Ann Sanders, age 13, of Marion, Ohio, for her question:
IS THERE AN AMERICAN ENGLISH?
English spoken in the United States differs from English spoken elsewhere in the world. It is called Standard American English.
Dialects of what is termed Standard American English share enough characteristics so that the language as a whole can be distinguished from Received Standard English (British) or Australian English.
The differences in pronunciation and cadence between spoken American English and other varieties of the language are easily discernible. In the written form, however, despite minor differences in vocabulary, spelling and syntax, and apart from context, it is often difficult to determine whether a work was written in England, the United States or any other part of the English speaking world.
Noah Webster, the American lexicographer, was among the first to recognize the growing divergence of American and British usage. Primarily there were changes in pronunciation and a series of spelling reforms: "check" instead of "cheque," " er" instead of the British " re" ("theater" instead of "theatre") and " or" to replace the British " our" ("flavor" instead of "flavour").
Regionally oriented research before 1940 distinguished three main regional dialects of Standard American English: the Northern, the Midland and the Southern dialects.
The Northern, or New England dialect, is spoken in New England and New York State. One of its subdialects is the "New Yorkese" of New York City.
The Midland, or General American dialect, is heard along the coast from New Jersey to Delaware, with variants spoken in an area bounded by the Upper Ohio Valley, West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and eastern Tennessee.
The Southern dialect is spoken from Delaware to South Carolina.
These dialects have now spread and mingled across the rest of the country.
English commentators in the 18th century noted the "astounding uniformity" of the language spoken in the American colonies, excepting the language spoken by the slaves. The reason for this uniformity is that the first colonists came not as regional but as social groups, from all parts of England, so that dialect leveling was the dominant force.
Against the background of uniformity, deviations from Standard American English have frequently met with disapproval from those who promulgate "correct" English. Grammatical formality is the most notable feature of Standard American English and particular stigma is attached to the use of nonstandard verb forms.
Rigidity in grammar and syntax in written Standard American English is greater than in British English in part because large numbers of immigrants acquired English as a second language according to formal rules.
American English vocabulary has been and continues to be enriched with jargon, or the terms coming from certain trades and professions.