American Britishisms: Why Some Americans Are Speaking Like Brits

For years, British linguists have been complaining about Americanisms invading British English. But now the opposite is also occurring, as Britishisms — words and phrases that were once exclusive to British English — are becoming more popular among Americans, particularly members of Gen Z. Many American Gen Zers, who are now in their teens and twenties, are using Britishisms and even adopting British accents in certain situations, resulting in millions of related online posts and videos on social media sites such as TikTok.

as seen (and heard) on tv

The popularity of Britishisms among Gen Zers has been attributed primarily to the influence of British TV shows, beginning with the British animated TV series Peppa Pig. Many American Gen Zers grew up watching Peppa Pig, and in the late 2010s, parents began to notice that their children sometimes spoke like the show’s main character, by saying the British ‘Mummy’ instead of the American equivalent, ‘Mommy’, and pronouncing ‘tomato’ as ‘to-mah-to’, as most British people do, instead of ‘to-may-to’, which is the typical American pronunciation. This trend became known as the Peppa Effect. 

In time, of course, most Gen Zers grew out of Peppa Pig, but their speech continued to be influenced by other British TV shows popular among their generation. These included reality shows such as Love Island, The Only Way Is Essex, and Too Hot to Handle, as well as the science-fiction series Dr. Who and the historical drama series Downton Abbey. In addition, Gen Zers had easy access to British news media, and so were frequently exposed to British English accents and colloquialisms.

Used in tough situations

So, has British English replaced American English among this young generation of Americans? No. Typically, Gen Zers limit their use of Britishisms, often accompanied by a British accent, to certain situations, particularly those in which they feel awkward or uncomfortable. They use Britishisms as a verbal tic, effectively embodying the persona of a British alter ego in order to alienate themselves from what they are saying. For example, they might feel uncomfortable expressing anger or frustration in their native American accent. So, they use British language and pronunciation as a means of distancing themselves from their emotion and the impact of their words.

A natural evolution

When the first generations of British people lived in what is now the US, they spoke British English — because American English didn’t yet exist. At that time, many English-speakers in Britain used words that are now associated with American English, such as ‘candy’, which has since been replaced in British English by the word ‘sweets’, and ‘fall’ instead of ‘autumn’. At the same time, many English-speakers in the US used words now associated with British English, such as ‘trousers’ instead of the modern American equivalent, ‘pants’, and ‘fortnight’ instead of ‘two weeks’. 

Therefore, some words now considered examples of American English were once commonly used in British English, and vice versa. Over time, however, certain words fell out of usage on either side of the Atlantic Ocean and were replaced by others, and American English evolved as its own distinct variety, leading to the publication of the first dictionary of American English in 1806. The import of Americanisms into British English, and of Britishisms into American English is to some extent a reversal of this process and, one could argue, part of the natural evolution of the English language.