During the time the United States was declaring independence from Britain, it would have been difficult to tell whether or not an individual was loyal to the British Crown, based on their pronunciation alone.

At that point in history, both the patriots and the Redcoats spoke with accents that sounded much more similar to contemporary American English than it did to the Queen’s English as we know it.  American and British manners of speech had not yet diverged.

The only way you might have been able to tell who was on your side, and who was part of the enemy, was to ask each and every person whether they were hungry for some “all-American apple pie” or if they preferred some “bangers and mash.”

Just kidding.  Not sure if bangers and mash were a thing back then.  Or, if they considered apple pie to be “all-American” before the United States of America became a country of its own.

Nonetheless, Standard British English has undergone quite a transformation over the course of the last two centuries.

Pronunciation Differences Between American and British English

Traditional English was largely rhotic, which means that speakers pronounce the “r” sound in words, whereas non-rhotic speech is a softer “r” sound.

Non-rhotic speech is what modern British sounds like, and it was around the time of the American Revolution that non-rhotic speech became more and more popular.  It came into use among the upper class in and around London, and it was a way that the British upper class could demonstrate their status. It was, quite literally, an affectation that the aristocracy used to differentiate themselves from the nouveau riche.

This affected pronunciation also became the prerogative of specialists, such as teachers of elocution.  But other English dialects, such as those in Scotland and Ireland, have remained rhotic. And with a few exceptions — such as New York and Boston accents — American English has remained rhotic as well.

Non-rhotic speaking areas in the U.S.

The Revolutionary War was where the divergence began.  But, like tectonic plates that will slowly drag lands and peoples farther and farther away from one another, the languages have continued to evolve.

There are a number of major differences between British and American English, from vocabulary to sentence structure.  This is why any translator who is working into or out of English needs to understand a variety of English dialects and have a deep understanding of the dialect in which he or she specializes. Here are some of the ways in which American and British English are different.

Other Differences Between American and British English

The most noticeable difference is in the vocabulary. There are a number of words that the British use that Americans don’t, and vice versa. In England, a truck is a lorry, an elevator is alift, a pharmacist is a chemist, and a freeway is a dual carriageway. But the difference goes beyond simple vocabulary.

In American English, titles such as Mr., Mrs., and Ms. all have periods at the end of them, whereas in British English, the periods are omitted.

Dates and times are represented differently in American and British English as well. In British English, the date is written out with the day starting first, then the month, and then the year, whereas in English, the date leads with the month. The time, in England, is represented with a period (e.g. 12.15), whereas in America, it’s written with a colon (e.g. 12:15).

Spelling varies between the two dialects as well. Many dictionaries include both spellings, and will notate which belongs to which dialect. Words like honor in American English are spelled with what looks to American eyes like an “extra u”: honour. Same with color/colour.

Other differences in spelling come with the simple reversal of a series of letters, as incenter/centre, theater/theatre, and so on. British English will use an “s” where American English will use a “z”, as in recognise/recognize. And British English favours a single consonant in some words, whereas American English favors two: traveler/traveller, and so on.

Why Human Translators Are Essential to an Accurate Translation

When a translator is working into either dialect, it’s vital that they understand the vocabulary, spelling, and other idiosyncrasies between the two versions of the language. Some variations would be downright wrong, depending on what language you’re using.

For example, in Britain a public school is the American equivalent of a private school, and an American public school in England would be known as a state school.  In England, french fries are chips, chips are crisps; jelly is jam, and Jell-o is jelly. Football is like rugby, and soccer isfootball, and soccer isn’t a word that they use in England!

From differences in spelling, to a variation in sentence structure, to the actual vocabulary words themselves, American English and British English enjoy a lot of interesting divergences.

If you leave your translating to a machine — like Google Translate, or other automated translation software — then you may not know if you’re translating into American or British English.  And if you get it wrong, you could have a great deal of confusion on your hands.

“Bangers and mash” is enough of an example of why you should make sure a high-quality, human translator does all of your translation work.  If someone asked an unsuspecting American what “bangers and mash” meant, the last thing they’d think of is something to eat.

When having a translation done, small errors can have a gigantic impact.  For example, an American school does not want to see a marksheet, but a report card.  Machines can translate word for word, but only a human translator will understand the context and nuance behind a document that needs translation.