Are you a traveler or a traveller? Should “colorful” have an extra letter in it? Why use “whilst” when you can say “while”? There are many differences between American and British English. If you're often switching between the two versions of English, here are 5 essential online resources to help you get your American and British English right.
1. InfoEnglish.net
InfoEnglish.net is free online translator, which you can use to transform American English to British English, and vice versa. It's one of the quickest and easiest ways to check your English dialect.
Scroll to the bottom of the page to choose either UK to US English, or US to UK English. Type your words into the left-hand box. Click on the transform! button, and your translation appear in the box on the right.
It’s worth noting that most translators are better with single word spellings, rather than changeable words. For example, InfoEnglish.net's translator did not change “bonnet of a car” in British English to “hood of a car” in American English.
As online translators are mostly limited to spelling functions, you may want to use an online guide for the more complex aspects of American and English, such as grammar rules.
2. Albion Languages
Albion Languages offers a guide to British and American English. This is a comprehensive online guide to help you get your grammar right.
The site is designed to help individuals navigate through the many differences between British and American English. Albion's guide will help you learn about formatting, grammar, spelling, and vocabulary in both types of English.
If you get confused between how to write the date in British English (it’s DD/MM/YYYY) or wondered why the Brits like to use the present perfect tense, then this guide is ideal for you.
3. Grammarly
If you’re interested in general language differences between American and British English, then Grammarly has you covered with a dedicated section to its website.
As well as highlighting missing words from each type of English, Grammarly summarizes the vocabulary, spelling, grammar, formatting, and more differences. The site also explains the history behind each of these aspects of American and British English in a simple and engaging article.
4. BBC Culture
Britain’s BBC Culture website explores exactly why American isn’t a language in its own with an in-depth article about the English language. If you’re intrigued by the evolution behind different British accents or which words the British have ditched, this article is for you.
Delving into history, the author engages with some interesting questions, such as “Why does American English take such liberties with British English? On the other hand, why has it not taken more liberties?” The article also explains how American English has evolved to become distinguishable from British English.
5. YouTube
There’s a lot of content on YouTube about American vs. British English. Many of these videos poke fun at the differences, while others are more formal and informative. We've put together the best of each for you to watch.
For those who generally want to learn the differences between the two English dialects, check out this simple American vs. British words video. It provides a short, sweet, and straightforward comparison of some common words found in America and Britain.
For a more entertaining comparison of American vs. British vocabulary, this video on 50 differences between the two should make you chuckle. The amusing commentary reveals one American and one Briton looking through 50 images together, saying what they see in their own native English.
Is It American or British English?
There is an overwhelming amount of content about American and British English online, with some more useful than others. Hopefully, this article has helped you find the most useful resources for your needs.
