When embarking on typing or engaging in transcription services in the English language there is an international issue that one needs to consider carefully, “What do we mean by English?”
The English language was introduced in America following British colonisation in the early 17th century during the time of the Great British Empire.
Over the years, English spoken in the United States and in Britain has changed significantly to the extent that the witty playwright Oscar Wilde once commented that “The English and the Americans have everything in common except for language!”
The different usage of the English language has become more of an issue as a result of globalisation brought about by the success of the Internet. Software giant Microsoft dealt with this issue in a way which aggrieves most English people. It provides users of its software products with the choice of selecting “American English” (the default option) or else opting for “International English”. This approach rather disingenuously ignores the fact that the English language, as its name suggests, belongs to England.
In England, the English language used in its purest form is referred to as the Queen’s English. Any deviation from the Queen’s English is therefore considered improper and this includes the American usage of the language.
Unfortunately, the impact of Hollywood movies on a global basis has only helped spread the improper American usage of the English language to the extent that many people learning English as a second or subsequent language now use it improperly.
So when audio transcription work is undertaken in the English language for international clients what version of English are they expecting to receive? Typing in the Queen’s English is the correct approach, but would such a transcript appear alien to an American reader?
Some of the differences relate to spelling, some to grammar and, on occasion different vocabulary my lead to a great deal of embarrassment due to people speaking at cross purposes.
For example, if an American commented that he liked an Englishman’s pants then eyebrows would be raised. The word pants in the Queen’s English refers to underwear. Of course the American would not be complimenting the Englishman’s underwear but instead would be complimenting his trousers. As you can see, the vocabulary used on either side of the Atlantic in order to describe the same thing is very different.
Similarly, a vest to an American is a waistcoat to an Englishman. A vest in England refers to what the Americans call an undershirt.
Even more scope for embarrassment occurs in relation to the word suspenders. The shoulder straps holding up and Englishman’s trousers or an American’s pants are braces in the Queen’s English but are known as suspenders to Americans. The word suspenders in England refers to what the American’s call hold up stockings for women. So if an American gentleman enters a shop in London (which he would call a store rather than a shop) and informed the shop assistant that he wanted suspenders for himself then it would be assumed that he was a man wanting to wear women’s clothing!
Such are the differences in the use of the English language that if school children in England were to spell and write as the American’s do then they would fail their English Language exams. So when typing a document from audio dictation in the English language what is the typist supposed to do?
More particularly, when using any form of spell check built into software made by an American company results in the correct English spelling of a word being highlighted as incorrect. This also creates issues when typing a piece of transcription work. The typist may deliver the work with spelling absolutely correct according to the Queen’s English, but when the client opens the work on his computer he will see many words underlined by his spell checker giving the misleading appearance that the typing work is full of spelling mistakes!
Some examples of different spelling and grammar:
|
The Queen’s English Spelling |
American English Spelling |
| colour | color |
| analyse | analyze |
| favourite | favorite |
| ageing | aging |
| Kilometre, theatre | Kilometer, theater |
| mum | mom |
| cosy | cozy |
| realise | realize |
| dialogue | dialog |
| traveller | traveler |
| cheque | check |
| jewellery | jewelry |
| tyre | tire |
| Neighbour | Neighbor |
| Anaesthesia, Gynaecology | Anasthesia, Gynecology |
| The Queen’s English Grammar | American Grammar |
| She’s eaten too much ice-cream. | She ate too much ice-cream. |
| They’ve already seen the show. | They already saw the show. |
| I haven’t read the book yet. | I didn’t read the book yet. |
| Take your homework with you to school. | Bring your homework with you to school. |
| You’ve got taller this year. | You’ve gotten taller this year. |
| Move anti-clockwise | Move counter-clockwise |
| Continue for one mile and turn left. | Continue for one mile and take a left. |
| Where are you? | Where you at? |
| Hello, how are you? |
Hi, what’s up? |
Even numbering is different. One billion in the Queen’s English refers to one million million, while American’s consider it to be a mere thousand million [so a proper English billion is one thousand times larger than an American billion.]
Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Bill Gates of Microsoft are both billionaires in America but not even close to being billionaires in the eyes of an Englishman.
On a similar theme, a millionaire in England is a person that earns more than one million each year, whereas a millionaire in America is a person with net wealth that exceeds one million – quite a difference!
Perhaps it is a cultural thing. American’s like to claim to be the biggest and the best at most things and so is it any surprise that their use of the language conveniently allows them to claim more millionaires and billionaires per capita than anywhere else in the world?
