England and America are two countries divided by a common language. The oft-quoted words of George Bernard Shaw are as relevant now as they have ever been. It was during the colonial period of American history when the languages began to diversify. Because contact with the mother country was infrequent, the two countries’ languages began to separate. Settlers in the New World were continually encountering new flora, fauna and economic challenges and this contributed to the drift.
There are a number of problems that occur when writing for Britons and Americans. Awareness of these goes some way to ensure they can be avoided.
The following advice will help those seeking to translate UK into US English or vice-versa.
Some words can be offensive in one language, but not the other. For example, a tramp in the UK is a homeless person, but a tramp in the US is an offensive term for a woman of promiscuity or a prostitute.
There are words that exist in one language, but not the other. For example, a truck is also a lorry in the UK, but this word doesn’t exist in the US. And what an American would call a sneaker, the English call a trainer.
Some words and phrases exist in both languages and have completely different meanings. Fancy dress in the US means ‘to dress smartly’, but in the UK it involves dressing up in a silly costume. If an American invited a Briton to a fancy dress party, it’s likely that embarrassment on both sides would ensue.
This is one of the greatest challenges when writing for a US audience. Words with different meanings slip into the message and start to spiral. If an English writer mentions a flapjack in a message intended for American audiences, they may be referring to an oatcake. But to an American a flapjack is a pancake. But that’s an American pancake, which is different to a UK pancake, which in the US should be crepe… at which point you collapse on your keyboard in tears.
Much of the diversity between the languages appears in slang, so it’s safest to avoid slang as much as is possible.
Perhaps the best way to make sure an article is comprehensible to its intended audience is to have it read. If someone in the UK is writing an article for both audiences, getting an American to proofread it is a good way to pick up on any words and phrases that are UK specific. Similarly, if an American is writing the message, have it looked at by a Brit.
There are also spelling and punctuation differences and wareness of these can help. Many of these differences come in the form of word endings.
Most words that end ‘-our’ in UK English end in ‘-or’ in the US. For example, ‘colour/color.’ Words that end ‘-re’ in the UK often finish ‘-er’ in US English, such as centre/center. Words that end ‘-yse’ in UK English often end ‘-yze’ in the States, such as analyse/analyze.
Another ending to watch out for is ‘-ise’ (UK) and ‘-ize’ (US), for instance realise/realize, or recognise/recognize. Although both endings are technically correct in the UK, the ‘-ize’ ending has fallen out of usage and is (incorrectly) considered by many to be an Americanism. but being aware of the differences can help prevent mistakes.
Punctuation and grammar also differs. A common difference is the use of full stops (periods to US readers) in abbreviations. In the UK, full stops in abbreviations are rarely used, whereas they are in the States. Good examples are, Mr (UK)/Mr. (US), or PhD (UK)/Ph.D (US).
Clarity is a vital aspect of marketing. If the audience does not understand the message, the exercise is pointless, so understanding the difference between languages is vital.
The differences between American English and UK English seem negligible at a glance, but the reality is they are very different. It is important to keep both audiences in mind when producing a mutually inclusive message.
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