Monday, February 11, 2019

American English vs British English: Write Responsibly

Slowly, the British English spelling crept into American society and remained undetected or ignored. But no more. Don't get me wrong. I lived in Britain for four years, which was one of the happiest times in my life. However, using their spelling in our country is wrong. After all, we fought in the war to gain independence, so why are we letting the Briticism take over? It's an epidemic that is spreading far and wide, even impacting school newsletter that students read.

1st offender is the media, which uses the AP style that is acceptable for international news. It is the biggest culprit because people trust what they see on the news or the news channel. The truth is even they go back and forth without thinking about the impact they have on the audience.

2nd offender is the Internet. Everyone with a computer and access to the Internet can put up whatever they want. This is the era of "alternative facts" that makes my mental anguish unbearable. when you  search up one thing, hundreds of different answers pop up, and 90% of them are opinions, not facts.

3rd biggest offender is my beloved self-published writers who published their books without having their books edited by professional editors. I've talked about this problem for years, so I digress.

My solution is simple and very elementary. But if enough people read this post, use the words themselves, and pass it on, it will result in change. It's a small impact and slow too, but it's a start. If you're American or writing for the American audience, don't use British English spelling. I will list some simple examples that I hope will be helpful. Please retweet and share this post. Let's take our language back!

                                               American English                           British English

Some words are spelled             airplane                                           aeroplane
differently altogether.                 jail                                                  gaol

The "er" is reversed.                   center                                             centre
                                                    theater                                            theatre

Adding "u" for no reason.           color                                              colour
                                                    labor                                               labour

Past tenses with "t."                    burned                                            burnt
                                                    spelled                                            spelt

Adding extra letters                    canceling                                        cancelled, cancelling
                                                    traveled, traveling                          travelled, travelling

                                                    programed                                      programmed
"ce" instead of "se"                     defense                                           defence
                                                    license                                             licence

"se" instead of "ze"                     organize                                          organise
                                                    recognize                                         recognise

Double vowels "ae" or "oe"        maneuver                                        manoeuvre
                                                    leukemia                                         leukaemia

Adding "s"                                  toward, forward, backward            towards, forwards, backwards.

Using y for i and e for a              tire                                                  tyre
                                                    gray                                                grey(50 Shades angers me because                                                                                                            it was written about American
                                                                                                           characters living in America. So,
                                                                                                           why that spelling in the book title?
                                                                                                           Should've hired an editor.)


18 comments:

  1. So true.
    The tips are right and the errors that we often see with unedited books is enough to make me pull my eyes from their sockets.
    Almost put a photo of myself with a fork in my eye but that may deviated from the point about editing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This article is really fantastic and thanks for sharing the valuable post. My website about microphones. and it is very informative. Generally Each microphone has its own unique sound and strengths. so, you should know about microphone. https://en.gravatar.com/annabelmonroe/mic_test

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sometimes, users are unable to receive the emails on the gmail account because of mail filters settings. But if you are importing the emails from other provider like- yahoo etc. it shows that there is something wrong with the outlook settings. So you should change following settings.
    1. Delete the current account settings and reconfigure the account.
    2. Make sure there are import related errors.
    3.Deactivate the filters and mail settings on the outlook and other service providers.
    Once you change these settings on the outlook servers, your email will start working fine. For more information, please visit: why is gmail not receiving emails from yahoo mail

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nu kunt u vanuit het comfort van uw huis of winkel benodigdheden voor uw winkels of webshop kopen en deze probleemloos naar uw winkel laten verzenden. Kies uit het ruime aanbod dameskleding en accessoires waaronder broeken, jassen, jurken, rokken, blazers, jeans, tunieken, tops en sweaters, etc. Bij Musthaves By Elja zijn we gespecialiseerd in groothandel dameskleding in Nederland.

    Registreer hier om ons nieuwste en eersteklas ontwerp te bekijken

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for sharing the blog it's very useful and informative. You also explained the topic very well. For any requirement of Essay Writing Services in Canada, you can connect with LiveWebTutors and find the best solutions to submit your assignment with premium writing quality.

    ReplyDelete
  6. We at Acadecraft serves the e learning platform services online needs of all the customers. There are a large number of platform services. The names of the services include content tracking, hosting, customization, updating the course material, content migration, and learning management systems.
    eLearning Gamification Companies

    ReplyDelete
  7. Very impressive! I appreciate your post. My usual response to blogs is not to comment, but your article has been so persuasive that I cannot resist writing something about it. Keep it up, you're doing a great job. Check out the most recent article about Best WOW Name Generator.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Samrat Indian Restaurant is een Indiaas food restaurant Amsterdam. Bij ons bent u verzekerd van een unieke en moderne Indiase eetervaring met de authentieke smaak van India. Wij bieden een grote variatie aan gerechten, bereid volgens originele Indiase recepten.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You completed certain reliable points there. I did research on the subject and found nearly all persons will agree with your blog. Do well to check my post on university of tennessee acceptance rate

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you so much for this information, I’m always in touch with you. Update more information about this related blog. Feel free to visit my website; 토토사이트

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you for the useful post. Very informative. share more.
    English in Japan
    Language


    ReplyDelete
  12. You wrote a very impressive article. I think this is one of the most helpful blogs I have ever seen. Thank you for posting, we look forward to reading more. For more information about CPS Test Online. See the article for more information. Here is my article on setting up mouse clicks on Windows.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I appreciate you taking the time to provide us with this helpful information. I'll be checking in on your blog on a frequent basis to see what's new. The Jitter Click test determines how quickly you can click while using the jitter technique, which has become popular among Minecraft players. See for more information Jitter Click Test. This could be beneficial to you.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Verma Fashion is verkoop b2b groothandel dameskleding 2010 bestaat. Ons team bestaat uit enthousiaste medewerkers, met alle jaren ervaring in de modebranche. In onze groothandel ligt de focus op een regelmatig wisselende collectie trendy damesmode, accessoires en schoenen. Onze collectie is stoer, vrouwelijk, comfortabel en vooral betaalbaar. Wij verkopen alleen aan retailers in onze showroom bij Mode Group in Amsterdam

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi, I truly fancy your effort in sharing in writing out this english correctly. I am reading this fantastic educational article here due to your pleasant article. I wish visiting this blog again. Thanks so much for sharing. great success college of health sciences tech admission form deadline

    ReplyDelete
  16. Understanding the differences between American and British English is crucial for clear communication. This blog provides excellent insights into these distinctions. For anyone interested in refining their language skills, especially in the context of digital marketing, consider enrolling in a Digital Marketing Course In Noida By Digiperform . Mastering the local nuances of English can greatly enhance your marketing strategies and content creation efforts.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great post on the differences between American and British English! It’s amazing how subtle language variations can influence communication styles and audience engagement. This is particularly relevant in digital marketing, where understanding regional language preferences can greatly enhance content localization and SEO effectiveness. For anyone interested in mastering such nuances, a comprehensive Digital Marketing Course In Delhi By Digiperform can be invaluable, covering how to tailor content for different English-speaking markets. Thanks for sharing this insightful comparison!

    ReplyDelete