Throughout the 20th century, Standard British English (hereafter BrE) and Standard American English (hereafter AmE) made up the two ‘reference varieties’ of the English language. Even today - in the 21st century – BrE and AmE represent “a large proportion of all native speakers of English (83 per cent)” [Svartvik & Leech 2006: 150] in the world. The reason why these two varieties have aquired such a prestigious position among many other varieties of English is that in Great Britain and in the United States - two of the most influential nations of the 20th century in terms of political power and economical strength – “English has been institutionalised longer than anywhere else” [Cheshire 1991: 13]. Consequently, BrE and AmE “provided the chief native-speaker models which non-native speaking teachers of English” [Svartvik & Leech 2006: 150] aim to instil.
Although both ‘reference varieties’ of English seem to be very much the same at first sight, “British and American English undoubtedly are different, and Englishmen and Americans undoubtedly know it.” [Partridge & Clark 1951: 308]. Closer investigations reveal that AmE is different from BrE at levels of phonetics, phonology, grammar, lexis and spelling. Whereas the fields of pronunciation and lexis definitely share the most prominent and numerous differences between AmE and BrE, the field of spelling shows only a couple of minor differences. Today, the vast majority of English lexis is spelled the same in AmE and BrE. However - to a certain extent - there are some characteristic spelling differences between AmE and BrE which many learners of English are not well familiar with.
In the following, this paper concentrates on pointing out the major differences in spelling between contemporary AmE and BrE since this linguistic field of interest is very strongly related to the different historical and political developments America and Great Britain went through. Therefore, this paper will first work out some historical reasons for the development of spelling differences between the two ‘reference varieties’ and highlight America’s most influential attempts to standardise American spelling. Afterwards, it will give a detailed overview about the most prominent and common spelling differences between AmE and BrE by categorising them into three major groups and providing a couple of examples for each group, and finally, this paper will briefly reflect on the situation of AmE and BrE in the world today.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Historical stages and reasons for the development of spelling differences between AmE and BrE
2.1 A brief survey of the first settlements, the establishment of printing, and the beginning of American writing
2.2 Early efforts of spelling reform and their influence on American spelling
2.3 The linguistic patriotism and the standardisation of American spelling
2.4 Further reform efforts in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
3 Overview about differences between contemporary AmE and BrE in spelling and punctuation
3.1 Standard spellings
3.1.1 Simplification
3.1.2 Regularisation
3.1.3 Derivational uniformity
3.1.4 Reflection of pronunciation
3.2 Individual words differing in spelling
3.3 Punctuation
4 Situation of AmE and BrE in the world today
5 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This paper aims to identify and analyze the primary spelling differences between Standard American English (AmE) and Standard British English (BrE), exploring the historical and political factors that have shaped these distinct orthographic systems.
- Historical evolution of American spelling and the role of early settlements.
- Influential figures and reform movements in the standardization of American English.
- Systematic principles behind spelling differences (simplification, regularisation, etc.).
- Comparative analysis of specific spelling and punctuation variations.
- The contemporary global status and influence of AmE and BrE.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 A brief survey of the first settlements, the establishment of printing, and the beginning of American writing
Originally, “American English spelling began as a set of patterns, rules, and preferences that traveled across the Atlantic from England” [Algeo 2001: 340] to North America. Thus, one can say that the core of American spelling is basically derived from British spelling [cf. Algeo 2001: 340].
From the beginning of the 17th century onwards, British settlers and mariners began to establish permanent settlements on the North American continent and expansed all over the American East Coast until the middle of the 18th century [cf. Trudgill & Hannah 2002: 4]. Once arrived, the settlers “found themselves in a very diverse linguistic culture” [Finegan & Rickford 2004: 4], and soon they came into contact with various Amerindian languages of the native tribes. However, the British settlers were by far more educated than the natives and so it happened that the first “centers of language authority from which unique orthographic principles might arise – printing houses, authors, lexicographers, legal administrators, and the like” [Algeo 2001: 341] were predominantly created and influenced by the settlers. Of course, the settlers spoke and wrote in English as it was their mother tongue, and so the primary spelling models used in the North American colonies were taken over from England, although English spelling was not completely homogeneous at the beginning of the 17th century [cf. Algeo 2001: 341].
The printing press in North America was not very influential on “the regularization of English spelling” [Algeo 2001: 343] because the press only supplied the local areas as the costs for paper and transportation were very expensive. Furthermore, the press was not very widespread since up to 1675, there were no more than two printings established in all of the colonies.
Since the end of the 17th century, English writers like Dryden became increasingly popular in the colonies because their books were continuously imported from England. During that time, American authorship started to develop almost simultaneously. However,
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the two primary reference varieties of English and introduces the objective of examining their spelling differences.
2 Historical stages and reasons for the development of spelling differences between AmE and BrE: Discusses the historical context, including early colonization, the role of printing, and the impact of reform movements like those led by Noah Webster.
3 Overview about differences between contemporary AmE and BrE in spelling and punctuation: Categorizes spelling differences into systematic principles and lists individual vocabulary variations and punctuation rules.
4 Situation of AmE and BrE in the world today: Analyzes the shift in global dominance from British to American English and the reasons behind the popularity of the latter.
5 Conclusion: Summarizes how historical divergence led to the distinct orthographic systems and notes the ongoing exchange between the two varieties.
Keywords
American English, British English, Spelling, Orthography, Noah Webster, Standardization, Reform, Punctuation, Language History, Linguistic Patriotism, Reference Varieties, Simplification, Regularisation, Phonetics, Lexicography
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this publication?
The paper examines the major differences in spelling and punctuation between Standard American English and Standard British English, rooted in their respective historical and political development.
Which specific areas of the English language are covered?
The work primarily addresses orthographic systems, spelling principles, and punctuation, while deliberately excluding morphologically conditioned differences and complex word-division cases.
What is the main objective of the research?
The goal is to explain why these two varieties developed differently and to provide a structured overview of the most common spelling distinctions between them.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a historical-comparative analysis, referencing established linguistic works to trace the evolution of spelling standards and categorize current differences.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers historical stages of settlement and printing, the influence of lexicographers like Noah Webster, principles such as simplification and regularisation, and an analysis of current usage.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include American English, British English, spelling reform, Noah Webster, orthography, standardization, and comparative linguistics.
What role did Noah Webster play in American spelling?
Noah Webster was a pivotal figure whose dictionaries and spelling books successfully promoted a distinct, standardized American orthography as an expression of national identity.
How did President Roosevelt contribute to spelling standardization?
In 1906, President Roosevelt mandated that the U.S. Government Printing Office adopt specific spelling recommendations, which officially cemented the standardization of American English.
- Quote paper
- Master of Education Thomas Schachtebeck (Author), 2007, Spotlight on Standard American English and Standard British English, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/165055
