This year’s
summer Olympics will be held in London so the British capital is sure to be
flooded with tourists from all over the world who want to get a first hand look
at the event.
One of the
things that many visitors to London may notice, especially those coming from
America, is that although English is spoken in the city, it may not necessarily
sound familiar to other people. Other than the thick British accent that takes
some time getting accustomed to, there are actually some words and phrases used
in Britain that mean something entirely different in America.
British English and American English
In forms of
writing, the two versions of English are quite similar. George Bernard Shaw
once commented that Britain and America are “two countries divided by a common
language”.
The formal
English that we often see in newspapers is referred to as Standard English.
Although both British and Americans speak English, there are many differences
between the two languages, that sometimes, it may seem like an entirely
different language is spoken.
British
English refers to the form of English that is spoken in the United Kingdom,
including all the English dialects in the country. It is also called “the
Queen’s English,” as well as “Oxford English” or “BBC English”.
On the
other hand, American English is the form of English that is spoken in the US.
It was the British that introduced the English language to America, but the
language has evolved into its own version in the United States.
