Translate English to English: Is there any ‘correct’ form of English?

It is famously said that America and Britain are two nations, which have been divided by a common language. This truly reflects the sentiments of Americans and British toward British English and American English. Well, being the most widely spoken language in the world, it is only natural for differences to occur when it comes to English.

Despite having so much in common, the versions of English in the UK and the US are significantly different. There are enough differences between British English and American English that sometimes people from the two countries find it hard to understand each other. British people often say that Americans don’t speak English, they speak ‘American’.

The rich histories of Britain and America and their influence over the civilizations and cultures have played a major role in changing the American and British English forever. There is no doubt that the spread of English language across the globe has made the world to accept the differences. However, it is possible even for a native English speaker to get confused at times.

Amidst all this perplexity caused due to various versions of English, one must ask: “Is there any ‘correct’ form of English?”

The answer is pretty simple: No!

In addition to British English and American English, there are many other variants of English as well, which were originated because of the geographical and cultural differences over the time. Given that it is quite pointless to label anyone form of English as the “correct” one. There are multiple variants of English language, and all are correct in their own context and usage.

Depending on the context of their use, both British English and American English are correct. However, the rule of thumb is to use the 'right brand’ of English to target the 'right audience'. Your objective should always be the convenience of your readers. Although there is no correct or incorrect form of English, so it doesn’t matter which variant of English you are using in your writing; you don't want to give your audience a reason to get stuck at a word they do not understand.

It is, therefore, recommended to follow the variant of English whether it’s British English or American English that is most appropriate. For instance, if you are writing something that is primarily be going to read or used in an EU member nation, then it’s better to follow British English. On the other hand, if you are writing something that will be used in the US or target US audience then you should follow American English.

And always use the same variant through the entire document/writing.

Tip: If you are someone like me who gets confused when it comes to British and American English, you should use an online tool like the “Translate English to English” tool by SmallSEOTools, which is offered freely to translate British English to American English and vice versa to see the differences.