We explain the difference between English and British with table. A nation is a group of ethical, cultural, and linguistic people defined by political boundaries. The nationality of a person is the representation of the country to which he belongs. It is an honor for everyone to belong to one country or the other.
Being Englishs or being British is something that has always been confusing to understand. They can look the same and different at the same time.
England is where Englishs culture resides. It’s where Englishs started. It is the largest and most populous state in the United Kingdom.
The British Isles are a group of countries, an archipelago of 5000 islands. It is where British citizenship is granted to its citizens.
England and the countries of the British Isles were part of Great Britain before 1603. It was during the time of James I that England and the other countries were born.
According to a 2011 census, around 67% of the people in these countries are Englishs, 22% are British and the remaining 11% are both.
The difference between English and British is Nationality. If a person is from England and speaks Englishs, they are said to be an Englishs person, whereas if a person is from any other country in the British Isles and speaks the language of their native country, they are said to be a British person.
Comparison table between English and British (in tabular form)
British English comparison parameter
| Nations | England | England, UK, Great Britain, Scotland, Wales, etc. |
| Nationality | Both Englishs and Britishs. | Englishs, British, Scottish, Irish, etc. |
| Administration | No developed system of government, no parliament, no legal system, just a few political institutions. | It has its own government, political institutions. |
| Idiom | English language. | English, Irish, Scottish, etc. |
| Accent | English accent which is sometimes referred to as a graceful accent. | Scottish, Welsh, Irish, etc. depending on the nation, with a British accent. The people of Ireland speak English with a British accent. |
What is English?
English is used to refer to a person who has grown up in England, in English cultures and traditions, who speaks English, a language of the Indo-European language family.
Historically speaking, the English identity dates back to medieval times, when they were known as Angelcynn. They were descendants of two main historical groups: the Germanic tribe of southern Britain and the British, who had already been living there. Collectively they were known as Anglo-Saxons.
Until the 10th century, the English population was not politically unified. The nation of England was formed in 937 after the Battle of Brunanburh.
Since the 18th century, England was the part of the British Isles known as the United Kingdom in the world today, but in 1707, England separated from the British Isles after the Treaty of Union.
When it comes to culture, it is not possible to draw a conclusive dividing line between English and British cultures. Christian is followed by the majority of the population of England.
English is the most widely spoken language in England with around 220 million speakers, in addition to English some of the local languages are spoken.
What is British?
British is a word derived from a Greek word for inhabitants. British is used to refer to people who are from the countries of the British Isles or are protected by the British. These are the people who have grown up in British cultures and traditions who speak British languages.
After the British Nationality and Foreigners Status Act of 1914, British citizenship is granted in accordance with the British Nationality Act. There are several British nationalities due to the status of the colonial empire of the United Kingdom. These British nationalities are British Citizen, British Overseas Citizen, British Overseas Territory Citizen, British Citizens, British Citizens, and Protected British Citizen.
Speaking of British culture, it is a culture influenced by various nations. Historically it has a Christian religious life, later impacted by the cultures of Scotland, Wales, England, Ireland, etc. The British follow the Church of England.
The British speak English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh with a British accent. Only the people of Ireland speak English with a British accent.
Main differences between English and British
- The English are the people who basically belong to England, while the British are the people from the British Isles countries except Ireland.
- The nationality of the English is English while the nationality of the English is Scottish, English, British, etc.
- The English are always British, but the British are not necessarily English.
- England does not have a proper system of government or parliament or legal system, while the British have a well-defined system of government and parliament.
- English only has a few political institutions and cultural references to distinguish itself from British.
- The English speak English along with some local languages, while the British speak Scottish, Irish, English, etc.
- The English have an English accent in their language, while the British speak the respective language of their country with a British accent, only the Irish speak English with a British accent. The English accent is known as a graceful accent.
Final Thought
It has always been confusing to understand the difference between the English and the British, but once someone delves into the history of the nation, the difference between the two nationalities can easily be understood.
These nationalities have an influential impact on each other; therefore, it is really difficult to demarcate them on some fronts.
It is important to know the difference between the two because calling the British English agitates them or calling an Irishman British – they don’t like it. Therefore, it becomes really important to understand nationalities as it is directly related to people’s emotions.
