AMERICAN ENGLISH: Grammar, vocabulary and style features
American English (AmE) represents a principal standard form of the English language and plays a prominent role in international media, education, and professional communication. It is characterized by distinctive patterns of vocabulary, grammar, and style, while also encompassing a wide range of regional varieties within the United States.
VOCABULARY FEATURES
American English (AmE) differs from other varieties of English (especially British English) in word choice, meanings, and usage.
Distinct vocabulary
Many everyday words differ from British English:
• apartment (BrE: flat)
• elevator (lift)
• truck (lorry)
• gas/gasoline (petrol)
• vacation (holiday)
• sidewalk (pavement)
Semantic differences
Some words exist in both varieties but have different meanings:
• pants (AmE): trousers
• pants (BrE): underwear
• chips (AmE): thin fried slices of potato
• chips (BrE): thick-cut fries
Productivity and innovation
American English is known for creating new words and expressions, especially in:
• technology (software, startup, app)
• business (downsizing, outsourcing)
• popular culture (blockbuster, influencer)
GRAMMAR FEATURES
American English grammar is largely similar to other standard English varieties, but there are notable preferences:
Verb forms
• Past participle of “get”
AmE: gotten (
“She has gotten better.”)
BrE: got (
“She has got better.”)
• Use of the simple past
American English often prefers the simple past where British English uses the present perfect:
AmE: Did you eat yet?
BrE: Have you eaten yet?
Collective nouns
Collective nouns are usually treated as singular:
• The team is winning.
• The government has decided.
Prepositions
Some prepositional choices differ:
• on the weekend (AmE) vs. at the weekend (BrE)
• Monday through Friday (AmE) vs. Monday to Friday (BrE)
STYLE AND USAGE FEATURES
Directness and clarity
American English often favors:
• Shorter sentences
• Direct statements
• Clear subject-verb structures
Example:
"Please submit the form by Friday." (instead of more indirect phrasing)
Informality
Compared to other varieties, American English is generally more informal in both spoken and written contexts:
• First names used quickly
• Contractions common (don't, can't, we're)
• Casual tone even in professional communication
Spelling conventions
American English uses standardized spellings promoted by Noah Webster:
• color (BrE: colour)
• center (centre)
• organize (organise)
• defense (defence)
• traveling (travelling)
REGIONAL DIFFERENCES
American English is largely uniform in formal writing and standard speech, but regional variation appears in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. It's important to note that many of the examples below occur more often in informal, often rural speech.
Vocabulary
Soft drink: pop (Midwest), soda (Northeast), coke (South, as a general term)
Shopping cart: buggy (South), cart (Midwest and West)
Sandwich: sub (New York), grinder (New England), hoagie (Pennsylvania)
Water fountain: drinking fountain (West, inland North), bubbler (Wisconsin/parts of New England)
Grammar
South: y'all (plural “you”), fixing to (about to do something), might could (rural, tentative possibility)
Appalachia: a-prefixing (He was a-working all day), past-tense leveling (She knowed the answer.)
Pronunciation
Northern Cities 'vowel shift': cat pronounced closer to kyat (Great Lakes region)
Non-rhotic /r/ in older New England/New York speakers: car sounds like cah
Southern drawl: vowel lengthening in words like time and ride
Western American English: relatively “neutral” vowels, often called General American
