US 'now using British-isms'
Which British words are now commonly used by Americans?
Speaking to the Today programme's Evan Davis, Ben Yagoda a professor of English at the University of Delaware who writes a blog about British-isms that have entered language in the States, said people use British-isms when they want to sound a "little bit different" or "clever".
Dr Lynne Murphy, a reader in linguistics at the University of Sussex and author of the blog Separated by a Common Language, said that, when it comes to a difference between British and American English, "pronunciation-wise, we are getting much further apart".
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Wednesday 22 May 2013.
22 May 2013
- From the section US & Canada