# English to American translations
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-to-american-translations/123625
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 13, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-to-american-translations/123625 "2002-08-13T02:29:48Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2002, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-to-american-translations/123625/21 "2002-08-14T17:04:58Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by mangeorge \*
> [I think the British spelling adds flavor. \*\*
that’s flavour dear chap, flavour.
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### Author:  [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2002, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-to-american-translations/123625/22 "2002-08-14T18:46:52Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by dantheman \*
> \*\*Just out of curiosity - do the Harry Potter books retain their Britticisms when they are published in the U.S.? (I haven’t bought one yet.) \*\*
Some of them are changed, others aren’t…oddly, one thing that’s different between the two is use of commas in some places.
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### Author:  [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2002, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-to-american-translations/123625/23 "2002-08-14T19:21:45Z")
By the way - and this is only slightly off topic - when papers that were originally published in a U.K. journal are referenced in a U.S. journal, the style is preserved, not changed.
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### Author:  [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2002, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-to-american-translations/123625/24 "2002-08-14T20:32:19Z")
I think the exception would be when British English words look the same as American English, but have different meanings.
For example, I recall years ago reading about a problem between American and British embassies in negotiations until someone finally realized that “table a discussion” has the exact opposite meaning in the UK as it does in the USA.
Otherwise, spelling differences and well-known diferences in words (lorry/truck) probably aren’t necessary to “translate” - unless you feel your audience/readers would not understand.
(I would imagine that Fannie Flag and Randy Travis both had quite a learning experience regarding their names on their first trips to London.)
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2002, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-to-american-translations/123625/25 "2002-08-14T21:31:20Z")
> [@](#):
>
> An American reporter would have spelled it with “-izes” instead of “-ises.”
Well, an American reporter would have spelled it with "-ize"s, definitely. It’s not so certain that a British reporter would spell it with "ise"s. They don’t seem to be in agreement over there how to do it.
Generally, American general-interest news publications (following the Associated Press style) change all spellings to American forms, whether in quotes or not and whether in proper names or not. Journalists don’t seem to believe that this creates a credibility issue.
In other words, there’s no right answer. Do it the way you’re told to.
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