Comprehensive glossary of different terms.
| The Queen’s English | American English | |
| A | ||
| aerial (radio/TV) | antenna | |
| American football | football | |
| anorak | parka | |
| articulated lorry | trailer truck/semi trailer | |
| aubergine | eggplant | |
| autumn | fall | |
| B | ||
| bank holiday | legal holiday | |
| bank note | bill | |
| bap | hamburger bun | |
| bat (ping pong) | paddle | |
| bath | bathtub | |
| bath (v.) | bathe | |
| bathroom | bathroom/restroom/washroom | |
| big dipper | roller coaster | |
| bill | check (restaurant) | |
| bill/account | account | |
| billion = million million | billion = thousand million | |
| biscuit (sweet) | cookie | |
| black or white?(coffee) | with or without? | |
| blackleg/scab | scab | |
| black treacle | molasses | |
| blind (window) | shade | |
| block of flats | apartment house | |
| block of flats | apartment building | |
| blue jeans | dungarees/jeans | |
| bomb (success) | bomb (disaster) | |
| bonnet (car) | hood | |
| book (v.) | make reservation | |
| boot (car) | trunk | |
| bootlace/shoelace | shoestring | |
| bowler/hard hat | derby | |
| braces | suspenders | |
| break (school) | recess | |
| briefs/underpants | shorts/jockey shorts | |
| broad bean | lima bean | |
| bureau de change | currency exchange | |
| butter muslin/cheese cloth | cheese cloth | |
| C | ||
| candyfloss | cotton candy | |
| caravan | trailer | |
| caretaker/porter | janitor | |
| car park | parking lot | |
| catapult | slingshot | |
| cattle grid | Texas gate | |
| centre (city/business) | downtown | |
| central reservation | median strip/divider | |
| chairman (business) | president | |
| chemist | druggist | |
| chemist’s shop | pharmacy/drugstore | |
| chest of drawers | dresser/bureau | |
| chips | French fries | |
| cinema | movie house/theater | |
| class/form (school) | grade | |
| cloakroom | check room | |
| cloakroom attendant | hat check girl | |
| clothes peg | clothes pin | |
| conscription | draft | |
| contraceptive/condom | rubber | |
| convoy | caravan | |
| cooker | stove | |
| corn flour | corn starch | |
| corporation/local authority | city/municipal government | |
| cot/crib | crib | |
| cotton | thread | |
| cotton reel | spool | |
| cotton wool | cotton batting | |
| courgette | zucchini | |
| court shoe | pump | |
| cream cracker | soda cracker | |
| crisps | chips/potato chips | |
| cul-de-sac | dead end | |
| cupboard | closet | |
| curtains | drapes | |
| D | ||
| desiccated (coconut) | shredded | |
| director (company) | manager | |
| directory enquiries | information assistance | |
| directory enquiries | directory assistance | |
| district | precinct | |
| diversion | detour | |
| drain (indoors) | sewer pipe | |
| draper | drygoods store | |
| draught excluder | weather stripping | |
| draughts | checkers | |
| drawing pin | thumb tack | |
| dressing-gown | bathrobe | |
| dual carriageway | divided highway | |
| dummy | pacifier | |
| dungarees | overalls | |
| dustbin/bin | garbage can/trash can | |
| dynamo | generator | |
| E | ||
| eiderdown | comforter | |
| state agent | realtor | |
| estate car | station wagon | |
| F | ||
| fair (fun) | carnival | |
| filling station / petrol station | gas station | |
| film | movie | |
| first floor | second floor | |
| fish slice | spatula/egg lifter | |
| fitted carpet | wall to wall carpet | |
| flannel | wash cloth | |
| flat | apartment | |
| flex | electric cord/wire | |
| fly-over | overpass | |
| football/soccer | soccer | |
| fortnight | two weeks | |
| foyer | lobby/foyer | |
| full stop (punctuation) | period | |
| funny bone | crazy bone | |
| G | ||
| gallery (theatre) | balcony | |
| gangway | aisle | |
| gaol | jail | |
| garden | yard | |
| gear lever | gear shift | |
| giddy | dizzy | |
| give a bell(to phone) | give a buzz | |
| goods truck (railway) | freight truck | |
| goose pimples | goose bumps | |
| gramophone/record player | phonograph/record player | |
| greenfingers | green thumb | |
| grill (v.) | broil | |
| guard (railway) | conductor | |
| gym shoes/plimsolls | sneakers/tennis shoes | |
| tennis shoes/trainers | sneakers/tennis shoes | |
| H | ||
| hair grip/kirby grip | bobbie pin | |
| handbag | purse/pocket book | |
| hardware | housewares | |
| headmaster/mistress | principal | |
| hire purchase | installment plan | |
| holiday | vacation | |
| homely (=pleasant) | homely (=ugly) | |
| hoover (n.) | vacuum cleaner | |
| hoover (v.) | vacuum | |
| housing estate | sub-division | |
| I | ||
| ice/sorbet | sherbet | |
| iced lolly | popsicle | |
| icing sugar | powdered sugar | |
| icing sugar | confectioner’s sugar | |
| identification parade | line-up | |
| immersion heater(electric) | water heater | |
| interval | intermission | |
| ironmonger | hardware store | |
| J | ||
| jab (injection) | shot | |
| joint (meat) | roast | |
| jug | pitcher | |
| jumper/sweater/pullover | sweater/pullover | |
| K | ||
| kiosk/box (telephone) | telephone booth | |
