word choice - What should I call the English spoken in UK?


I have read that saying British English is too specific, and that I should say English English.


Is that true?


When I say British English, what do people think I am referring to?



Answer



There is no standard term to describe the English spoken throughout the United Kingdom, because the English spoken in Northern Ireland is so different from the English spoken in Great Britain that it is usually included with Irish English (or Hiberno-English). The term British English is generally used to refer to the English spoken in Great Britain, including Scotland, England, and Wales. Welsh English and Scottish English are the terms for the specific dialects spoken in those countries, and the term English English is used sometimes to describe the English specifically spoken in England. Often British English is used to refer to English English in contrast to Scottish, Welsh or other varieties of English.


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