Phonology: Differences in vowel and consonant pronunciation, as well as in word stress and intonation, combine to create American and British accents. For example, Americans pronounce the vowel in the new, tune and duty class with /u/, as though they were spelled "noo," "toon," and "dooty." Varieties of British English often pronounce them with /ju, as though spelled "nyew," "tyune," and "dyuty.

Spelling: Most formal written texts are produced in codified, standard varieties. There are some well-known exceptions, such as the British-American diversity, mostly rule-governed as in travelled vs traveled, centre vs center, colour vs color

Lexis: One source of different lexis in present-day varieties is separate inheritance. This is said to be the origin of the contrast between British autumn and US fall, for example. The second source of difference in lexis is word-formation (coining) in one or both varieties. Thus North Americans use the word robin to refer to a different bird from the one called robin in Britain. The third main source of lexical difference is borrowing. whereas the borrowings for small/young Cucurbita fruit - British courgette from French and US zucchini from Italian

Pragmatics: Pragmatics is concerned with language in use: how we use language in particular circumstances to achieve particular ends. In Britain terms of endearment can be used from men to women, and vice versa, and among women. In small towns in the USA one might hear boney and in Louisiana cher

Grammar:, the split between the 'English' and 'American' types is somewhat neater.