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Vocabulary
ENGLISH OR BRITISH?
Key
English refers to someone/something from England.
British refers to someone/something from Great Britain.
Many people use the terms 'British' and 'English' interchangeably, but Great Britain is made up of England together with Scotland and Wales. If you are referring to this larger entity (Great Britain), the word you should use is 'British'. Britons not from England (the Scots, the Welsh) resent being referred to as 'English'.
The United Kingdom, an even larger entity, comprises all of the above plus Northern Ireland, and people from there definitely resent being called 'English'!
British refers to someone/something from Great Britain.
Many people use the terms 'British' and 'English' interchangeably, but Great Britain is made up of England together with Scotland and Wales. If you are referring to this larger entity (Great Britain), the word you should use is 'British'. Britons not from England (the Scots, the Welsh) resent being referred to as 'English'.
The United Kingdom, an even larger entity, comprises all of the above plus Northern Ireland, and people from there definitely resent being called 'English'!
- English
She was born in England. She's English. She's British.
- British
She was born in Scotland. She's Scottish. She's British.
She was born in Wales. She's Welsh. She's British.
She was born in Northern Ireland. She's Northern Irish. She's British.
We thank Francis Dixon-Clarke (from Sao
Paulo, Brazil) for his contribution.