end in -our (e.g. colour, humour) usually end with -or in American English (color, humor).
  
• Verbs in British English that can be spelled with either -ize or -ise at the end (e.g. recognize/recognise) are always spelled with -ize in American English.
  
• Verbs in British English that end in -yse (e.g. analyse) are always spelled -yze in American English (analyze).
  
• In British spelling, verbs ending in a vowel plus l double the l when adding endings that begin with a vowel (e.g. travel, travelled, traveller). In American English the l is not doubled (travel, traveled, traveler).
  
• British English words that are spelled with the double vowels ae or oe (e.g. archaeology, manoeuvre) are just spelled with an e in American English (archeology, maneuver).
  
• Some nouns that end with -ence in British English (e.g. licence, defence) are spelled -ense in American English (license, defense).
  
• Some nouns that end with -ogue in British English (e.g. dialogue) end with -og in American English (dialog).

Just to make things more interesting, there are many words common to American and British English, but with totally different meanings: -

 

Commonly confused words American / British

Jumper / Pinafore Dress

Sweater / Jumper

Rubber / Condom

Eraser / Rubber

Pants / Trousers

Panties / Pants

Chips / Crisps

French Fries / Chips

 

 

Different words for the same thing American / British

Cart / Trolley

Diaper / Nappy

Eggplant / Aubergine

Fall / Autumn

Line / Queue

Scallion / Spring onion

Snow peas / Mange tout

Trunk / Boot

Vacation / Holiday

Zucchini / Courgette

 

Finally, as is common with several languages, in English it is impossible to give the correct pronunciation of certain words unless you know the context in which that word is written. Example: How do you pronounce the word L-E-A-D. This can be pronounced 'led' (as in the metal), or 'leed' (as in to lead someone to safety).

 

I am sure that there are many more examples in addition to the few that I have listed above, and it would be interesting to hear which words cause the most confusion - on both sides of the pond!

 

Regards,

David

 

Now you've done it. My head hurts.:p

 

Paul

[Wadadli1]

I have been lurking on your board for several years! But I could not help myself today.

 

My degrees are in British History and Elizabethan Literature. I simply adore reading your threads. I will eventually get the last (fifth!) child through university and be able to book a Cunard cruise.

 

For now, I am a voyeur on your board. Hope you don't mind?

 

So here is one for you . . .

 

Linguistically, this will vary depending on part of US one lives in . . . but basically, Americans (especially in the South) pronounce Tuesday and Tudor as TOOS-DEE and TOO-TER, not TYOOS-DAY and TYOO-DER. This is not atypical in the midwest, as well.

 

I get some really strange glances when I insist on pronouncing Tudor as it is supposed to be pronounced. :-)

 

My son is named Stewart (my mother's maiden name). He is referred to as STOO-urt. No one anywhere in the USA has ever pronounced his name correctly.

 

And one that drives me nuts:

 

Medieval. Americans say (UGGGHHH!!) Me-dee-evil rather than MeDEEval.

 

I have never heard anyone, anywhere, pronounce Gratis as GRAY tis. Ever.

 

Now here is one I would appreciate someone enlightening me on:

 

"Culinary"

 

Here in US - it is pronounced - CULL - inary

 

I haven't bothered to pull out my Oxford English Dictionary but I would think Brits say - Cyoo-linary? Please enlighten me.

 

 

Ani

 

Hi Ani! I haven't read at this time of night any further than your message in this thread but you already make me want to say welcome! :)

 

Ok, I go read now. I've heard it's a fun one.

[Wadadli1]

how do you all pronouce Cunard , i was having this arguement with my adult son, he says it,s CU-nard, with the accent on the first syllable, but i say it's cu-NARD, the stress being on the second syllable, what do you all think?

 

Son is right. CYU-nard.

 

Best thing to do is just get on the ship quickly and sort out the pronounciation onboard. ;)