American English

American English is a kind of the English language which is used in the United States of America. It is one of the two most popular kinds of English in the world (the other one is British English).

The biggest difference between American English and British English is in pronunciation. Differences in vocabulary and grammar are quite small. People who speak American and British English can easily understand each other.

American English consists of many regional kinds of English. For example, people in New England, New York City, and the South of the USA speak English in different ways.

When people talk about teaching or learning American English, they usually think of the General American standard of English. General American is the kind of English used by educated Americans, on television and in the press, and described in dictionaries of American English, such as Merriam-Webster and Random House dictionaries.

When an English dictionary gives an American word or an American pronunciation of a word, it usually uses AmE, Am, or US, instead of “American English”.