British English and American English are different, but not just in pronunciation and vocabulary. There are subtle grammar and spelling variations that, when you know and recognize them, will put you a jump ahead of those who don’t realize they exist—and give you the confidence and knowledge to write and edit for British publications if you wish!
We won’t cover every difference, but here are four main rules you’ll need in order to write (or not write) like a true British citizen:
1. Add a Consonant or Two
The British use a few more “L”s and “S”s than we do.
A common example is traveling vs. travelling. Travelling is the British spelling.
Toward vs. towards is another, with towards being the British spelling. In America, we typically drop the “S” and say toward as well as backward, forward, etc., while for the British it depends on whether the word is used as an adverb or an adjective. Thankfully, we don’t have to worry about knowing and remembering—for us, it’s always sans “S”. However, you will often see/hear Americans use the extra “S” in both writing and speaking. While not entirely wrong, it isn’t the official or preferred option on American soil.
To remember the difference between the American and British spellings, think of Americans as being more economical (less superfluous letters) and the British as being more proper. There are advantages to both!
But when traveling, we want to pack light, so we drop that extra “L.” Plus, that works toward simplicity in our writing.
2. Throw in a Few More Vowels—or Replace Them
British words generally contain more vowels than American words. A popular one is “U” and is found in words like colour, favourite, and neighbour.
But it isn’t always that vowels are added. Sometimes it’s that different vowels are used. An example is gray vs. grey. Gray is the American spelling and grey is the British one.
How to remember? A for America (gray) and E for England (grey).
3. Lose the “.”
The British drop the “.” in terms like Mr., Mrs., & Ms. Why?
Here’s their rule: if the abbreviation ends in the same letter as the word itself, no period is needed. (Examples include Mr from Mister or Dr from Doctor.) But if the abbreviation ends in a different letter than the actual word, then a period should be used. (Examples are Capt. from Captain and Rev. from Reverend.) (Thank you, Daily Writing Tips!)
I love learning new grammatical rules that make logical sense (because let’s be honest, not all rules make sense, especially when it comes to the English language). Just remember though, this side of the Atlantic, we put periods after any and all abbreviations!
4. Use the Oxford Comma…or Don’t
Even though that esteemed and hallowed home of education and literature—Oxford itself—is in Great Britain, the Oxford comma (aka the serial comma) is omitted in British English more frequently than it is in American English! (If you need a quick refresher on the Oxford comma, check out 3 Writing Rules You Didn’t Know You Needed.)
Like us, the British are divided over whether or not to use it, except for the Oxford Style Manual itself, which requires it. In America, the standard advice is “check with your editor.” The same goes for Great Britain as well, although there is a slightly higher chance that little comma will get the boot.
These are four general differences in American and British grammar—but there are many more. What differences have you come across in your reading and writing adventures? Share them with us in the comments below!
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Why do the Brits write so much in the present tense when the action is in the past?