Perbedaan British English (BrE) dan American English (AmE) bisa terlihat dalam beberapa aspek: kosakata, ejaan (spelling), pengucapan (pronunciation), dan tatabahasa (grammar). Yuk kita bahas satu per satu dengan contoh:
1. Kosakata (Vocabulary)
Beberapa kata sehari-hari berbeda antara BrE dan AmE:
| British English | American English | Arti |
|---|---|---|
| lift | elevator | lift (untuk naik turun lantai) |
| lorry | truck | truk |
| flat | apartment | apartemen |
| holiday | vacation | liburan |
| biscuit | cookie | kue kering |
| chips | fries | kentang goreng |
| football | soccer | sepak bola |
2. Ejaan (Spelling)
Ada perbedaan dalam cara menulis kata-kata tertentu:
| British English | American English | Arti |
|---|---|---|
| colour | color | warna |
| centre | center | pusat |
| organise | organize | mengatur |
| defence | defense | pertahanan |
| travelling | traveling | bepergian |
3. Tata Bahasa (Grammar)
Beberapa perbedaan tata bahasa antara BrE dan AmE:
- Present Perfect vs Simple Past
- BrE: I have just eaten.
- AmE: I just ate.
- Got vs Gotten
- BrE: She has got better.
- AmE: She has gotten better.
- Use of “shall”
- BrE lebih sering pakai “shall” untuk menawarkan atau menyarankan:
→ Shall we go now? - AmE lebih sering pakai “should” atau “will” saja.
- BrE lebih sering pakai “shall” untuk menawarkan atau menyarankan:
4. Pengucapan (Pronunciation)
Beberapa kata diucapkan berbeda. Contoh:
- Schedule
- BrE: /ˈʃed.juːl/ (sh-sound)
- AmE: /ˈske.dʒuːl/ (sk-sound)
- Tomato
- BrE: /təˈmɑː.təʊ/
- AmE: /təˈmeɪ.toʊ/
Intinya:
| Aspek | British English | American English |
|---|---|---|
| Kosakata | flat, lorry, holiday | apartment, truck, vacation |
| Ejaan | colour, organise, centre | color, organize, center |
| Grammar | have got, shall, present perfect | gotten, will, simple past |
| Pengucapan | /ʃedjuːl/, /təˈmɑːtəʊ/ | /skedʒuːl/, /təˈmeɪtoʊ/ |
