Lexical differences between American and British English : a survey study

Abstract

This work aims at analysing reciprocal comprehension between American and British English native speakers. After a brief historical description on the main issues that have led to a differentiation of the two languages, the paper focuses on a description of lexical differences of everyday language that could lead to a complete failure of communication. In particular, the paper reports the results of a survey led among speakers of the two varieties to verify how well American and British speakers understand each other and whether they are aware of the lexical differences. The sample was asked to complete a questionnaire by writing the American equivalent of 45 British items proposed and vice versa for the British speaking sample