Which English and accent is better, British or American?

American English versus British English always sparks a lively discussion. This article will discuss which English accent is better, British or American.

Which Is Better According to Accent

I would say that America is a very modern worldwide standard even if many people are learning British at schools. Sooner or later, many learners would change their pronunciation to the American one.

It’s easier to adopt, and many people are talking like that. Even the Australians/Indians and many other nations using English will sound more similar to Americans than Brits. The British accent is the king of the book courses, but a tiny portion of the non-active populations speak like Brits.

Consistency In British and American English

Let’s talk about consistency. My first ever will be spelling. In certain American English spelling is much more consistent with the way that we say the words. The classics would be color versus color, center versus center, words ending with the “iz” versus “is” constructions, etc.

We all know that British English is much older than American English. These differences are mainly one of the faults of the French, who invaded England in 1066. At that time, the English were not impressed, but the French did bring a little bit of extra in the way of culture and cooking and a lot in enriching the English language.

The French’s estimated number of new words added to English is about 10,000. With these new words came the French spelling, the “re,” “is,” “ou,” etc., constructs.

English did come to North America via the British settlements that eventually, via George Washington, became the United States. However, during the 1700s, English was still an available language, and even the British did not have formal standards for spelling.

In the 1750s, Samuel Johnson established what was adopted as a standard British English dictionary. About 60 years later, Noah Webster established what was adopted as the standard American English dictionary.

Vocabulary In British And American English

In the main, British English and the American English are very similar, even with the differences in spelling. However, in today’s world, American spelling is probably the one winning, thanks to Microsoft’s spell checker.

There are vocabulary differences, and some may cause embarrassing situations if you only know one flavor. However, knickers, suspenders, and the fanny did come to mind. In the U.S., men wear suspenders; in the U.K., women wear suspenders.

There’s just a whole world of fun in some of these differences. Brits can knock their friends up in the morning, but this could be considered inappropriate in the USA. So I will leave you to the research knickers and fanny.

Do You Need To Know The Difference Between American English And British English?

Well, you will need to know that there are some differences. There are some different spelling rules and grammar rules, and of course, there’s a difference in vocabulary and accents. You may need to know those differences, but that does not necessarily mean that you will need to study and learn them.

The truth is that the English speakers understand each other, despite the main difference in their English. We do watch each other’s movies; we read each other’s books, work with each other, read each other’s books, work with each other, and read each other’s news. So we are often exposed to the other different words and spellings that the other English speakers use, which will bring me to the very next question.

Should You Care About The Differences Between American English And British English?

Maybe, it will depend on why you are learning English. You will only need to care about the differences if you are studying for an English exam, applying for or attending an English university, or using English professionally for your job.

Usually, you will need to pay attention to the spelling and grammar rules in these situations because they can affect your score or reputation. So if this sounds really like you, you need to think about whether British English or American English is the right choice.

So Which One Is Right? Which One Should You Use?

It is a tricky question for me to answer. You need to think about yourself and the situation in which you are. Are you living in an English-speaking country? Then, of course,you use the type of English used there.

But maybe you are planning to study in an English-speaking country. Which one? If it is America, you have to train to learn American English. But if not, then you have to focus on British English because most of the other English-speaking countries also use British English grammar and spelling standards.

It does make sense to focus on the lessons, teachers, and books that use one type of English. It makes it a little less confusing while you are about to learn. So you have to focus on either American or British English. However, you have to remember that the other one still exists. You do not have to choose the one and then never use the other one; that’s almost possible.

English Is A Living Language

The Americans and British continually add new words as things take a chance. When the new words are added, they will fit the constructs. Therefore, they can be classified within the general English Language system: verb, noun, etc.

The two key dictionaries from either side of the Atlantic are Merriam-Webster (USA) and Oxford (U.K.). Both the dictionaries accept the differences between American and British English and reference both in their word definitions.

Final Words

This article talked about which English and accent are better American and British. We have talked about the consistency and vocabulary in both languages. We have also suggested which one is good. We recommend you give some time to your research to get the best results.