| kipper | smoked herring | |
| knickers (girl’s) | underwear/panties | |
| knock up (tennis) | warm up | |
| knock up (call from sleep) | in American slang this means to get a woman pregnant |
|
| L | ||
| label | tag | |
| larder | pantry | |
| lavatory/toilet/w.c./loo | john/bathroom/washroom | |
| lay-by | pull-off | |
| leader (leading article in newspaper) |
editorial | |
| leader(1st violin in orchestra) | concert master | |
| left luggage office | baggage room | |
| let | lease/rent | |
| level crossing (railway) | grade crossing | |
| lift | elevator | |
| limited (company) | incorporated | |
| lodger | roomer | |
| lorry | truck | |
| lost property | lost and found | |
| M | ||
| mackintosh | raincoat | |
| made to measure | custom made | |
| managing director/MD | general manager | |
| marrow | squash | |
| methylated spirits | denatured alcohol | |
| mileometer | odometer | |
| motorway | freeway/throughway | |
| motorway | super highway | |
| N | ||
| nappy | diaper | |
| neat (drink) | straight | |
| net curtains | sheers/under drapes | |
| newsagent | news dealer/news stand | |
| nought | zero | |
| noughts and crosses | tic-tac-toe | |
| number plate | license plate | |
| O | ||
| off license/wine merchant | liquor store | |
| oven cloth/gloves | pot holder/oven mitt | |
| overtake (vehicle) | pass | |
| P | ||
| pack (of cards) | deck | |
| packed lunch | sack lunch/bag lunch | |
| panel beater | body shop | |
| pants (boy’s underwear) | shorts/underwear | |
| paraffin | kerosene | |
| parcel | package | |
| pavement/footpath | sidewalk | |
| personal call | person-to-person call | |
| petrol | gas/gasoline | |
| pillar box/letter box | mail box | |
| plaster/elastoplast | bandaid | |
| point/power point/socket | outlet/socket | |
| post | ||
| postal code | zip code | |
| postman | mailman/postman | |
| postponement | raincheck | |
| pram | baby carriage/baby buggy | |
| prison | penitentiary | |
| public convenience | bathroom/restroom/washroom | |
| public school | private school | |
| pudding | dessert | |
| purse | change purse | |
| pushchair | stroller | |
| put down/entered(goods) | bought/charged | |
| put through (telephone) | connect | |
| Q | ||
| queue (n.) | line | |
| queue (v.) | stand in line/line up | |
| R | ||
| rasher (bacon) | slice | |
| reception (hotel) | front desk | |
| receptionist | desk clerk | |
| return ticket | round trip ticket | |
| reverse charges | call collect | |
| reversing lights | back up lights | |
| ring up/phone | call/phone | |
| roof/hood (car) | top | |
| roundabout (road) | traffic circle | |
| rubber | eraser | |
| rubbish | garbage/trash | |
| S | ||
| saloon car | sedan | |
| scribbling pad/block | scratch pad | |
| sellotape | scotch tape | |
| semi-detached | duplex | |
| semolina | cream of wheat | |
| shattered | exhausted | |
| shop assistant | sales clerk/sales girl | |
| sideboard | buffet | |
| sideboards (hair) | sideburns | |
| silencer (car) | muffler | |
| single ticket | one way ticket | |
| sitting room | living room | |
| living room | living room | |
| lounge | living room | |
| drawing room | living room | |
| skipping rope | jump rope | |
| skirting board | baseboard | |
| sledge/toboggan | sled | |
| smalls (washing) | underwear | |
| sofa | davenport/couch | |
| solicitor | lawyer/attorney | |
| sorbet | sherbet | |
| spanner | monkey wrench | |
| spirits (drink) | liquor | |
| spring onion | scallion/green onion | |
| staff (academic) | faculty | |
| stalls (theatre) | orchestra seats | |
| stand (for public office) | run | |
| standard lamp | floor lamp | |
| state school | public school | |
| sellotape | adhesive tape | |
| stone (fruit) | pit | |
| sultana | raisin | |
| surgery(doctor’s/dentist’s) | office | |
| surgical spirit | rubbing alcohol | |
| suspender belt | garter belt | |
| suspenders | garters | |
| swede | turnip/rutabaga | |
| sweet corn | corn | |
| sweet shop/confectioner | candy store | |
| sweets/chocolate | candy | |
| Swiss roll | jelly roll | |
| T | ||
| tadpole | pollywog | |
| tap | faucet | |
| teat (baby’s bottle) | nipple | |
| tea trolley | tea cart | |
| telegram | wire | |
| telephone box | phone booth | |
| term academic (3 in a year) | semester(2 in a year) | |
| tights | pantyhose | |
| time-table | schedule | |
| tin | can | |
| tip (n. and v.) | dump | |
| torch | flashlight | |
| traffic lights | stop lights | |
| traffic lights | traffic signals | |
| traffic lights | stop signals | |
| trousers | pants/slacks | |
| truncheon (police) | night stick | |
| trunk call/long distance | long distance call | |
| tube/underground | subway | |
| turnover | sales/revenue | |
| turn-ups (trousers) | cuffs (pants) | |
| U | ||
| undergraduates: | undergraduates: | |
| – 1st year | – freshman | |
| – 2nd year | – sophomore | |
| – 3rd year | – junior | |
| – 4th year | – senior | |
| unit trust | mutual fund | |
For more see a detailed article on Wikipedia