Orthographic Differences II American English Vs British English

Summary

This educational video script discusses the orthographic differences between British and American English, focusing on variations in word spellings. Key distinctions include the omission of 'u' in words like 'behavior' and 'color' in American English, the replacement of 's' with 'z' in words such as 'analyze' and 'realize', and the transformation of 're' to 'er' in words like 'theater'. Additional differences highlight the use of a single 'l' in words like 'canceled' and 'traveled', and the use of 'se' instead of 'c' in words such as 'defense'. The script also notes the substitution of 'oue' with 'og' in suffixes and the change of 't' to 'ed' in past tense verbs like 'dreamt'. The instructor aims to provide clear insights into these linguistic variations to enhance communication skills.

Takeaways

• 🇬🇧 The word 'behavior' is spelled as 'behaviour' in British English with an added 'u'.
• 🇺🇸 In American English, words like 'color' and 'flavor' drop the 'u', becoming 'colour' and 'flavour' in British English.
• 🔤 The 'our' ending in British English words is replaced with 'or' in American English, e.g., 'honor' becomes 'honour'.
• 🔎 The 'ise' ending in British English verbs like 'realize' is changed to 'ize' in American English, e.g., 'organize'.
• 🎭 The 're' ending in British English words like 'theatre' is replaced with 'er' in American English, e.g., 'theater'.
• ✏️ The double 'll' in British English words like 'cancelled' is simplified to a single 'l' in American English, e.g., 'canceled'.
• 🛡️ The 'c' spelling in British English words like 'defense' is replaced with 's' in American English, e.g., 'defence'.
• 📚 The 'ou' ending in British English words like 'dialogue' is replaced with 'og' in American English, e.g., 'analogue'.
• 🌙 The 't' ending in British English words like 'dreamt' is replaced with 'ed' in American English, e.g., 'dreamed'.
• 📝 These orthographic differences are key distinctions between British and American English spelling conventions.

Q & A

What is the first orthographic difference between British English and American English discussed in the script?

The first orthographic difference is that words ending in 'our' in British English are replaced with 'or' in American English, such as 'behaviour' becoming 'behavior'.

Can you provide an example of a word where 're' is replaced with 'er' in American English compared to British English?

Yes, 'theatre' is spelled as 'theater' in American English, which is an example of 're' being replaced with 'er'.

In the script, which word demonstrates the difference where 'ise' is replaced with 'ize' in American English?

The word 'realise' in British English is spelled as 'realize' in American English, showing the 'ise' to 'ize' change.

What is the orthographic difference when it comes to words with a double 'l' in British English?

In American English, a double 'll' in British English words like 'cancelled' is replaced with a single 'l', becoming 'canceled'.

How does the spelling of 'censer' differ between British and American English according to the script?

In British English, it is spelled 'censer' with an 's', while in American English, it is spelled 'censor' with a 'c'.

What is the change in spelling for words ending with 'ogue' in American English as per the script?

Words ending with 'ogue' in British English, such as 'catalogue', have the 'ue' replaced with 'og' in American English, becoming 'catalog'.

According to the script, how is the past tense of 'dream' spelled differently in American English?

In American English, the past tense of 'dream' is spelled as 'dreamt', whereas it is 'dreamed' in British English.

What are some other words where the 'our' ending in British English is replaced with 'or' in American English as mentioned in the script?

Other words include 'colour' becoming 'color', 'flavour' becoming 'flavor', 'honour' becoming 'honor', and 'glamour' remaining the same but pronounced differently.

Can you name some words where 's' is replaced with 'c' in British English compared to American English as highlighted in the script?

Yes, words like 'defense' in American English are 'defence' in British English, 'license' is 'licence', and 'offense' is 'offence'.

What is the general rule for the orthographic difference between British and American English when it comes to the suffix 'ise'?

The general rule is that 'ise' at the end of words in British English is replaced with 'ize' in American English, as seen in words like 'organise' becoming 'organize'.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Orthographic Differences in British vs. American English

This paragraph discusses the orthographic differences between British and American English, focusing on variations in word spellings. The instructor highlights several patterns: 1) Words ending in 'our' in British English often drop the 'u' in American English (e.g., 'behaviour' vs. 'behavior'). 2) 'S' followed by 'e' in British English is often replaced with 'z' in American English (e.g., 'analyze' vs. 'analyze'). 3) 'Re' at the end of words in British English is often replaced with 'er' in American English (e.g., 'theatre' vs. 'theater'). 4) Double 'l' in British English is often simplified to a single 'l' in American English (e.g., 'cancelled' vs. 'canceled'). 5) 'C' in British English is replaced with 's' or 'se' in American English (e.g., 'defense' vs. 'defence'). The paragraph serves as an educational resource for students to understand these linguistic variations.

