American English is the version of the English language spoken and written in the United States. While people in Britain, Australia, Canada, and other countries also speak English, American English has its own distinctive vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation that developed over the past 400 years.

The differences show up in everyday words: Americans say elevator while the British say lift, Americans eat cookies while Brits eat biscuits, and Americans wear sneakers while Brits wear trainers. American English often uses simpler spellings too: color instead of colour, theater instead of theatre, and traveled instead of travelled.

American English also absorbed words from the many immigrant groups who came to the United States, including Spanish words like canyon and rodeo, Dutch words like cookie and boss, and German words like kindergarten and pretzel. Native American languages contributed words like moose, raccoon, and toboggan.

Today, American English is heard worldwide through movies, music, technology, and business. When someone learns English as a second language, they often choose between studying American English or British English, since the differences matter for spelling tests, pronunciation, and being understood clearly.