American English
American English comprises the varieties of English used in the United States, with distinctive vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and spelling.
North American English: The varieties of English spoken across Canada and the United States. American English is one major part of this broader continental grouping.
Rhoticity: The pronunciation of /r/ after a vowel, as in the final sound of car. Most American accents retain postvocalic /r/, unlike many traditional English accents.
Early Modern English: The stage of English used roughly from the late fifteenth through the seventeenth centuries. English brought to North America largely descended from this historical stage.
British English: The varieties of English used in the United Kingdom, with distinctive vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, and spelling. Its contrasts with American English are clearest in spelling, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
American English in broadcasting: The use of American English pronunciation and conventions in radio, television, and other broadcast media. Broadcasting has made some accents nationally familiar without eliminating regional speech.
General American English: A broad accent category associated with much of the United States and lacking strongly localized features. It supplies a common reference point, though it is not a single uniform accent.
Flapping: A pronunciation process that realizes /t/ or /d/ as a brief tongue tap in certain contexts. It helps explain why writer and rider can sound alike in many American accents.
Thirteen Colonies: The British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America that became the original United States. Their settlement created the earliest enduring English-speaking communities in the United States.
Canadian English: The varieties of English used in Canada, shaped by regional history and contact with French and American English. It shares many features with American English while retaining distinctive conventions and regional patterns.
American English in education: The teaching and assessment of English conventions in United States schools and educational institutions. Schools transmit standardized spelling and grammar while students bring diverse home varieties.