Modern English

Modern English is the stage of English dating from about 1500 to the present. It follows Middle English and includes Early Modern English and Present-Day English.

Middle English: The stage of English spoken and written from roughly 1100 to 1500. Modern English developed from this earlier stage.
William Caxton: An English merchant and printer who established England’s first printing press at Westminster in 1476. His press helped circulate written forms near the transition into Modern English.
World Englishes: The diverse regional and social varieties of English used around the world. Modern English now comprises many established local varieties.
Old English: The earliest recorded stage of English, used in England from roughly the fifth to eleventh centuries. Its grammar and vocabulary differ sharply from Modern English.
Early Modern English: The stage of English used from about 1500 to 1700. It marks the opening period of Modern English.
Printing press: A machine for reproducing text and images, developed in Europe by Johannes Gutenberg in the fifteenth century. Printing increased the reach and consistency of English texts.
American English: The varieties of English used in the United States, with distinctive pronunciation, vocabulary, and conventions. It is a major national variety that developed within Modern English.
English language: A West Germanic language that originated in early medieval England and is now spoken worldwide. Modern English is one historical stage of this broader language.
Present-Day English: The contemporary stage of English, generally dated from the late eighteenth century onward. It is the current phase within Modern English.
Samuel Johnson: An English writer whose 1755 dictionary became a landmark in the description of English vocabulary. His dictionary shaped expectations about English spelling and usage.

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History of EnglishBroader topic: It encompasses contemporary English and its worldwide varieties.