Dialects of English facts for kids

English is spoken all over the world, but it's not always spoken the same way! Just like different regions in your own country might have unique accents or words, the English language has many different versions called dialects. These dialects have small differences in how words are spelled, what they mean, and how they are pronounced.

American English

American English is the version of English spoken in the United States. It's a bit different from other types of English, like British English. Many of these differences came from old local dialects in England.

You might hear American English a lot, even if you live somewhere else. This is because of things like CNN (a news channel) and the Internet. Most of the English you see online is American English.

Because so many people are now familiar with American English, it's starting to influence other versions of English. For example, in India, where many people speak English, they might start using more American English words alongside their usual British English words and words from local languages like Hindi.

Sometimes, people even learn American English on purpose. For instance, in call centers in places like India, workers often learn to speak American English to sound more like their customers from America. They might even start using these words in their daily lives.

Many words have different meanings in American English compared to other dialects. Languages often change slowly over time, just like Italian, Spanish, and French all came from Latin because of many small changes over hundreds of years.

Spelling in American English

American English spells some words differently than British English:

• The word "centre" is spelled center.
• The word "colour" is spelled color.
• The word "draught" is spelled draft.
• The word "honour" is spelled honor.
• The word "gaol" (which is rare) is spelled jail.
• The word "neighbour" is spelled neighbor.
• The word "plough" is spelled plow.
• The word "realise" is spelled realize.
• The word "summarise" is spelled summarize.

There are also some words that are completely different:

• A "ladybird" is called a ladybug.
• An "aeroplane" is called an airplane.

African American Vernacular English

African American Vernacular English (often called AAVE) is a special way of speaking English. It has some features that come from 16th-century English. While it started in Black Culture, anyone can learn to speak it. Its sounds and grammar are different from what is called Standard English. It's a unique cultural way of speaking English, similar to how someone learning English from another country might speak it differently.

This dialect first appeared when black people were brought to North America as slaves. They came from many different tribes and needed a way to talk to each other. So, they developed this new way of speaking. In 1996, some language experts suggested using AAVE to help educate black children in Oakland, California. They said that AAVE is a distinct language system. This led to more people understanding how language is connected to culture.

British English

British English is the version of the English language used in the United Kingdom and some other countries. The English language originally comes from England, which is part of Great Britain.

American English is quite similar to British English, but with changes in spelling and how some words are used.

Spelling in British English

Here are some common spelling differences in British English:

• American words ending in "er" often end in "re" in British English. For example, "center" becomes centre, "liter" becomes litre, and "meter" becomes metre.
• British words are more likely to have the letter "u" than American words. For example, "color" becomes colour, "favor" becomes favour, and "honor" becomes honour.
• British words might use "ph" where American words use "f". For example, "sulfur" is spelled sulphur in British English.
• British words may use an "s" instead of a "z". For example, "colonization" is spelled colonisation in British English.

Vocabulary in British English

Many everyday words are different in British English compared to American English.

• In British English, a "dock" is the water between two "piers." In American English, the "pier" itself might be called a "dock."

Here are some other simple differences:

• British: flat - American: apartment
• British: to let - American: to rent
• British: garden - American: yard
• British: lift - American: elevator
• British: lorry - American: truck
• British: metro, underground, tube - American: subway
• British: pavement - American: sidewalk
• British: petrol - American: gas or gasoline
• British: football, footy - American: soccer
• British: railway - American: railroad
• British: shopping trolley - American: shopping cart
• British: tap - American: faucet
• British: trousers - American: pants
• British: jumper - American: sweater
• British: boot (of a car) - American: trunk (of a car)
• British: bonnet (of a car) - American: hood (of a car)