British vs. American English in the IELTS Test: Key Differences

Although they are the same language, British and American English have some major differences. Even though both are acceptable on the IELTS test, it can be confusing and overwhelming when learning English. Here are some of the more common differences between British and American English.

British and American English have evolved quite differently, especially in terms of vocabulary. This is because the vocabulary used in British English is derived from different languages than the vocabulary used in American English. Although there are a large number of words that are exactly the same, many words are completely different.

Clothes

Food

School

Homes

Cars

The spelling of words can also be different in British and American English. This can also be due to the languages the words were adopted from. Also, words used in American English tend to be spelled the way they sound. It is also said that vocabulary used in American English was spelled differently to gain some independence.

-RE/-ER

-OUR/-OR

-SE/-ZE

-LL/-L

-T/-ED

There are also some differences in grammar. These differences may not be as noticeable as the vocabulary and may be easier to understand.

Shall

Got/Gotten

Collective Nouns + is/are

Prepositions

Needn't

Though there looks to be many differences between British and American English, there are even more similarities. Both forms of vocabulary, spelling, and grammar are accepted on the IELTS test so there is no need to worry. It may be useful to know some vocabulary from both British and American English because either could be used throughout the test. Whatever you use, make sure you know how to spell the word and use it in a grammatically correct sentence.