05:04

🔍 Additional Orthographic Differences in English Varieties

The second paragraph continues the discussion on orthographic differences, focusing on further distinctions. It points out that 'ou' in British English is often replaced with 'og' in American English (e.g., 'analogue' vs. 'analog'). The paragraph also notes that 't' in British English is often replaced with 'ed' in American English for certain past tense verbs (e.g., 'dreamt' vs. 'dreamed'). The instructor expresses a desire to create more video lessons on this topic, emphasizing the importance of understanding these differences in communication. The summary wraps up with a thank you to the students for their attention.

Keywords

💡Orthographic differences

Orthographic differences refer to variations in the spelling of words between different varieties of a language. In the context of the video, these differences are specifically between British English and American English. The script highlights how certain spelling patterns change, such as the omission of 'u' in words like 'behavior' in American English compared to 'behaviour' in British English. This is a central theme of the video, as it directly addresses the variations in written English that students of the language need to be aware of.

💡British English

British English, also known as BrE, is the standard dialect of the English language used in the United Kingdom. The video script uses this term to contrast with American English, pointing out the specific spelling rules and conventions that are unique to British English. For instance, the script notes that British English tends to retain the 'u' in words like 'colour' and 'honour', which are often dropped in American English.

💡American English

American English, or AmE, is the standard dialect of the English language used in the United States. The video script discusses the orthographic differences between American English and British English, emphasizing the American preference for simplified spellings. Words like 'color' and 'honor' are given as examples, illustrating the American tendency to drop silent letters like 'u' in comparison to their British counterparts.

💡Spelling variations

Spelling variations are the different ways words can be spelled while still being considered correct, depending on the regional dialect of the language. The video script provides several examples of such variations, such as 'theater' in British English versus 'theatre' in American English, and 'realize' versus 'realise'. These variations are crucial for understanding the diversity within the English language and for effective communication across different English-speaking regions.

💡Grammar

Although not the main focus of the script, grammar is mentioned in the introduction as a previously discussed topic. Grammar refers to the set of rules that govern the structure of sentences, including word order, tense, and agreement. While the script does not delve into specific grammar rules, it sets the stage for understanding that both British and American English have their own sets of grammatical conventions that may differ.

💡Vocabulary

Vocabulary pertains to the words and phrases that make up a language. The script mentions that lexical differences were discussed in a previous lesson, implying that the choice of words can vary between British and American English. While the script does not provide specific vocabulary examples, it suggests that the differences in word choice are part of the broader linguistic distinctions between the two dialects.

💡Ending in 'our'

The script points out a specific orthographic pattern where words ending in 'our' in British English often drop the 'u' in American English, resulting in endings like 'or'. Words such as 'behavior' and 'color' exemplify this pattern. Understanding these patterns is important for learners to accurately spell and recognize words in the context of the dialect they are using.

💡SE/ZE

The script explains that in American English, the combination of 's' and 'e' at the end of words often becomes 'z'. This is seen in words like 'analyze' and 'realize', which are spelled with 'yse' and 'yze' in British English but 'yze' in American English. This change is part of the broader set of orthographic rules that distinguish the two dialects.

💡RE/ER

The script notes that the 're' ending in British English words like 'theatre' and 'centre' is often replaced with 'er' in American English, resulting in 'theater' and 'center'. This change is another example of the orthographic differences that the video aims to highlight, helping viewers to distinguish between the two dialects when reading or writing.

💡Double L/Single L

The video script mentions that British English often uses a double 'l' in words like 'cancelled' and 'travelled', while American English simplifies this to a single 'l', as in 'canceled' and 'traveled'. This is an orthographic difference that can affect the appearance of words and their recognition in written text.

💡C/S

The script points out that the letter 'c' followed by 'e' or 'i' in British English is often replaced with 's' in American English, as seen in words like 'defense' and 'license'. This change is part of the broader set of spelling conventions that differentiate the two dialects and is important for learners to recognize.

💡OUE/OG

The script highlights a specific orthographic pattern where the combination of 'ou' and 'e' in British English, as in 'catalogue' and 'dialogue', is often replaced with 'og' in American English, resulting in 'catalog' and 'dialog'. This difference is part of the set of rules that the video aims to teach, helping viewers to understand and use the correct spellings in the appropriate dialect.

