Variations of English Around the World
The English language is spoken in many different countries around the world, which has resulted in a multitude of unique dialects and accents. From South African English to Caribbean English, these variations of the language have distinct characteristics that make them stand apart from each other. Let's take a look at some of the major variations of English and explore how they differ from standard English.
List of English variations
British English
British English originated in England and is now used in many parts of the world as a result of colonization. Its spelling rules are based on those created by Noah Webster in America. The words “color” and “colour" are examples of how British spelling differs from the American spelling. BrE uses collective nouns such as staff or team when referring to groups, while American grammar generally only applies collective nouns to animals or things. Additionally, British people often use different terms for certain objects than Americans do; for instance, they refer to an automobile as a “car” while Americans call it a “truck” or “automobile”.
American English
American English developed from British English and has evolved to become distinct from its parent language. It differs significantly from British grammar, largely due to cultural influences from different European countries that settled in America. For example, AmE often replaces collective nouns with plural verbs such as "are" rather than "is." In addition, Americans often use contractions such as "can't," "won't," etc., more frequently than Brits do. Lastly, some words that are spelled differently between BrE and AmE have been given unique pronunciations in AmE; for example, "tomato" is pronounced differently depending on which side of the Atlantic you're on!
Australian English
Australian English (AuE) was influenced heavily by the native Aboriginal languages spoken before colonialization and also borrows vocabulary from Irish and Scottish settlers who arrived during this period. AuE has some similarities with both BrE and AmE but also contains plenty of unique features that differentiate it from both dialects. For example, AuEs tend to drop final consonants when speaking words like "film" or "pavement." They also have their own set of slang terms such as barbie (barbecue), chook (chicken), and cark it (die). Finally, AuEs tend to be less formal when speaking than either BrEs or AmEs - for instance, they may prefer using first names rather than titles when addressing someone unknown to them!
Indian English
Indian English is an interesting variation because it combines aspects of both British English and Asian languages like Urdu or Hindi into the flavor of the language. It retains much of its original grammar structure but adds various elements that make it distinctively Indian - for example, InEs often place adjectives before nouns instead of after them as most other dialects do; this is similar to how adjectives are structured in Hindi or Urdu sentences! Other features include adding suffixes like -ji at the end of proper nouns for respect/affection and using informal pronouns such as tu/tum instead of more formal ones like you/your when addressing someone directly. Lastly, In Es tend to avoid using personal pronouns altogether if possible; instead replacing them with indirect references such as one's self or oneself whenever appropriate!
Canadian English
Canadian English draws heavily from both BrE and AmE but also incorporates elements taken from French due to Canada's history with French colonization before becoming a British colony itself. CaEs generally follow similar grammatical rules to those used by AmEs but add various phrases borrowed directly from French into their everyday speech - such as bonjour/bonsoir for hello/good evening! CaEs also have their own set of slang terms such as double-double (coffee with two creams + two sugars), parkade (a type of parking garage), or Mickey (a 1-liter bottle). Additionally, they prefer certain spellings over others regardless if they follow either BrE or AmEx rules - for example, CaEs will always write "centre" instead center even though cente follows traditional American spelling rules!
South African English
South African English is defined by its pronunciation as well as its vocabulary. It is similar to British English in terms of grammar and spelling; however, there are several differences. For example, South Africans tend to pronounce “th" as "f" or drop it all together (e.g., "fank you” instead of “thank you”). Furthermore, certain words are used differently than in other varieties of English (e.g., a South African might say “braai” instead of “barbecue”).
New Zealand English
New Zealanders speak a variety of English that is heavily influenced by both British and Australian culture. This results in a unique accent that can be hard to distinguish from British or Australian accents on first hearing. Some common features include shortening words (e.g., “arvo" for an afternoon) and pronouncing words with a flattened vowel sound (e.g., "bötter" for butter). There is also an abundance of slang terms specific to New Zealand that can be confusing for non-native speakers (e.g., using the term "sweet as!" to agree).
