UK or US, or another?

[Charisma]

Should I use US English or Uk English in my writings, or some other form (which I definitely do not know of )? Since English is my second language, and I do not belong to either of these countries, I don't know which English to use. Does it depend on the publisher? Or the audience?
My stupid Word program (due to some stupid reason) doesn't adopt UK English, and keeps using US English even when I try to change it. But my school teaches British English. It's just irritating :P.

[adamant]

Microsoft Word - Writing Forums (http://www.writingforums.org/showthread.php?t=4488)

Try the language thing.

[Charisma]

I just did it. Phew! Thanks. But it still doesn't answer the first part of the question. :)

[adamant]

I say US English, and this is my reasoning:

http://sd-1.archive-host.com/membres/up/1863626993/mental_worldmap.gif

Also, the American population outnumbers many of the other English-speaking countries combined [1 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language#Geographical_distribution)].

[Heather Louise]

Mainly I say UK English since we are the English people speaking english so we that way you will be speaking correct English, lol. I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet when Americans tell me I have spelt colour wrong when I am English and speaking English. lol.

Honestly though, it depends on where you would like to be published. If you want to be published for an American Audience then use Us English. If you want to be published for a British Audience, then use UK English. Buy I say UK out of them both. :D

[TWErvin2]

A somewhat successful writing friend of mine in Australia told me once that it does not matter which version of English you use, as long as you're consistent. But if you know your primary market and can consitently use one or the other, write in the one that matches the market.

My feeling is that in the end, if your submission is of high quality, the version of English (UK or US) won't matter at all.

Terry

[Charisma]

(Looks around confused) I'll stick to US English.

[Domoviye]

Adamant if you want to go by numbers we should be using Chinglish. There are more English speakers in China then anywhere else. :p
Anthraxx go with whichever you are comfortable with. Since you seem to like American English use that. Although as a former British colony Pakistan, British English is probably more common.

[Charisma]

Thanks Domo. For further confusing me. :confused: But really, thanks.

[Domoviye]

I do my best.
But seriously use American English, unless you work for the government under a very strict boss it won't matter one way the other.

[lessa]

I prefer the UK english as that was what they taught in Canada.
Sure do wish micro soft word used it. I very rarely spell anything wrong
but the program makes me feel almost illiterate.
OK Americans learn to spell.

[adamant]

Eh... do what I said to anthraxx at the beginning of this thread.

[Charisma]

unless you work for the government under a very strict boss it won't matter one way the other.
Then I'd rather use Urdu since our government officers don't know English (excluding the higher politicians. Even so, they can't spell receive correctly.)

[mammamaia]

the only thing that should govern your choice is which market you seek to be published in... if you intend to submit to us agents/publishers, use us style... if uk, then use that one...

whichever you do use, make sure you do a good job of it... do enough reading and watching the appropriate books/movies to learn how the people speak and how to write it authentically... that may be the hardest part of all for you and you'd do well to have a knowledgeable person who writes in that style look over your work and let you know if you get it or not...

love and hugs, maia

[Charisma]

Thanks maia.

[Edward]

I'm an American, and I use "colour" "honour" and all those words with "s" instead of "z". If I ever got published, I'm sure they'd change it, so it's not like it really matters. Hell, don't even worry about it, publishers will just alter it anyway, not something to lose sleep over.


Besides, we Americans don't need to learn to spell, we can just do it our way and say it's the right way, because it is. We're cowboys like that. Hell, it's not like we've got a national language anyway.

[ThreeSided]

Well, as it was said before, just be consistent. And since you're American, US English is easier for you, and it's harder to be consistent if you are trying to do the one you're not used to.

I've been hearing a bit of "Americans do it wrong" in this thread. Though I'm sure most of you are joking, I'm sensing that others of you aren't. Please keep in mind that they are different dialects, and neither one is "wrong". There are different dialects in most languages, including languages such as Spanish and Portuguese. Neither of these is considered "correct" or "incorrect".

Just lettin' ya know.

[adamant]

Actually, anthraxx is in Pakistan which learns British English due to their years of military occupation. So... yeah.