💡T/ED

The video script notes that in American English, the past tense of verbs that end in 't' in British English, such as 'dreamt' and 'learnt', often have an 'ed' ending, as in 'dreamed' and 'learned'. This is another orthographic difference that the video aims to clarify, helping viewers to understand the variations in verb conjugation between the two dialects.

Highlights

Behavior is spelled as 'behaviour' in British English and 'behavior' in American English.

The pattern of dropping 'u' after 'o' is seen in words like 'color' and 'flavor'.

Words ending in 'our' in British English are spelled with 'or' in American English.

In American English, 's' is replaced with 'z' in words like 'analyze' and 'realize'.

The 'se' ending in British English is often replaced with 'ze' in American English.

The 're' ending in British English becomes 'er' in American English, as seen in 'theater' and 'center'.

Words like 'litter' and 'fiber' show the 're' to 'er' spelling change in American English.

In American English, a double 'l' is often replaced with a single 'l', as in 'cancelled'.

The double 'l' in British English is simplified to a single 'l' in words like 'travelled'.

The 'c' in British English is often replaced with 's' in American English, as in 'defense' and 'license'.

Words like 'offense' and 'pretend' follow the 'c' to 's' spelling change in American English.

The 'ou' ending in British English is replaced with 'og' in American English, as seen in 'analog' and 'dialogue'.

The 'ue' ending in British English becomes 'og' in American English, as in 'catalog' and 'monologue'.

In American English, 't' is replaced with 'ed' in words like 'dreamt' and 'learnt'.

The 't' to 'ed' change is observed in words such as 'burnt' and 'learned' in American English.

The lesson highlights various orthographic differences between British and American English.

The instructor plans to create more video lessons on the topic of communication.

Transcripts

hello dear students in my last lesson I

have discussed the grammatical

differences and the lexical differences

between British English and American

English that is differences in grammar

and vocabulary in my today's lesson I'm

going to highlight the orthographic

differences that is differences in word

spellings in British English and

American English so let us have a look

at the very first set of

words so the very first word behavior in

British English is written as b e h a v

i o u r but in American English it is b

e h a v i o r the U is missing similarly

color c o l o u r that's the spelling in

British English in American English the

spelling is c o l o r so the similar

pattern is also seen in words like

Flavor honor Glamour and so so on and so

forth so which means that the words

ending in O Ur in British English is

replaced with simple o r in American

English so do remember that's the very

first orthographic difference between

British English and American English now

the next set of words we see that

analyze for instance in British English

is a n a l y s e whereas in American

English English the same word is a n a l

y z e realize is r e a l i s e in

British English in American English it

is r e a l i z e so the similar thing is

also seen in other words that are

mentioned here organize minimize

emphasize memorize criticize and so on

and so forth so the difference is that s

e is replaced with z e in American

English so that's the next orthographic

difference between the

two now here we see that words like

theater t h e a t r e that is written in

British English whereas the same word is

written as t h e a t e r in American

English so the difference is that r e

becomes e r in American English so

similarly the same pattern is seen in

other words like

litter uh then we have scepter Center

fiber meter and so on and so forth so

the re e is replaced with e r in

American English so that's the next

difference between the

two now here we see two differences the

very first difference is that a Double L

L is replaced with a single l in

American English for example in words

like cancelled c a n c e l l e d so

Double L is there in British English

whereas in American English only a

single L is written c a n c e l e d so

similarly another word for instance

traveled t r a v e l l e d that is the

spelling in British English whereas in

American English the same word is

written with a single l t r a v e l e d

so that's the next orthographic

difference between British English and

American English so the there is another

difference for instance C in British

English is s e in American English so

words like defense d e f n c okay that

is written as defense with s e in

American English similarly license l i c

e n c e that's the spelling in British

English whereas in American English the

spelling is l i c n SE e similarly

offense pretend and so on and so forth

so that's the next orthographic

difference between British English and

American

English so towards the end I would like

to highlight few more

differences o u e is replaced with OG in

American English so let us look at the

suffix OG u e in words like analog

dialogue catalog monologue so this is

analog a n a l o

g okay dialogue d i a l o g that's a

spelling in American English whereas in

British English dialogue is d i a l o g

u e analog is a n a l o g u e so that's

the next difference between the two and

uh the last difference that I would like

to highlight is T is replaced with Ed in

American English so words like dreamt is

damed in American English d r e a m t is

d r e a m e d okay so the t is replaced

with Ed similarly also seen the same

pattern is also seen in words like burnt

learned and so on and so forth so uh

students these are few orthographic

differences some of orthographic

differences between British English and

American English Hope to come up with

more uh video lessons in this area of

communication thanks for listening