Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by JackLumber (talk | contribs) at 13:16, 7 April 2006 ("the two most common recognized varietes of English are Standard English and American English." Now we are bordering on the ridiculous. CommW.Eng. is a phrase used by Australians, not by Americans.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Standard English is a general term for a form of written and spoken English that is considered the model for educated people by native English speakers. There are no set rules or vocabulary for "Standard English" because, unlike languages such as French or Dutch, English does not have a governing body (see Académie française, Dutch Language Union) to establish usage. As a result, the concept of "standard English" tends to be fluid. Various regional and national "standards" exist.

The issue is particularly complicated because English has become the most widely used language in the world, and therefore it is the language most subject to alteration by non-native speakers.

The two most common recognised varieties of English are British English (including British-based varieties of English spoken in Australia, New Zealand, etc.) and American English. However, the various historical migrations of English-speaking populations, colonisation and attendant effects such as creolisation, the use of English as a lingua franca or trade language and its widespread use internationally has given rise to many local varieties of English. Standard English is a language, not an accent: that is, it refers to a set of words, grammar, and linguistic sounds, not to a particular pronunciation.

See also

• Modern English
• Formal written English
• American and British English differences

External links

• "Set us free from standard English" by a teacher at the University of Hertfordshire

• English language