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Britspeak vs Americanese
- Thread starter Valjean
- Start date
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
And yet they switch the "e" and "r" around in words like theater to theatre, center to centre, etc. even though it's not phonically correct. You don't pronounce retard as "ertard", for example. And what's up with unnecessary vowel usage when it comes to adding "u" after "o" in a lot of words.
And yet they switch the "e" and "r" around in words like theater to theatre, center to centre, etc. even though it's not phonically correct. You don't pronounce retard as "ertard", for example. And what's up with unnecessary vowel usage when it comes to adding "u" after "o" in a lot of words.
Center is not the same pronunciation as centre.
enchanted_one1975
Resident Lycanthrope
I can see by this thread that while some people speak the English language, others simply chew it up and spit it out.
Smoke
Done here.
How so?
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
I've always heard them pronounced the same way myself, especially considering they're often used to refer to the same thing.
It is exactly the same thing, different spelling. Aussies spell it Centre but pronounce it as 'center' so I am not sure what Panda means. Unless he is refering to the fact that Brits and Aussies pronounce both as 'centaa'...
Smoke
Done here.
Obviously not. Centre is a French word, while center is an English word.
Comicaze247
See the previous line
It's probably a very subtle difference that most non-native speakers just can't detect.
For example, a lot of people in my Spanish class still pronounce the "d"s with the harsh, definitive "D" sound, rather than the light "th" sound that it actually has.
Father Heathen
Veteran Member
And theatre and theater are also two different words with different origins and meanings? Dictionary.com lists both "centre" and "theatre" as brit spellings of center and theater.
Which is correct. Far as I know the pronounciation of both is the same.
Smoke
Done here.
In both cases the -er spelling is the older English spelling. The frenchified spelling is something that came in at during a period of scholarly insanity, along with other nonsense like the rule that you should never end a sentence with a preposition.
Peacewise
Active Member
We spell "centre" like < here in australia and you will find that is also how it is spelt in England, hence it is English English, whilst 'center' is American English.
And what is up with my browser telling me "spelt" is incorrect spelling as well, it's little red line demands I spell it as spelled! Ha another Americanism.
Smoke
Done here.
It's often said that English spelling was standardized late in the day, but considering the regional differences I think it's more accurate to say that it's never yet been standardised. In matters of taste there can be no dispute is the rule we really ought to follow, but mocking foreigners is universally considered to be great fun.
I don't know of any particular reason to consider British English more "correct" than any other English, especially since provincial backwaters like America and Canada often preserve the older linguistic customs, while our cousins across the big water have often been more susceptible to adopting silly and pretentious rules. Not that Americans can't do some mighty stupid things with the language.
In some cases -- though centre isn't one of them -- I actually prefer the British spelling, but I generally use the American spelling because it's tiresome being corrected by self-appointed prescriptive grammarians -- and around here they're most likely to be fervently devoted to American spelling. Besides, it seems pretentious for an American to write honour. We just can't carry it off convincingly.
I always ignore my browser's recommendations. I'm not inclined to have my spelling dictated by the likes of software designers.
Peacewise
Active Member
fair enough smoke.
I'm tempted to listen to the brit's on english because England is English, but I do so love to bastardise their language from time to time and that's why my favourite dictionary is the Macquarie for it is Australia's national dictionary.
as for that browser recommendation, I too often ignore it, for instance there are 5 red lines in this post alone that are ignored. [hits post quick reply]
I'm tempted to listen to the brit's on english because England is English, but I do so love to bastardise their language from time to time and that's why my favourite dictionary is the Macquarie for it is Australia's national dictionary.
as for that browser recommendation, I too often ignore it, for instance there are 5 red lines in this post alone that are ignored. [hits post quick reply]