Which English?

You want your marketing material to be clear, consistent, credible and appealing to an international audience. To achieve all this, you must decide which English is right for you. Will it be American, British or the hybrid International English?

Don't burn your buns!
A couple of years ago, we wrote a fun article that challenged our readers to find some differences between American and British English. And you scored very well!

Most people who write in English are familiar with the major discrepancies between the US and the UK: the spelling of color versus colour; the use of learned versus learnt; writing attorney versus barrister. But there's a lot more to choosing the right English besides spelling and vocabulary.

The line is blurring
Not only are there thousands of differences between the two types of English, American and British are not alone. There's also International English.

A hybrid of American and British, International English:

• Uses UK spelling, except uses 'z' in words such as analyze and organize
• Favors region-neutral vocabulary
• Is used by the United Nations and many other international organizations
• Is becoming more and more popular among European companies

So how do you decide what type of English to use?

More than words
Your choice of which English to use should be based on two main factors:

1) Your audience
What will be easiest and most appealing to your audience: your customers, investors, partners and so on? (For example, perhaps you don’t have a North American customer base.)

2) Your brand
What voice or personality best reflects your product or company? (For example, do you want to "sound" European, American, neither, or vary it from market to market?)

 

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Consistency, consistency, consistency!
Once you (or your company) have chosen an English, using it consistently is essential. Make sure that everyone in your organization knows which English to use – and all the detailed rules of it – by supplying a company Style Guide.