1. Differences between UK and US English
Overview and examples

2. Differences between UK and US English
America was initially set up by people who emigrated from the UK and Europe after UK English and US English are therefore very similar. However, there are quite a lot of minor differences in the way the two languages have evolved. Can you think of any?

3. Spelling
There are a few main ways in which the spelling of words in US English differs to UK English: UK US
Rule
Colour/Favour
Color/Favor
US has no U in British -OUR words
Centre
Center
US has ER in British –RE endings
Travelling
Traveling
US has a single L for many continuous verbs
Realise
Realize
US has Z instead of S for British –SE endings
Grey
Gray
Individual spellings may differ too

4. The alphabet
The alphabet is the same in both languages, apart from the pronunciation of the name of the final letter “Z”:
UK pronunciation
US pronunciation
Zed
Zee

5. Vocabulary
The vocabulary of UK and US English has many differences, however there is a lot of crossover due to the spread of language due to modern factors such as movies, literature and social networking. Here are some of the famous ones:
UK English
US English
Lift
Elevator
Flat
Apartment
The underground
The subway
Pants/Knickers
Underwear/Panties
Trousers
Pants

6. Pronunciation
The languages of UK and US English sound quite different in terms of pronunciation. This is probably the most notable difference between the two languages. Here are some common examples:
UK English
US English
Silent r - Jumper-”Jumpa”
Stronger r sound - Jumper-”Jumperrr”
Shorter vowel sounds - Ham ”Ham”
Longer vowel sounds – Ham ”Haarm””
The t sound is more like a t in UK - ”Computu”
The t sound is more like a d in US - ”Compudar”

7. Idioms
One of the very interesting ways the two languages have evolved separately is in the use of idioms (and phrasal verbs). Both languages share a vast array of idioms, but because some originated in a different culture, some may not be so well known in the other:
UK English
US English
Do a U-turn
Flip a bitch! (“U-Turn” would be OK too)
Watch a movie
Go see a movie

8. I’m confused, which one should I use?!
A common fear is mixing up the languages, and worrying about using the wrong form of the language in the wrong situation. Do not worry…most native speakers you are likely to meet will understand both forms of the language and it will not cause a problem. Generally US English is in everyday use more now due to it being the default language of Hollywood and the internet/technology (such as Microsoft Word, Facebook etc.) which have been pioneered by innovative American companies.