Hands up everyone who thinks Brits and Americans speak the same language. Wrong! The fact is, that Brits speak Queen's English and Americans speak...well, American. If you don't think there's a difference, read on.
The truth is, I'm getting a little fed up of being called out on my 'shaky editing', 'numerous spelling errors' or even 'basic errors'. At first, I thought I had a real problem which was worrying, especially as I've been working with such excellent editors, but a discussion with my publisher left me reeling. Can you believe there are actually review sites out there who won't even take books written in Queen's English?
So here I am writing a post that will hopefully educate some of my American friends that what they think are spelling/grammatical errors, aren't, in the hope I might be allowed to write in my native language without criticism.
So let's launch in
In Queen's English there is a 'u' between 'o' and 'r' at the end of a word
American English
Color Colour
Savior Saviour
There are many cases where the letter 's' in an English word have been replaced by a 'z' in American, so
Capitalize Capitalise
Recognize Recognise
Apologize Apologise
The letters 're' at the end of words are often reversed in American
Center Centre
Fiber Fibre
Theater Theatre
In words ending 'el' the past tense drops an 'l' in American
Traveled Travelled
Fueled Fuelled
This works internally also
Jewelry Jewellery
Double vowels are usually reduced to one in American
Estrogen Oestrogen
Maneuver Manoeuver
Pediatrician Paediatrician
Words ending in 'ouge' are often reduced to 'g' in American
Analog Analogue
Dialog Dialogue
Catalog Catalogue
All of the words in the left hand column 'look wrong' to me so I can imagine that the words in the right hand column 'look wrong' to Americans. That doesn't mean they are wrong.
The English language has evolved through the absorption of many different language, as can be seen in its spelling and liberal smattering of words taken direct from other languages, especially French. This is an ongoing process. Only dead languages cease to evolve. American, being the younger language has run with this and made the language their own.
Apart from the spelling/grammar issue there are a whole plethora of differences, a few of which I shall discuss
The age of sexual consent in the UK is 16, not 18
The legal age for drinking in the UK is 18 not 21
Driving is not taught in British schools. The earliest age someone can apply for a provisional license is 17. A provisional license allows you to drive but only if accompanied by someone who holds a full license. In order to obtain a full license you have to pass both a written and a practical test. Many people pass their test in their 17th year. Many more don't pass until much later and many never at all. It's not at all unusual in the UK to not be able to drive.
The schools system is very different in the UK
Start school age 3 at nursery
At age 5 start primary education
7/8 move from infants school to juniour school.
Generally, these steps all take place within the same school and are marked only by different methods of teaching and subjects taught.
Age 11 move to secondary/comprehensive education working toward GCSE exams at age 16. GCSE's are given in individual subjects. There are 'core' subjects - English Language, English Literature, Maths, Science (and Welsh if you live in Wales) - and all the rest are elective. Sudents usually do 9+ The results of the examinations are stand-alone ie it makes no difference how well or badly you work through the previous years, it is only the end result that counts (no such thing as grade point average)
Age 16 - 18 Study for 'A' Levels. Similar to GCSE but higher level and students usually only do 3
Attending school until 16 is compulsory and there are criminal sanctions for parents who don't ensure their children attend school to that age. After 16 it's entirely voluntary. There are many alternatives to 'A' Levels, for example college courses, apprenticeships etc.
Until recently there was no such thing as prom. About ten years ago we started adopting the idea of prom at 18 which marks the end of the school career. It evolved out of the end of school ball.
Students do not graduate from school, only university.
After school people either move into employment, vocational training or apprenticeships (or claim benefits) or they go to university.
Graduate degrees are usually for three years, although some can be four.
After the first degree most people leave education. However, you can move on to Post Graduate Degrees which can either be vocational (for example Legal Practice Course or Bar Exams for Lawyers) or academic (for example Masters and Phd)
When exams are close we don't study, we revise.
Finally lots of little facts
-The back of a car is a boot not a trunk. We look through the windscreen and wear seatbelts.
-We walk on a pavement not a sidewalk and jaywalking isn't illegal
-Prostitution is legal, although soliciting (asking people if they want it) and kerb crawling (driving along a street looking for a prostitute) is illegal
- Diapers are nappies
and so much more
I hope you've enjoyed this peep into our differences. Of course there are far more similarities than differences and I hope that this article will help my American friends to realise that differences are not mistakes.
Oh absolutely not. Sometimes it definitely is a typo, omission or spelling error, as in your example. It's definitely another think. This is about making assumptions and not checking before you automatically write it off as an error. It should be pretty obvious by mere consistency when someone is writing in a different language rather than just making a mistake. Being aware that English and American are different languages is a good start :D
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