Here are all the articles about American English that have appeared in my newsletter English in Progress about world Englishes and English language change
March 2023
Most popular American slang by state
How ‘ma’am’ went from being a respectful word for some — but polarizing for others
February 2023
An interview with English-usage guru Bryan Garner
Fastest and slowest talkers in the US
An e-learning company made a top 5 of fastest and slowest talkers in the US by state. (Fastest: Minnesota. Slowest: Louisiana). USA Today wrote a surprisingly nuanced article on the subject, interviewing linguist Dennis Preston, who explained that (surprise!) American accents do not bide by state lines.
December 2022
The word “y’all” is going mainstream, according to history professor David B. Parker.
I loved this thoughtful piece on the history and future of the American Scrabble dictionary, and American dictionaries in general. Are American dictionaries dying out? (This article is also an interesting read if you (like me) are not particularly into Scrabble.)
Susie Dent takes on the idea that many Brits have that their English is being overrun by Americanisms in UK newspaper The Scotsman.
I’d like to share this amazingly detailed map of American accents and dialects that I recently found. Accessing it via a large screen is advisable!
Heddwen Newton is an English teacher and translator. She is fascinated by contemporary English and the way English changes. Her newsletter is English in Progress. 1100 subscribers and growing every day!