American English, often called 'US English' or the 'American' language, is spoken throughout the United States. It is the main language in governmental administration, education, business, media and the legal system across the US. It is estimated that 86% of the population speak English at home (1990 census). There is no law stipulating English as an official language, although a number of states have attempted to introduce highly controversial 'English only' laws in recent years. The US has a long tradition of English dictionaries, starting with the renowned Webster's dictionary, which was originally published in 1828. Population: c. 275 million.

Reading
Cassidy, F.G. (1994) Geographical Variation of English in the United States. In Bailey, R.W, & M. Görlach (eds) English as World Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.177-209.
Toon, T.E. (1994) Variation in Contemporary American English. In Bailey, R.W, & M. Görlach (eds) English as World Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.210-249.
Kovecses, Z. (2000) American English: An Introduction. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview Press.