You may wonder why American and British English sound so different. To answer your question, we must go back to the 18th century, to the time when the American colonies were becoming independent from Britain. Language experts say that in 1776 when the Americans declared their independence, spoken English in the United States and Britain was almost the same. But in the years after the Revolutionary War, Americans began to change the sound of their speech. Some American leaders proposed major changes in the language. Thomas Jefferson noted the many differences between Britain and America. Jefferson said, “If Americans intended to hold down British English in the face of such differences, they would be left behind.” You may wonder why American and British English sound so different. To answer your question, we must go back to the 18th century, to the time when the American colonies were becoming independent from Britain. Language scientists say that in 1776 when the Americans declared their The independence, spoken English in the United States and Britain was almost the same. But in the years after the Revolutionary War, Americans began to change the sound of their speech. Some American parties proposed major changes in the language. Thomas Jefferson noted the many differences Between Britain and America. Jefferson said, “If Americans want to hold down British English in the face of such differences, they would be left behind.”