British English

British English is the dialect of English that is spoken in the United Kingdom. It is different in some ways from other types of English such as American English. British English is widely spoken in most countries that were once part of the British Empire.

 Use in other countries 
American English is used in the United States. In Canada, the accent sounds very similar to American English, but Canadian English has a few differences. Canada has mixed the spelling rules of American and British English to form its own spelling rules.

Most members of the Commonwealth of Nations learn British English, and American English is often learnt in the Americas, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. The United Kingdom and Ireland use British layout keyboards, and Australia, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and the United States use American layout keyboards. In Continental Europe, English as a second language is sometimes taught in American English except in Scandinavia and the Netherlands, where British English is taught.

 Pronunciation 
In the United Kingdom, the spelling remains the same, but the pronunciation varies in the local dialects. For example, a person from a place near London may not pronounce the "r" the same as a person from Scotland. Across the country, the accent is different. Liverpool people may speak with a "Scouse" accent, and Birmingham people speak with a "Brummie" accent. 

In London, the "Cockney" accent was once common but it is almost never heard today. All regional accents became less extreme in the 20th century. That is generally attributed to the arrival of radio and television. Another factor is the increased mobility of people. A similar process has been noted in the United States, where regional differences are much less noticeable than they used to be.Crystal, David 1995. The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-40179-8. Part 5 'Using English' has a great deal of information, including Regional Variation (section 20).

 Spelling 

There are many words that sound the same in both American and British English but have different spellings. British English often has more traditional ways of spelling words than American English. Many British English rules are also used in other countries. Most of those countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

 Vocabulary 
In British English, "dock" refers to the water in the space between two "piers" or "wharfs". In American English, the "pier" or "wharf" could be called a "dock", and the water between would be a "slip".

Here are other common differences:

British English – American English
 accelerator – throttle
 autumn – fall
 biscuit – cookie
 bonnet – hood (of a car)
 boot – trunk (of a car)
 bum – butt
 caravan – travel trailer, mobile home
 chips – French fries
 courgette – zucchini
 crisps – chips (especially potato chips)
 care home - assisted living facility\home
 sweets - candy
 face flannel – washcloth
 flat – apartment
 football – soccer
 garden – yard
 bungalow - ranch house
 handbag – purse
 jumper – sweater
 lift – elevator
 lorry – truck
 manual gearbox – stick shift
 metro, underground, tube – subway
 motorway – freeway
 mum – mom
 nappy – diaper
 number plate – license plate
 pants - underpants
 pavement – sidewalk
 lower ground floor - basement
 ground floor - first\main floor
 let - rent or lease
 fuzz\coppers - police, the cops
 knackered - exhausted, tired
 aeroplane - airplane
 pram – stroller
 petrol – gas or gasoline
 phone box - phone booth
 post – mail, mailbox
 railway – railroad
 shopping trolley – shopping cart
 loo – toilet
 take-away – take-out
 trousers – pants - Only Superman wears his pants outside of his trousers
 torch – flashlight
 tram – streetcar
 holiday - vacation

 Other websites 
 British and American English differences 

 References