The English Language Was First Introduced To The Americas By British Colonization, Beginning In The Late 16Th And Early 17Th Centuries. The Language Also Spread To Numerous Other Parts Of The World As A Result Of British Trade And Colonisation And The Spread Of The Former British Empire Written forms of British and American English as found in newspapers and textbooks Vary little in their essential features, with occasional noticeable differences.
Over the past 400 years, the forms of the language used in the Americas—specially in the United States—and that used in the United Kingdom have diverged in a few minor ways, leading to the versions now of referred to as American English and British English . Differences Between The Two Include Pronunciation, Grammar , Vocabulary (Lexis), Spelling, Punctuation, Idioms, And Formatting Of Dates And Numbers. However, The Differences In Written And Most Spoken Grammar Structure Tend To Be Much Less Than In Other Aspects Of A few words have completely different meanings in the two versions or are even unknown or not used in one of the versions. One particular contribution towards formalizing these differences came from the Noah Webster , who wrote the first American dictionary (published in 1828) with the intention of showing people in the United States spoke a different dialect from those spoken in Britain, much like a regional accent.
And Oscar Wilde says that "We have numerous opportunities for American English and British English has provided opportunities for humorous comment: eg in fiction George Bernard says that the United States and United Kingdom are Common With America In Nowadays, Except, Of Course, The Language "( The Canterville Ghost , 1888). Henry Sweet Incorrectly Predicted In 1877 That Within A Century American English, Australian English And British English Would Be Mutually Unintelligible ( A Handbook Of PhoneticsThis can lead to some variation be- tween extinct (for instance the wireless being progressive progressive superimposed by the radio ), or around the world perfectly good English "everywhere.
Although Spoken American And British English Are Generally Mutually Intelligible, There Are Occasional Differences Which Might Cause Embarrassment-For Example, In American English A Rubber Is Usually Interpreted As A Condom Rather Than An Eraser ; And A British Fanny Refers To The Female Pubic Area, while the American fanny refers to an ass (US) or an arse (UK).