Style Guide differences between American English and British English: a “cheat sheet”
Many Gengo translators translate into both US and UK English, as they are proficient in both languages. Their ability to do so hinges on them having a good grasp of vocabulary and spelling differences, as well as idioms that are common to each dialect, in order to make translations read as naturally as possible.
Like most content organizations, Gengo also uses different style guides for these two target languages: one for American English and one for British English. These cover some of the most obvious differences between the two dialects, but also finer nuances such as use of punctuation and date formatting. When reviewing work by translators who work in both target languages, we often spot small mistakes in these areas. So, we’ve put together a summary of the main stylistic and formatting differences between the two style guides, for easy reference. We hope this is a useful “cheat sheet” to refer to when switching between jobs in different language pairs.
Em dashes
Both British and American English use em dashes (—) to indicate sudden changes in thought during a phrase. They can also be used to signify an abrupt end to a sentence. The difference between the two target languages, however, lies in the presence or absence of spaces on either side of the em dash.
American English | British English |
No spaces are required on either side of the em dash. | Spaces should be used on either side of the em dash. |
Example: He made it his mission—his one and only mission—to tell them about what happened. | Example: He made it his mission — his one and only mission — to tell them about what happened. |
Quotation marks
The two dialects differ in their preference for single and double quotation marks.
American English | British English |
Double quotation marks (“ ”) should be used to quote spoken words. Single quotation marks (‘ ‘) should be used to signify quotes within quotes. | Single quotation marks (‘ ‘) should be used to quote spoken words. Double quotation marks (“ ”) should be used to signify quotes within quotes. |
Example: Bob explained, “I wanted to play music but then Sally said, ‘No way!’” | Example: Bob explained, ‘I wanted to play music but then Sally said, “No way!”’ |
Punctuation within quoted speech is also treated differently, where the punctuation is not part of the quoted speech.
American English | British English |
Punctuation should be placed outside the quotation marks when it is not a part of the quoted material, with the exception of commas and periods. | Punctuation should be placed outside the quotation marks when it is not a part of the quoted material. |
Example: I can never remember how to spell “Czechoslovakia.” | Example: I can never remember how to spell ‘Czechoslovakia’. |
Example: Can you explain the quote, ‘An eye for an eye’? | Example: Can you explain the quote, ‘An eye for an eye’? |
Commas
Gengo’s American and British English style guides differ in their use of the Oxford (or serial) comma.
American English | British English |
The Oxford (or serial) comma should always be used. | The Oxford (or serial) comma should only be used if necessary to remove ambiguity. |
Example: We bought bananas, apples, and oranges. | Example: We bought bananas, apples and oranges. |
Date formatting
Dates should always be written in long format, but the exact style differs between the two dialects.
American English | British English |
Dates should be written as Month Day Year. The ordinal suffix should be included in the day, preceding the comma. | Dates should be written as Day Month Year. No ordinal suffix or comma is required. |
Example: June 7th, 2010 | Example: 7 June 2010 |
