English and its variations - one language, many flavours

How many people speak English?

English is the most widely spoken language in the world and has therefore become the 'lingua franca' of modern times for international business, science, entertainment or politics.

Because it is spoken in very different parts of the world, English has been influenced socially, culturally and politically, with the result that English has become a language with a multitude of local variants.

Despite the fact that English is an official language in more than 60 countries around the world, there are only 6 countries (UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland) where it is spoken as a mother tongue by the majority of the population.

English is spoken by approximately 375 million - 400 million people as a first language (L1) and by approximately 1.1 billion people as a second language (L2), in addition English is spoken by approximately 1.5 billion - 2 billion people worldwide.

There are many varieties of English on our planet. The oldest is the British variety "British English" (BrE), used in the UK (approximately 60 million speakers). The variety of English with the largest number of native speakers is "American English" (AmE) (approximately 225 million speakers).

The other main varieties of English we can distinguish are Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English, South African English and Indian English. Some linguists also recognise another classification of English language variety known as "World English."

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All varieties of English share the same basic linguistic principles, although some words, phrases, expressions or language structures may differ.

Differences between British English (BrE) and American English (AmE)

The two forms differ in terms of spelling conventions, word meanings and grammatical rules. However, the main difference between British English and American English is their pronunciation. Despite the fact that there are many dialects and accents in British English and American English, it is possible to acknowledge the standardised pronunciation of British English known as "Received Pronunciation (RP)," and American English the so-called "General American English (GA)."

For instance:

BrE: queue AmE: line 

BrE: lorry AmE: truck

BrE: torch  AmE: flashlight 

BrE: lift  AmE: elevator 

BrE: flat  AmE: apartment 

BrE: I learnt ten new English words yesterday. 

AmE: I learned ten new English words yesterday.  

BrE: I have got a car.  

AmE: I have a car. 

Canadian English (CanE / CE)

Canadian English (in general) sounds the same as American English. In spelling, on the other hand, it is a "mixture" of British English (due to its history) and American English (due to its geographical "proximity") with many "Canadianisms."

Australian English (AusE / AuE) and New Zealand English (NZE)

The English spoken in Australia and New Zealand is very different from other forms of English due to the accent and many colloquialisms. Yet, the standard written form of these varieties of English largely resembles British English.

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Varieties of English can be further divided into dialects, such as: "Anglo-Cornish" or "Scottish English" in the UK; "Gallah" or "Gulf Southern" in the United States. Regardless of variety or dialect, the English language users around the world can communicate with each other, with only occasional misunderstandings.