[ThreeSided]

Ah... Well then stick with the British English. If it's what you know, it's what you know, and as long as you're consistent, it really doesn't matter.

Honestly, I enjoy reading British English better, but that may just be because I seem to have liked all the British people I've ever met.

[Charisma]

(Confused yet again)

One, I'll say that having British English as the major dialect of our country, doesn't change much for me BECAUSE
(A) English is a SECOND language. People barely know there are two types of English.
(B) People are not very nicely educated. They mix up the dialects.
(C) With the new superpower in US, the administration is moving to American English.
(D) English media and information is basically American English, except a few old English novels.

Two, American English is easier for me BECAUSE
(A) I've learnt English from THREE major sources: a friend from USA, US cartoons and school (which doesn't always know the difference between colour and color). So I'm more typical in US English.
(B) My style of writing, jokes and expression when it comes to US and UK, are better in case of USA. Because my communication skills have been developed by US sources.

Three, British English may be better for me BECAUSE
(A) My accent is British. I can do some American - but then I sound like a loser.
(B) I'm not bad at British dialogues. And I've read fairly large amount of British literature, and I've always admired British English more since it was the original.
(C) My school and Cambridge University teaches British English, and so do major institutions of Pakistan (with the exception of few who don't mind either English).

My conclusion:
It doesn't matter which English I use as long as I can differ between their distinctive qualities, as said before by TWErwin2.

Phew! I don't know why I posted this but it should provide enough information to everyone and cut off some confused (for me).

[ThreeSided]

Distinctive qualities? In that case, I'd say British English. It sounds so much nicer...

[mammamaia]

if you can pull off either one competently, i still think you need to consider where you want to market your work... who do you want to sell it to and who will be reading it?... americans, or brits?

[Cogito]

Anthraxx, if UK English is what you know best, that's probably the English you should use. You're far less likely to commit idiomatic mistakes in that case, and UK English is certainly a time-honored (time honoured) dialect to write in.

As others have said, as long as you can use it consistently, you should be fine.

[Charisma]

(cONFUZZLED...note...not confused...)

I guess.

I pick neither.

I invent my own.

Less confusion and confuzzlation that way.

Seriously, I'll practice both and when it comes to the publishing part I'll pick a publisher accordingly.

[Manny]

Anthraxx, if UK English is what you know best, that's probably the English you should use. You're far less likely to commit idiomatic mistakes in that case, and UK English is certainly a time-honored (time honoured) dialect to write in.

Do you think UK English usage would be frowned upon in any way by a US publisher?

My forthcoming epic is designed to appeal to all English speakers, but the US being the larger market, I am undecided as if to Americanize it now or will an editor be happy to do so if he so desires in the future?

This issue is one of the reasons I sought out this forum today as I was mulling it over whilst editing and teasing my text.

[mammamaia]

Do you think UK English usage would be frowned upon in any way by a US publisher?

...by those who don't publish british authors, probably... and i have no idea how many do... so, if you intend to publish in the us, just be sure you pick houses that publish british authors, if you want to maximize your chances of snagging one...


My forthcoming epic is designed to appeal to all English speakers, but the US being the larger market, I am undecided as if to Americanize it now or will an editor be happy to do so if he so desires in the future?

...i can guarantee you that no editor will be 'happy' to do that, unless you're paying his/her going rate... publishers' editors will not do it for you... that's not part of their job, which is to simply find and correct minor goofs and advise as to what they think needs fixing... if acquisitions editors want it americanized before, they'll most likely tell you to do it...

...something else to be considered before fiddling with the 'voice' of your novel is whether the british or american style is important to the novel itself... where is it set?... what are the characters' backgrounds?... and so forth...

[Plucko]

I personally like UK English better, because that's where the English language comes from anyway and UK English is what most people are taught at school (even in non-English speaking countries). I guess it doesn't matter which one you use, although for fantasy stories and such, UK English might sound better.

[mammamaia]

imo, the deciding factor should be what readers you're targeting... those in a british-speaking country, or an 'amerenglish' one...