To quote President Jackson: “It is a damn poor mind that can think of only one way to spell a word’. There is no better expression to highlight the differences in spelling between these two versions of English. For example Americans drop the ‘u’ in colour and spell it ‘color’. English language learners need also to be made aware of the differences in vocabulary. For example where the British book a ‘taxi’, the Americans book a ‘cab’.
When did these differences begin?
American English began to deviate from British English as soon as the United States won its independence from Great Britain in 1776.
How was spelling affected?
The differences in spelling between the two dialects were essentially based upon Benjamin Franklin’s idea that the more phonetic and logical, the better the spelling. We can see this in the following examples: British people (and people in former British colonies) include the letter U in words like “flavour” and “colour” while Americans write “flavor” and “color.” The British suffix “-ise” becomes “-ize” in the United States, as in words like “organize” or “recognize.” And words like “center” or “theater,” as they’re spelled in the US, are spelled “centre” and “theatre” in the UK.
Who was responsible for these changes?
Noah Webster a famous dictionary editor whose name is synonymous today with dictionaries in the United States.
What changes did he bring about?
In the late 1700s, Webster took issue with some of the inconsistencies of British spelling and the difficulties they posed for American students learning the language. “Jail,” for example, was a much easier word for an English language learner to pronounce than “gaol,” which was the more popular British spelling of the word for almost a century.
When was his first dictionary published?
Webster published his first dictionary in 1806, and his first American Dictionary of the English Language in 1828, both with many spellings simplified, including a number of changes we see in modern American English today such as eliminating the silent u (color for colour), unnecessary double consonants (jeweler for jeweller) and switched around the re (theater for theatre).
Why did he want those changes?
He wanted American spelling to not only be more straightforward but different from UK spelling, as a way of America showing its independence from the former British rule. He changed the words ending in -ise to –ize, for example rationalise to rationalize because he thought American English spelling should reflect the way it was said.
What are the differences in vocabulary?
Apart from spelling the other noticeable difference is vocabulary. Learners of English will need to provide themselves with an American English dictionary when learning a British English word’s equivalent in American English. Who could guess that the equivalent of a toilet could be a restroom in American English? This is one of hundreds of everyday words that are different. The front of a car is called the bonnet in British English, while Americans call it the hood. Americans go on vacation, while the British go on holidays.
How does this affect the English Language Learner?
British English and American English have equal value in the eyes of native speakers. A language learner learning English in Europe will naturally follow British English spelling and vocabulary. If learning English in the United States, a language learner will follow American English spelling and vocabulary. English Language Level accreditation can be officiated by the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford in the UK and The Michigan University and American University Washington in the United States.