Has American English started to make its way into day to day UK vocabulary?
Posted by Sea_Breakfast828@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 48 comments
Given that American pop culture and media have a massive influence on the world and are massively popular across the world including in the UK, I wonder, has there been an increase in usage of American English terms in the UK?
justeUnMec@reddit
On Reddit, there's definitely a tendency for Americanisms to creep in. The frequency of the spelling "mom" on UK subreddits being a good example.
It will definitely get worse with AI which is predominantly using American English.
juiceforsyth@reddit
True, but couldn't that just be Brummies posting on Reddit?
blacksmithMael@reddit
Yes, there has been a deterioration in how people speak and write, of which a proliferation of yankspeak is either a symptom or cause depending on one’s perspective.
jerzeibalowski84@reddit
My ten year old will say things like Math, Cookies and other words I can’t remember right now , it sends me mad as I’ve been anti american imperialism for a few decades since I concluded that they are the biggest threat to world peace, democracy, global economy, climate change and they are one of if not THE biggest terrorist organisation… and that was before the Orange imbecile.
Fuck the USA.
Fit-Mistake-4390@reddit
Yes but it started half a century ago…
RikardOsenzi@reddit
Lengthy, reliable, belittle, ok, teenager, bedrock, and boss are all from American English.
Economy_Raccoon_2330@reddit
Yes but i think it’s mostly with the younger generation as my cousins kid calls rubbish “garbage”. it’s from tiktok and the people they watch on youtube i guess.
GeminiCheese@reddit
Garbage, Candy, and Diapers seem to be pretty prevalent with kids now.
Bloody YouTube.
Economy_Raccoon_2330@reddit
Yes candy is one i hear a lot too actually
Winnspinn@reddit
It’s just the way things are going. Back in the day when people wrote letters and read books it was essential to use perfect grammar to be taken seriously. You don’t need to have the skills of proper English anymore to be successful. Americanisation is a massive factor.
alberoTranquillo@reddit
Not really, no. People often say "can I get..." when buying something which I think is more American. Otherwise no
vipros42@reddit
It could be worse. Americans don't say can I get any more. They say "I'll do...'
Like "I'll do the steak".
It turns my stomach
alberoTranquillo@reddit
Oh really? yeah that sounds like a dumb American thing tbf
Apprehensive-Top3675@reddit
The biggest change I've noticed has been the shift towards American-ish pronunciations of words like schedule, advertisement, harrassment.
Phil1889Blades@reddit
Interesting as I have no clue how any of those would be pronounced in an “American fashion”.
Alternative-Emu2000@reddit
Schedule, whether the initial syllable is pronounced "shed" or "sked".
Advertisement, "advertize-ment" vs "advertiss-ment"
Harassment, is mainly which syllable is stressed: "harrassment" vs "harassment".
Nervous_Split_3176@reddit
I guess the "english" way of saying schedule would be shedule without the c but I say it with a c anyway
Nervous_Split_3176@reddit
there's more than one way of saying "harassment" ? Please clarify
Thin_Pin2863@reddit
HARASSment and harASSment
Dico80@reddit
Add privacy to that and yes I agree.
AnnaLikesCake@reddit
There seems to be a shift in how dates are communicated - it’s no longer “the 22nd of May” but “May 22nd”. It’s everywhere. Very irritating.
TheSmokeyGiant031@reddit
This is the worst one
donkey_OT@reddit
Most annoying thing about 9/11 tbh
Mother_Ad7869@reddit
And yet they say 4th of July 🤔
TheSmokeyGiant031@reddit
They’re a mess
TheSmokeyGiant031@reddit
True haha makes me think it’s in November
OnPointTip1@reddit
Series 1 is now Season 1
Dico80@reddit
Depends on the show for me. British show of 6 eps or so: series. American show of anything from 8 to 30: season.
Thin_Pin2863@reddit
Because it takes a full bloody meteorological season to watch the damn things!
Professer-blue@reddit
What do you mean started? You might be slow.
theperfectdrug0@reddit
I have noticed a massive increase in people using the word 'gotten' rather than 'have got' recently, it drives me a little madder every time I see it.
Hot-Credit-5624@reddit
I’m an American who has lived in the UK for 25 years. I also have a small British child in my life.
I am constantly having to correct her. Lift not elevator, ladybird not ladybug, pavement not sidewalk, trousers not pants.
As someone who had to painfully learn British English and train themselves out of American words and spellings, I am now one of the staunchest defenders of Britishisms! But fucking YouTube and TikTok an AI all dominated by American English.
Frankly it’s starting to feel like a losing battle. :((
SchnaffSchnaff@reddit
Language evolves and changes, always has and will continue to do so.
However, I will refuse to say "y'all" if that ever becomes a thing. Shudder
Commercial-Hat-5993@reddit
I wonder how many times these questions are going to get asked, like people pretending that American fast food is brand new despite being around for over 50 years in the UK, and people asking if takeaways are more expensive. Do you know Frankenstein is the name of the doctor not the monster?
Next-Suit-9579@reddit
My son is 7 and isn't allowed to watch YouTube. However most, if not all, of his classmates do. He's started saying "trash" and other Americanisms because his classmates do. We correct as much as possible, but it seems inevitable.
WorcsBloke@reddit
Started? People have said "skedyool" instead of "schedule" for decades. "Gotten" has been steadily creeping in for years. Most companies have said they're "hiring" instead of the traditional "recruiting" for quite a while now. Young people now mostly seem to use the American "driver's licence" and "drunk driving" instead of the British "driving licence" and "drink driving".
The hill I'll personally die on here is that I am not calling a torch a "flashlight"!
g33ksc13nt1st@reddit
Thanks to YouTube , British kids are talking American while American kids sound British.
stefancooper@reddit
Like, don't even go there. Like, seriously, it's like , TODALLY. Like literally omg, like SERIOUSLY. Like, I can't even. I was like he was like they were like , it's like you know kindalike sort of like you know ? Kind of.
Phil1889Blades@reddit
Yes, very annoyingly, as most of it is shit
return_of_the_badger@reddit
Yes it's been happening for years. Like at least since WW2 I expect. I have to keep correcting my children: it's pronounced ice CREAM not ICE cream
SaysUselessThings@reddit
Since the 50s? Of course there has. SIlly question.
juiceforsyth@reddit
Songs don't "release" now they "drop".
Negative_Equity@reddit
That's not American, that's just us being old.
datguysadz@reddit
I've been saying 'cell phone' for years purely as a piss take but it hasn't caught on.
Smart_Roof_8966@reddit
Original question
Mundane-Topic-8214@reddit
Have we stepped back in time about 25 years?
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