How to Speak American English

It is not just the U.S. and Canada which have their own variations on the English mother tongue, the Spanish spoken in Mexico and other parts of Latin America is also different from that spoken in Spain.

I saw this first years ago when a friend of mine sponsored a Cuban refugee who had fled Cuba during the Mariel Boat Exodus.

I had taken some Spanish classes in college so my friend asked me to come over and meet the young man from Cuba. My friend tried to help the man learn English but the only book (this was pre-Internet) the local Berlitz store had for teaching English to a Spanish speaker was a book and audiotape for teaching British English to a European Spaniard.

While we were taught Latin American Spanish in college, I had had one teacher who knew both Castilian Spanish and the Latin American version and had pointed out some of the word differences. I had also known some people from England while growing up and while in Air Force Navigation school one of my instructors was a Canadian Forces exchange officer who was originally from one of the Maritime provinces and was very familiar with British English.

I have forgotten the Spanish words on the tape but I remember that the Cuban fellow was somewhat baffled as to what was being said in Spanish and my friend was equally at a loss with much of the English portion.

The people on the tape talked about taking pictures with a Kodak, going to the cine to see a movie, shipping things on a lorry, going for a walk and pushing the baby in a pram, ringing up a friend on the telephone, and promising to go over and knock up a friend soon (i.e., go over and knock on their door for a visit).

Great Hub. Enjoyed it.

I have always been a student of British English. I find the word differences fascinating. I can usually understand old English and even a few Gaelic phrases because for a long time I have fancied stories and films where it is used. C.S. Lewis, one of my favorite writers, was British and used a lot of such terms. I am also enamored with such films as the old Disney classic rendition of Kidnapped. I end up translating what they said to other people in the room.

Hello and so nice to meet you. I studied English in Russia and it was what they called Royal English, not American at all..... And though I've heard about differences, I realized it in full on my own skin only when I moved to America 9 years ago. It was even fun, in a way. My son and his friends rolled with laughter when once I said "thrice" and since they didn't understand, I explained that it meant "three times". They said, "then four times should be 'fries'" and they laugh and laugh! Then one of my son's friends called him and told, "You won't believe, there IS such a word, I've checked the dictionary".

Another time the confusion was with a word "lorry" heard in an educational movie. I had to "translate" it for my friends into American's "truck".

Well, no wonder. Though it is the same language basically, it goes different ways divided by the ocean.

My son is still amused by how I pronounce words like "actually" and the like...

Thanks for a great read!

I had time this afternoon to come back and read this again (without a 1-year-old hanging onto my leg) and I laughed all over again. You made me remember a cookbook I bought shortly after I got married. I desperately needed to learn some basics. When I went to use it, I realized it was all in British English, down to the units of measure. Instant immersion. I figured out most of the terms and references, though shopping from the lists was a bit difficult. Later when I got a cookbook in American English, I had to almost start over again.

I understand totally how you must have felt. I moved to California from Canada when I was sixteen and was constantly being chastised in school for many words being spelt incorrectly such as colour neighbour, flavour and so on. Now that I am back in Canada I can spell these words the way in which I was taught to…except when writing anything on an American site. Anyways-great story! I really enjoyed reading it and look forward to reading more of your work.

I always assumed that that Hoovering came from the Hoover brand vacuum cleaner which was very popular when I grew up.

Lovely read - it is quite funny really!! All the variations in spellings and pronunciations. Thanks for sharing :)

This is amusing and useful. I read enough British mysteries and used to be a fan of old English comedies, to be familiar with some of these terms. G.K. Chesterton sometimes wrote on the same subject. He wondered why Americans who want everything to fast and short tend to use such long abstract words. His example was English "lift" American "Elevator"

I was just remarking to my wife the other day why the English call a car trunk a "boot"

Oh this is wonderful! I enjoyed it so much! I want to come back later when I have more time and read it again, along with all the comments.

Oh i almost fell of the bed laughing. Asking where the "rubbers" where in Toys R Us. Also I never knew porridge was the same as oatmeal. for some reason I thought it was different. I learned something today thanks

Hi i'm an Englishman living abroad, in Oz. I wonder how it affects our writing? Rhyming poetry in particular. Lots of things are different here. A brownout, is a blackout. Dirt tin, dustbin, Micky mouse is slang for grouse which is good instead of bad or cheap like a Micky Mouse watch. Barrack means to cheer the team on at the Football. The list goes on, but time sorts it out, but doesn't fix hubpages. Cheers

This was brilliant. I was taught British English in school, but of course it's like a whole new language writing on the internet.

