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式英语冷知识：Spot the Difference When it comes to English language, we might think American English and British English are more or less the same, but there are actually a lot of subtle differences that you might not be aware of. Let's start with a common word, "schedule". In American English, we pronounce it as "skej-yool" with a hard "k" sound, whereas in British English, it's pronounced as "shed-yool" with a soft "sh" sound. The same goes for a bunch of other words such as "herbs" (Americans pronounce the "h", whereas Britons don't), "fillet" (Americans pronounce it as "fil-ay", whereas Britons say "fil-et"), and "advertisement" (Americans say "ad-ver-tis-ment", while Britons say "ad-ver-tis-munt"). Another difference that can be spotted between the two versions is spelling. For example, "color" (American English) is spelled as "colour" in British English. Similarly, Americans write "center", "honor", "analyze", and "offense", whereas it's "centre", "honour", "analyse", and "offence" in British English. The same can be seen in the use of certain words. For example, the word "chips" in American English usually means thinly sliced potatoes that have been fried, while in British English, "chips" are thickly cut potatoes that are typically called "French fries" in the USA. Reverse to that, what Americans call "chips", they would call "crisps". Similarly, in British English, people might say "lorry" instead of "truck", "lift" instead of "elevator", and "jumper" instead of "sweater". Another interesting thing to note is that sometimes, even if it's the same word or phrase, the meaning differs between American and British English. For example, "fag" in British English is a slang term for a cigarette, while in American English, it's an offensive term for homosexual people. "Biscuit" in British English refers to a sweet, crumbly pastry, whereas in American English, it means a small, savory pastry. Similarly, in American English, "a fanny" is a term that refers to the buttocks, while in Britain, it means something very different. In conclusion, there are a lot of differences between American English and British English that you might not be aware of, from pronunciation and spelling to the use of certain words and phrases, even when it seems that both are speaking the same language. So be mindful of these regional differences, and you'll have a greater appreciation for the English language as a whole.