There is no such thing as one kind of English. So, even if you use international words, you still have to make a choice which English your company is going to use. In this article you’ll find out if you should use US or UK English for your business. Or if another kind of English would be better. Just answer the questions as you go along, to find out which English you should be using.

Does it really matter which English you use?

Try this experiment:

First imagine 2 dialects in your own language, which are really different from one another. Then take some of the most typical words from one dialect and use them in a sentence in the other dialect. How does that sound to you? Now you get an idea of what mixing up US and UK English can sound like.

Is this how you want your English to sound? Probably not.

But it really boils down to what matters to your (ideal) clients. Some clients don’t care about this at all, others do. You might already have an idea if this could be important to them.

The differences between US and UK English

Well, there are lots of differences. Here are some examples:

  • Vocabulary – government/administration
  • Grammar – I write to clients/I write clients
  • Spelling –  a center/centre of excellence

Listen to these two clips for an idea of the differences in pronunciation:

In this article you can read about some words which you really need to pronounce in the right way.

So, what English do you speak Lynn?

I was born and raised in the UK, so I speak (and write) British English. Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time speaking English to non-native speakers and I’ve also spent 18 months in the US.

Are you pushing one particular type of English?

Nope, I don’t have a favourite. I think you should choose the kind of English which is going to help you best in your business. I have no preference for US English, UK English, Australian English, Canadian English, European English or whatever. They all have advantages.

Personally, I really enjoy the subtleties of British English and the straightforwardness of American English. And I love the versatility of this language, which is spoken by so many people throughout the world.

So, US or UK English for your business is up to you.

The best type of English for your business

In the end, there is no single type of English which is best for every business. Anyone who tells you that is thinking about themselves and not about your business. This means you need to work out which type which will work best for your business.

Sometimes the best type of English for your business isn’t quite what you’d expect. When I lived in Texas, lots of people told me they could listen to me all day. I remember thinking that I should have had a job in sales there: I could have made a fortune!

How do you choose US or UK English for your business

As always with a marketing decision, start with your clients or ideal clients.

  • Where do your (ideal) clients come from?
  • Which language(s) do they already speak?
  • How will they feel most comfortable talking to you?

If your clients are native speakers of English

In this case, you need to look at where your clients come from. Do your clients all speak the same kind of English? Then your answer is clear. Just use that kind of English.

It gets more complicated if you have clients speaking different kinds of English. Then you’ll need to take a decision. To do that, look at the numbers and your expected growth. So, please take some time to think about this carefully.

Subtle or straightfoward?

Sometimes it helps to look at your clients in more detail – are they more likely to respond to subtlety or straightforwardness? If it’s subtlety, I’d suggest British English. Where straightforwardness is needed, go for US English. If being accurate is important, think about British English, if you want to sound snappy, then go for US English.

Read more about different tones in English here.

If your clients aren’t native speakers of English

In this case, it depends on the English that your (ideal) clients are most comfortable with. In Europe, most people learned British English at school. Choose US English for the Americas. In Asia, people often learn British English, but are increasingly speaking US English because of tv and media influences. So, in Asia you need to be especially careful what you choose.

How important is it to get the type of English right?

For some (ideal) clients, it’s really important, for others less so. How important do you think language is for your clients?

Sometimes you can use a mix and get away with it. By that I mean one kind of spelling and grammar along with some words from another type. I see this most often with British spelling and grammar with some US words in the mix.

Difference between written and spoken English

As with every situation, there is more room for differences in spoken English, than in written English. So, if you’re only using English mainly for doing lives or webinars, don’t worry about this too much.

What you do need to do is make a definite decision about written English. This means you can’t mix and match US and UK English when you’re writing. You need to use 1 type of spelling, which needs to fit the grammar as well. Otherwise your English will sound really strange. And I guess that’s not the impression you want to make.

A change in English you need to know about

Here’s a quick lowdown on changes that happens in every language. This could also influence your decision on which type of English to use.

Every language changes all the time, they’re organic. A language often takes on new words and phrases from other languages (we call them loan words), when these languages are seen as more creative, higher class or more useful. In other words, it’s fine to use loan words if they add to what you’re trying to say.

US words in British English

US words and phrases are constantly coming into UK English. This is especially the case in businesses with new trends and industries.

Here’s an example. In 2013, Aileen Lee came up with the term unicorn to describe a privately owned start up worth over $1 billion. The term is now used in the US and UK.

So, if you have a mainly British audience, it is fine to use some US phrases and words. But, be aware, there’s a fine line between being hip and being tacky. Don’t overdo it!

Mid-Atlantic English

The debate about US English and UK English isn’t new. We’ve even come up with a sort of solution, which is mid-Atlantic English. Originally Mid-Atlantic English was a US invention to sound more sophisticated.

See the urban dictionary’s definition of Mid-Atlantic English

Later it was used in a lot of songs, often with British bands using US words. It was also put to good use by Darth Vader:

I love British/American English and that doesn’t fit my clients. What now?

Again, this is a marketing decision. Can you be yourself in the other type of English? How extreme is your US English or UK English? If you speak a pretty neutral type of English, you’ll be fine when you’re speaking. Then just adapt your writing to your clients.

What if you didn’t have the answers to all the questions? Or if you have another question?

In this case, your situation may be a little more complicated. Hey, language isn’t always simple. Add a comment below or send me a message and I’ll do my best to help you out.

What’s your conclusion after reading this article?

Please share your comments below. Do you use US or UK English for your business? How did you decide which one to use?

Like more tips to support you with English for your business?