UK English vs US English: what’s the difference?

There are many different types of English around the world, which all have differences in vocabulary, grammar and style. 

You’re likely taught either American English (AmE) or British English (BrE) in your lessons, but it’s important for you to know the differences between these styles, whichever form you’re learning. It’s also essential to be consistent in the form you choose to use, especially when preparing for exams.

Differences in UK English vs US English 

Formatting 

One of the first differences you may notice between AmE and BrE is the formatting of dates. 

• In American English, dates are typically written as MM/DD/YY. For example, August 1st, 2024, is written as 08/01/24. 
• British English uses the format DD/MM/YY, so the same date as above is written as 01/08/24. 

This difference can be crucial when booking things like appointments or tickets, so you avoid any confusion. Another thing to note is that American English typically doesn’t use the ordinal for dates, e.g. (BrE) July 4th, (AmE) July 4. 

Spelling 

Spelling differences can be tricky. Here are some common differences: 

• -or/-our: American English removes the ‘u’, so color (BrE colour), honor (BrE honour) and labor (BrE labour). 
• -er/-re: Words like center and meter in AmE become centre and metre in BrE.
• double L: In American English, words like traveling and canceled use a single L, whereas in British English, these words become travelling and cancelled.
• -ize/-ise: American English typically uses spellings like realize and organize, while British English uses realise and organise.
• -yze/-yse: For example, analyze (AmE), analyse (BrE). 
• -ence/-ense: For example, AmE – defense and license, BrE – defence and licence.
• -e/-ae: American English uses words like encyclopedia, while British English uses encyclopaedia. 

Verbs and verb tenses 

• Past Simple vs. Present Perfect: American English often uses the past simple tense while British English uses the present perfect. For example, in AmE, I ate breakfast, while in BrE, I have eaten breakfast.
• Should vs. Shall: In American English, shall is rarely used. British English still uses shall, especially in formal contexts, e.g. Shall I get your coat for you? 
• Participle differences: American English uses gotten as the past participle of get, whereas British English uses got. Similarly, the past participle for learn in AmE is learned, while in BrE it’s usually learnt. However, this is not always the case and it depends on the individual person and their usage. 

Collective nouns

Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on the context in British English, but they are usually singular in American English. 

For example:

• In AmE, you would say, The team is winning.
• In BrE, you might say, The team are winning.

However, an exception is police, which is plural in both forms: The police are here.

Being aware of these variations between UK English and US English can enhance your comprehension and communication skills. It’s also important to know that there are many other differences between UK English and US English. For example, many words are different or have different meanings. 

Want to know more? We’ll be sharing common vocabulary differences in another blog post. In the meantime, if you know any other interesting differences between American and British English, share them in the comments below! 

You can read more English as an international language here. 

Activity

Decide if the words are UK English (UK) or US English (US).

1. Liter: A liter of water.
2. Analyse: We need to analyse the situation. 
3. Organise: Who organised the party?
4. Canceled: The class is canceled. 
5. Anaesthetic: You’ll be put under anaesthetic for the operation.
6. Summarize: Summarize the main ideas. 
7. Favour: Can you do me a favour?
8. Modelling: He does a bit of modelling for magazines.
9. License: Can I see your driving license please?
10. Smelt: It smelt horrible! 

Answers

1. US
2. UK
3. UK
4. US
5. UK
6. US
7. UK
8. UK
9. US
10. UK

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Billie Jago is an ELT writer and teacher trainer specialising in digital learning materials and assessment resources. She has written for various well-known assessment titles, and writes items for high stakes exams such as the PTE, IELTS and Cambridge. Alongside materials writing, she delivers international teacher training sessions and is the founder of the ELTcpd professional development training platform and podcast. She is also the co-founder of the educational consultancy, OtterEducation.