Definition and Importance of American English
– American English is the set of English language varieties native to the United States.
– It is the most widely spoken language in the United States and is commonly used in government, education, and commerce.
– American English is the official language of most US states.
– It has become the most influential form of English worldwide since the late 20th century.
– American English has distinct patterns of pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling compared to other English dialects.
General American Accent
– General American is a fairly uniform accent continuum native to certain regions of the US.
– It is associated nationally with broadcast mass media and highly educated speech.
– General American is perceived as lacking noticeable local, ethnic, or cultural markers.
– Linguistics does not support the notion of there being one single mainstream American accent.
– The sound of American English is diverse and varies across different regions.
Pronunciation Patterns in American English
– American English has various pronunciation patterns influenced by regional accents.
– Some notable features include the cot-caught merger, the father-bother merger, and the pin-pen merger.
– The accent of American English can vary based on factors such as geography, ethnicity, and social class.
– Certain regions have distinct pronunciation characteristics, such as the Southern drawl or the New York accent.
– Pronunciation differences can sometimes lead to misunderstandings between speakers of different English dialects.
Vocabulary Differences in American English
– American English has unique vocabulary differences compared to other English dialects.
– Examples include words like ‘elevator’ (lift), ‘truck’ (lorry), and ‘sidewalk’ (pavement).
– American English has borrowed words from various languages, including Spanish, French, and Native American languages.
– Some terms and expressions are specific to American culture, such as ‘football’ (American football) and ‘vacation’ (holiday).
– Vocabulary differences can sometimes create confusion or require clarification when communicating with speakers of other English dialects.
Grammar and Spelling in American English
– American English has specific grammar rules and conventions that differ from other English dialects.
– Differences can be seen in the use of verb tenses, prepositions, and sentence structure.
– American English tends to favor simpler spellings compared to British English.
– Notable spelling differences include ‘color’ (colour), ‘center’ (centre), and ‘analyze’ (analyse).
– The American English spelling system is standardized and used consistently across the United States. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_English
American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the most widely spoken language in the United States and in most circumstances is the de facto common language used in government, education and commerce. It is also the official language of most US states. Since the late 20th century, American English has become the most influential form of English worldwide.
| American English | |
|---|---|
| Region | United States |
Native speakers | 242 million, all varieties of English in the United States (2019) 67.3 million L2 speakers of English in the United States (2019) |
Early forms | |
| Official status | |
Official language in |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | None |
| IETF | en-US |
American English varieties include many patterns of pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and particularly spelling that are unified nationwide but distinct from other English dialects around the world. Any American or Canadian accent perceived as lacking noticeably local, ethnic or cultural markers is known in linguistics as General American, a fairly uniform accent continuum native to certain regions of the U.S. and associated nationally with broadcast mass media and highly educated speech. However, historical and present linguistic evidence does not support the notion of there being one single mainstream American accent. The sound of American English continues to evolve, with some local accents disappearing, but several larger regional accents having emerged in the 20th century.
