British English (BrE) is a variant of the English language, spoken mainly in the United Kingdom. Along with American English, British English is one of the main variants taught in most ESL/EFL programs.
Bear in mind, however, that here is, in fact, no single British English variation of English. Instead there are a considerable number of variations mainly found in different locations. Thus, for example, there is:
- Scottish English
- Irish English
- Welsh English
- Northumbrian
- Norfolk
- Cornish
- The Queen’s English
- BBC English
- RP or Received Pronunciation
- …
However, the differences between these variations are mainly ones of accent and pronunciation with a few vocabulary variations rather than differences in grammar.
For most learners, British English is the type of English spoken in the South-East of England. A typical speaker of standard British English would be someone like Kate Winslet the actress – click the video to hear an example of her speaking.
See Also
Varieties of English
Varieties of English Grammar – a list of grammar differences between British English and other types of English.
Varieties of English Vocabulary – a list of vocabulary differences between British English and other types of English.