...thank you for sharing your experience ma'am, I learned something useful today..^.^! hmmm... trousers instead of pants? ^.^

always a pleasure to embrace your fine hubs and learn and listen and be entertained.

I am Canadian eh - and there is quite a difference between our dialects and the way we write/speak - eh!

and oh yeah - we have TIM HORTONS' DONUTS AND COFFEE

...what you got? (intended bad grammar here) and have a good day eh!

Interesting to read and useful to know about.

I sometimes get comments relating to me using UK English words. for example after a comment on a recipe -I try to think what else a cooking hob could be called and I do n't know. I get confused over the words/terms like hire car and rent a car - I made someone think I had a chauffeur driven car when I wrote about a holiday I was on. Still, such things make life more interesting I suppose. Thank you.

Oh my gosh! Great stories and well-written.

Thank you for introducing yourself to me by becoming a fan. I have now found you and found your wonderful hub! My life is similar but in reverse as I am living the translatlantic life now with my origins in California and my home in England. Oh, so many language faux pas...so many! All you can do is laugh! And, I have lived here now for so long that I use English words instead of American words when I go back "home" to visit. My family and friends are like, what are you talking about??? Especially things like queues, trolley for the shopping cart, loo for the restroom...

Anyway, looking forward to reading more of your hubs!

How about a Russian woman that came to America and saw a sign on a store 'Kandy' instead of 'Candy'. That was me in 1979. My first thought was "Who is insane here? Should I go in and tell them how to spell the word 'candy'? It took me at least a year to understand that it was just an advertising trick. Loved your hub, Brightforyou. It struck a nerve and brought old memories back. By the way, I studdied British English since I was 10 years old and I would have understood what a 'queue' was. I also had problems understanding American English.

If English people are having a hard time and can't be understood in America, imagine the rest of us. The nightmare never ends

Funny. Even here in the US there are fairly significant differences in pronunciation of words. Sometimes I hear someone from the South and can barely understand them unless I focus. I am originally from Canada and still call my MOM my MUM. My kids make fun of me but that is okay. I think it is a little funny too.

This hub open my mind about the American English. Going to US is my dream for a long time ago. This help us when traveling to US. thanks

You should have seen me the first time I went to the UK!!!!!!LOL! Talk about having to learn a new lingo - but after dating a girl in Notts, she got me all sorted out.

George Bernard Shaw said that the English and Americans are two people divided by the same language :)

I look after the "English Language" channel on Helium, and have a number of articles there on this very subject. If you're interested, I'll point you in the right direction.

Loved the way you depict being lost in a country that speaks the same language. Here in Canada if you travel from one end to the other you will find so many dialects that you leave shaking your head, so I can understand the confusion.

Loved this - especially the last part. Great fun.

I actually pick up so much English lingo from reading English novels that I totally 'get' all that you are saying! It is amazing that we speak the same language yet we don't but then I love that about writing and being able to incorporate different parts of it. Great hub and I even learned MORE truly English terms which is great! Audrey

I enjoyed your hub. I have learned here the difference of some words in Brit. Eng. & Amer. Eng. Thanks.

I hope the folks at Toys R Us had a sense of humor!

Fun hub to read:D

What do you mean, fastfreta? Coloradan IS the only way to speak American correctly, lol! Even in the US we claim our accent is the only one that is actually without an accent. Why is it we compare others to ourselves and they fall short, haha! Pop, soda or coke? How about water?

This is soooo funny. It seem that were ever we live we seem to think that our way is the only way to speak. Thanks for sharing your experiences, I'm sure there are more where those come from. Very good hub.

Very funny hub. I've problems with both kinds of English. :)

Very good example of the English and Americans being"separated by a common language". I lived in Anaheim California for several years,(home of Disneyland). Because of that nearby attraction, it was quite common to encounter visitors from various countries.

I once had a Very English and somewhat desperate British lady ask me where to find a particular item in a grocery store.

I was totally unfamiliar with the term she used, and still can't remember her word. Finally, it dawned on me that she was seeking feminine hygiene items, and not a tablecloth.

Fun Hub! Love the kicker at the bottom about the rubbers.

As a fellow Brit, I've come across similar experiences - very funny hub!

I find these issues with different meanings and different spellings very interesting. You are right...they are sometimes very funny but can also be embarrassing and even frustrating. I thoroughly enjoyed your hub.