The difference between American English and British English.doc

T he differen ce between A merican E nglish and B ritish E nglish With the development of modern society and globalization , English is used more and more widely than ever one of the most important languages in the world , the using of English is definitely isone unmistakably one language but can be grouped into two major varieties — American English and British though they share some similarities sometimes,there ’ re still differences between the studentes whose major is English,distinguishing the differences is benefitable in the process of study. Key words : American English British English differences pronunciation spelling meaning use Historical background The English language was first introduced to the Americas by British colonization, beginning in the early 17th century. Similarly, the language spread to numerous other parts of the world asa result of British trade and colonization elsewhere and the spread of the former British Empire, which, by1921, held sway over a population of about 470 –570 million people: approximately a quarter of the world's population at that time. Over the past 400 years, the form of the language used in the Americas — especially in the United States — and that used in the United Kingdom have diverged ina few minor ways, leading to the dialects now occasionally referred to as American English