美式英语和英式英语有什么不同呢？如果你在美国波士顿、纽约、迈阿密、达拉斯、洛杉矶等地区待过的话，你会发现这些地方的发音、字汇、甚至于文法，都跟其它地方稍有不同。同样的，在英国你如果待过伦敦、伯明翰、利物浦、爱丁堡、都柏林等地的话，也会发现各城市的差异。

如果你在宴会上同时碰到一位美国人与一位英国人，几分钟之内就可以凭着他们的对话辨认出来。最明显的线索当然就是发音，例如dance、butter、no、bird等等，不仅子音、元音的咬字有差异，就连重音位置也常常不一样。

英语、美语第二项最明显的差异，就是使用的单字。同样的东西，在美国与英国的称呼不一样。以下举一些最常见的例子:

在美国如果说某某人“mad”，可能意思是这个人很生气。而在英国，“mad”这个词通常指“crazy（疯了）”。

If an American asks “Are you mad?”, they’re likely trying to find out what they did wrong; if a Briton asks the same question, they’re accusing you of insanity.
如果一个美国人问“你生气了吗？”他们可能是想弄明白他们做错什么了，如果英国人问这个问题，则是在指责你疯了。

在美式和英式英语中意思截然不同：

Yesterday I woke up late for an appointment. I washed up, then pulled on some pants and suspenders, and grabbed a vest on my way out the door.
昨天我有约但起床晚了，我洗漱完穿上裤子和背带，出门时顺手抓了一件背心。

I drove out toward the university and got a flat. I've had a flat before, but never on my own.
我开车去大学方向，轮胎爆了，以前也爆过，但都有别人在。

So I called my dad to tell him about it and find out what kinds of things I should be checking for... I ended up catching a lift with my new neighbor, who's really fit, by the way.

所以我给爸爸打电话告诉他这件事，想了解一下该检查什么…最后我搭了新邻居的车，顺便说一下邻居身体很棒。

As I said before, this is a completely different story depending on which version of English you speak.
正如我之前说的，所说英语不同这个故事的意义完全不同。

In the American version, I woke up, washed my face, put on some slacks and some suspenders (braces in British English), and put on a vest (a waistcoat in British English).
美式版本是我起床洗了脸，穿上长裤，系上背带（英式英语中背带叫braces），穿上马甲（英式英语中马甲叫waistcoat）。

In other words, I was dressed up in nice clothes for my appointment.
换句话说，我为约会精心打扮了一番。

Then, on the way to the appointment, my car got a flat tire, but it was OK because I got a ride with my new neighbor, who was an athletic person.
然后，在赶赴约会的路上，我的车爆胎了，但没关系，因为和我同行的新邻居是个运动员。

In the British version , I woke up, did the dishes, and put on some underwear, stocking garters, and a sleeveless undershirt.
英式版本是我起床刷了碗，穿上内衣、带吊袜带的袜子和无袖背心。

In other words, I wasn’t really dressed at all.
换句话说就是基本上什么都没穿。

Then I went across town to rent a new apartment by the university.
然后我穿过镇上去租了大学旁边的一个新公寓。

In the new apartment building, I got into a lift (an elevator in American English) with my new neighbor, who I found sexually attractive!
在新公寓楼里，我和新邻居进了电梯（美式英语中电梯叫elevator），我发现这个邻居很性感！