Caribbean English
Caribbean English has been heavily influenced by languages such as Spanish, French, Dutch, and Portuguese due to its geographical location near many former colonial powerhouses. As such, it has developed its unique dialectical features that are evident even in written form (e.g., replacing some traditional letters with symbols such as ñ or ´). In terms of pronunciation, Caribbean people often use an exaggerated intonation when speaking which makes it easy for others to identify them as being from the Caribbean region. Additionally, certain words may have multiple meanings depending on context or tone (e.g., calling someone a "bwoy" could mean either friend or foe depending on how it's said).
Irish English
Irish English is known for its distinctive lilt or rhythm which gives it away every time people speak it! It also contains elements from Gaelic Irish due to the country's long history with this language - for example, people may use phrases such as "slán go fóill" (goodbye for now) which are borrowed directly from Gaelic Irish rather than standard forms of modern-day English like "see you later". Additionally, certain letter combinations are pronounced differently than they would be in other varieties—for example, "th" can sometimes be pronounced with an "f" sound instead ("fank you", rather than "thank you").
Scottish English
Scottish people speak their unique variation of the language that has been heavily influenced by Scots Gaelic due to Scotland's long history as part of Great Britain but with its own distinct culture and identity within these islands too! One noticeable difference between Scottish and other varieties comes down to pronunciation - many Scottish natives tend to roll their Rs more frequently than others do when speaking aloud! Additionally, there are several distinct vocabulary choices used in Scotland that aren't found elsewhere - for instance, calling someone a "weegie" means they're from Glasgow!
Nigerian English
Nigerian English is spoken primarily in Nigeria and is heavily influenced by African languages like Hausa and Igbo. This kind of English usually employs a mix of British and American spelling, but British spellings are used more often than not. Nigerian English also incorporates a lot of slang terms, such as “chop” which means to eat food, or “mehn” which is an expression used to emphasize something.
Kenyan English
Kenyan English is similar to Nigerian English in its influence on African languages, but it has more influence from Swahili than other African languages. Kenyan English also has its own unique set of slang terms and phrases, such as "bonga” which means okay or cool, and “jiko" which means stove or cooker. In addition to this, some words are unique to Kenyan English due to their origins in Swahili, such as "ndovu" which means elephant, or "mwiko” meaning mouth.
Philippine English
Philippine English is a variant of the language that has been heavily influenced by Tagalog, the most widely-spoken language in the Philippines. As such, Philippine English tends to be much more relaxed than other variants of the language; for example, it often uses contractions like “ain't” instead of using proper grammar rules like saying "isn't". The use of Tagalog words in Philippine English is also common; words like “karaoke” (from karangalan) or “jeepney” (from jeep) are examples of these kinds of words.
Singaporean English
Singaporean English has been shaped by both British colonial influences and Chinese influences from Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese Chinese. As such, it uses a combination of British spelling with some American spellings thrown into the mix as well as incorporating loanwords from Mandarin Chinese (like dim sum) and Cantonese Chinese (like mahjong). It also tends to employ less formal grammar than other variants; for example, it commonly uses contractions like "gonna" instead of saying "going to".
Hong Kong English
Hong Kong's version of the language has been heavily influenced by both Cantonese Chinese and British colonialism alike. Like Singaporean English, Hong Kong English incorporates loanwords from Cantonese Chinese into its vocabulary (such as dim sum). It also utilizes contractions more often than not; for example, saying "I'm gonna take you out" instead of "I am going to take you out". Furthermore, Hong Kong English tends to use less formal grammar than other varieties; for instance, saying "Let's go!" instead of "Let us go!".
The English language evolves due to cultural influences on society; this can be seen clearly by comparing the same language across different regions around the world! While there may be some similarities between variations of English at times there will almost always be something unique about each English variation that sets it apart from any other dialect out there.
While most native speakers will recognize each other's accents no matter where they come from geographically speaking - we still have the particularities that set us apart linguistically speaking too! From South African intonations through Caribbean inflections up north towards Ireland and Scotland - each nation has something slightly different they bring along with them when conversing in their version(s)of the English! Whether it is vocabulary choice or linguistic idiosyncrasies - there's something special about each variation on the global language we call 'English'!
