• 3-minute read
• 9th March 2019

English Dialects: What Is British English?

English may have begun in England (sort of – it’s a Germanic language, after all). But it is now spoken in dozens of countries all around the world. As such, you may sometimes hear people refer to ‘British English’ as compared to English in general or other dialects.

But what is this exactly? In this post, we’ll take you through the basics, as well as how to use British English in your writing.

What Is British English?

British English is the type of English spoken and written in the UK. It includes a range of regional and local dialects, such as Scottish English. It sometimes even includes the English spoken in Commonwealth countries.

And while these dialects differ in some ways, the term ‘British English’ (sometimes shortened to BrE, BrEng, or en-GB) refers to the areas where they overlap (e.g. where they share a standard spelling or grammatical form).

This type of English differs from other major English dialects in various ways:

• American English – British and American English differ quite a bit in some respects, especially in terms of vocabulary and spelling. There are also minor grammar and punctuation differences, such as whether to favour ‘single’ (UK) or “double” (US) quote marks.
• Australian English – The main differences between written British and Australian English are related to vocabulary (e.g. a duvet is a doona in Australia). However, Australian English also favours some US spellings, such as using program instead of programme.
• Canadian English – Canadian English combines elements of UK English (e.g. using the spelling colour rather than color) with influences from American English (e.g. preferring -ize spellings of words like organize).

There are many other English dialects, including Indian English and New Zealand English. The key point, however, is to be aware of how British English differs from other types of English. This is especially important if you are writing for a UK audience or studying at a UK university.

Tips for Using British English

We won’t attempt a definitive rundown of everything that makes British English unique here. But we will offer a few helpful guidelines that you can follow when using British English:

• Remember that some British dialect terms are informal. For example, the term ‘cracking’ can mean ‘excellent’ in British English. But this word is informal, so you would not use it in formal writing such as an essay. Dictionaries should tell you when a word is informal.
• If you have a style guide from a university or publisher, check whether it specifies dialect-specific spelling or punctuation rules.
• British English often accepts multiple spellings (e.g. organise and organize). Make sure not to mix different spellings of the same word in a document.
• When writing in Microsoft Word, set it to use British English by going to Review > Language > Set Proofing Language on the ribbon and selecting ‘English (United Kingdom)’.

Finally, you can have your work proofread by someone who knows British English. This is especially useful if you are less familiar with UK English, as a native speaker may spot things you have missed.