American English

Non-RhoticityUSA

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Population speaking English at home by PUMA

American English (AmE, AE, AmEng, USEng, en-US), sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States of America. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native English speakers are located in the United States. American English is a particularly influential form of English worldwide because of the United States' dominance in cinema, television, popular music, trade, and technology (including the internet).

History

The history of American English begins with the first English-speaking settlers in North America, since the language has evolved and been influenced by numerous waves of immigration and cultural changes. The earliest forms of American English were influenced by the linguistic traditions of the British Isles. The English of the British settlers merged with the languages of other settlers, including the Dutch, Germans, Spaniards, and French, as well as with the languages of the Native Americans and the enslaved Africans.

Over time, American English has diverged from British English in various aspects, including pronunciation, spelling, grammar, and vocabulary. Some of these differences were due to the influence of other languages, while others arose from innovations within the American context or the retention of older forms that have since changed in Britain.

Dialects

American English comprises a variety of regional accents and dialects, which can be broadly categorized into regions such as the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. Each of these regions displays unique linguistic features in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. Notable examples include the Southern, New England English, and African American Vernacular English (AAVE) dialects.

Spelling

Differences in spelling between American English and British English are well-documented. These differences arose from efforts by American lexicographers like Noah Webster to create a distinct American identity for the language. As a result, in American English, words that end in "-our" in British English often end in "-or" (e.g., color/colour), and words ending in "-ise" in British English often end in "-ize" (e.g., realize/realise).

Vocabulary

American English has developed its own set of vocabulary that differs from British English. Some of these differences are due to the unique cultural and historical developments in the U.S., while others are the result of the adoption and adaptation of words from Native American languages, as well as languages of immigrants.

Grammar

There are also some grammatical differences between American and British English. For example, American English typically uses the simple past tense instead of the present perfect for actions that occurred in the recent past (e.g., "I ate" instead of "I have eaten").

Influence

The global influence of American English has been significant, largely due to the United States' dominance in cinema, television, music, trade, and technology. This has led to the widespread learning of American English as a second language and the adoption of American English expressions and spellings in other varieties of English.

See Also

• English language
• British English
• Canadian English
• Australian English
• New Zealand English