Do you prefer British English or American?

[VNtomboy]

For me, it's definitely British English. It just sounds classier and more sophisticated to me.

[Rosa]

I speak British English and although not with the same accent I defenitely prefer it over American English. British English is much more clearer and one letter isn't pronounced as another. For example, in American English 'T' gets pronounced as 'D' alot.

[irgendwo]

I have a hard time understanding British accents, so I have to go with American.

But it's true, a lot of T's are said as D's. I just think it is a regional accent thing though.

[AExAVF]

I have been exposed to American English more frequently than British.  In terms of spelling, I always prefer the American English way of spelling.  I even have an English proficiency handbook and while it contains references from both American and British English, I always stick to American English out of convenience. 

[VNtomboy]

  On 4/24/2015 at 6:09 AM, AExAVF said:

I have been exposed to American English more frequently than British.  In terms of spelling, I always prefer the American English way of spelling.  I even have an English proficiency handbook and while it contains references from both American and British English, I always stick to American English out of convenience.

Haha yeah I agree that American spelling is more similar to how it's pronounced than British English is.

[Baburra]

I like them both for different reasons but I would say I prefer American English more just because I'm more used to it and it's also mostly due to my enjoyment of American entertainment. I agree that British English but I prefer American spellings , again, just because it's what I grew up with and am more comfortable with.

[RingoBerry]

As much as I speak with an American accent and use a lot of their slangs, I prefer the British English. In a nutshell, it sounds more elegant and proper and doesn't sound so harsh.

[lushlala]

I suppose it depends on what you're most familiar with. I speak and write British English, so my natural answer is British English. I've never had to use American English in my life, and the one time I took a test for it, I fared far worse than I imagined I would.

[Chnuschti]

I prefer british English. Scottish English to be precise.

I don`t like the "R" sound in the other forms of English.

But if I had to decide between English of England and American English I`d choose American English because it`s articulated more clearly. (from what i`ve experienced)

In England I met quite a lot of people that were very hard to understand, in America on the other hand people all over the nation were easy to understand.

[jamesbonner]

I really prefer british English, I been studying some technical lessons here and the teacher was from United Kindom, I really liked the way he spell words, I just see it like the classical English !

[Tyrell]

Definitely British English. It's nothing against American English - in fact, throughout middle school and junior high school I was actually taught American English - it's just that I like British English more. Not only it sounds classier, for some reason I feel like it has the substance American English seems to be missing. I'll admit I can understand American English better, but I still prefer British English.

[zurcminister]

Well I do not really know the difference and if someone does here then enlighten me. For me, though I am exposed to American English and I guess this is the version that were thought to us as kids even up to this time. So the choice is obvious, I would pick American English over British English. I am welcome though to know the difference.

[humanoid]

  On 9/1/2015 at 2:24 PM, Chnuschti said:

In England I met quite a lot of people that were very hard to understand, in America on the other hand people all over the nation were easy to understand.

I bet I would have been one of those people you couldn't understand! Whilst a neutral English accent sounds very clear and easy to understand, the regional differences are huge and can be very confusing. I have a very strong regional accent and other Brits can tell which city I come from as soon as I open my mouth.

Whilst the US has it's regional variations too, they seem to be far more subtle than those in the UK.

[missbookworm]

This is really tough. I don't think I would be able to pick only one as I love both British English and American English. I have been widely exposed to American English ever since I was a child, thanks to Hollywood films. On the other hand, there is something beautiful and classy about British English. Whenever I hear someone speaking in British accent, it seems like it's music to my ears.

[Carlyarn23]

I speak American English ( well canadian) and I wish I spoke British English. It just sounds so much more classy. When we have friends visit from the UK I am always jealous of their speech. I also agree that the wide range of accents from Europe can make it hard to understand sometimes, but I try to remember that we may be hard to understand as well! 

[esennyhc]

I find British English to be so much more sophisticated, even if the differences are mostly just one additional letter or two letters switched in place (such as "center"->"centre"). Although I grew up watching American movies, British movies usually have much smarter wit and humour, and you can't deny that a British accent sounds so much more classy. I also grew up reading the Harry Potter books, then a lot of Jane Austen after that, so reading British English has definitely had an effect on the way I type and spell.

[宇崎ちゃん]

I prefer Aussie English over the other 2.
It's easier to pronounce (because of their 'letter dropping culture' like I call that) and it sounds funnier in general.

[宇崎ちゃん]

  On 10/16/2015 at 10:19 PM, Carlyarn23 said:

I also agree that the wide range of accents from Europe can make it hard to understand sometimes, but I try to remember that we may be hard to understand as well! 

We tend to understand each other nonetheless.
Not always, French people speaking English are the hardest to understand by a long shot.
Spanish and Italian people tend to speak very unclear too, but not as much as French people.
But it's not surprising, seeing how many people from these 3 countries speak English: not much.

Not saying that all of south Europe has this problem, the English spoken by Greek people is actually very good (but perhaps it's because a lot of English is used in Greece, as I have experienced it in Crete last year).
But at the other hand there is Germany, yet another country where their native language is used everywhere.
I noticed not so many German people can speak English, but if they can, their English sounds really enjoyable (like they were hissing while speaking).

I have never been in Norway, Sweden or Denmark myself before, but I heard their English is the best of whole Europe (not counting the UK or Ireland).

[anna3101]

I prefer the British version. The pronunciation is just so beautiful. I could listen, and listen, and listen...

[foolsgold]

Do you mean the pronunciation or the language itself? There is an abundance of accents in the UK which do not sound classy at all (Geordie is one example). I find the British accents more interesting though. They are more distinct and "colorful." My favorite British accent is the Yorkshire accent. Think Ygritte in Game of Thrones or Anna in Downton Abbey.

[czarina84]

I don't have a preference.  I grew up speaking American English.  I have learned some British English from my former boss, who was from England.  We used to talk and joke about the differences.  I think the one thing I could never get past was the word "zed" for "z".  I didn't get the chance to ask him about it.  I have no idea why they use "zed" instead of "z".

[宇崎ちゃん]

  On 10/29/2015 at 1:29 PM, czarina84 said:

I don't have a preference.  I grew up speaking American English.  I have learned some British English from my former boss, who was from England.  We used to talk and joke about the differences.  I think the one thing I could never get past was the word "zed" for "z".  I didn't get the chance to ask him about it.  I have no idea why they use "zed" instead of "z".

True.
I phoned dev support at Nintendo of America once and I had to spell my last name.
So I said "es zed", then he was like "............oh, you mean zea".

But it's not typically British, we use it in a lot of languages here in Europe.
The only time I pronounce "Z" as a "zea" is when I say "Dragonball Z", just because I'm much more used to that.

[xTinx]

Accent-wise, I prefer British English. Spelling-wise, American English is by far easier. I grew up learning American English but there's something more classy with Britons' manner of speaking. For them, conversation is an art form and they're fond of throwing witty retorts and remarks - totally different from the way Americans speak or use the language.

[Miya]

I don't particularly prefer either one. I think they're both unique in their own ways. I mostly speak American English, but I've come to realize that I pronounce some words in a "British way". Maybe it's because I was born in Hong Kong and most people there speak British English. 

[agentzero]

It sounds classier and more sophisticated when it's John Cleese who's speaking. Hearing Cockney or Scouse accent makes wonder if they even speak English. American accent for me. Well, except that southern accent they have. Not a fan of Boston accent either.