Through colonization, English was adopted in many regions of the world by the British Empire, such as Anglo-America, the Indian subcontinent, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Its large number of speakers, plus its worldwide presence, have made English a common language (lingua franca) "of the airlines, of the sea and shipping, of computer technology, of science and indeed of (global) communication generally".
[5] By the late 18th century, the British Empire had facilitated the spread of Modern English through its colonies and geopolitical dominance.
Commerce, science and technology, diplomacy, art, and formal education all contributed to English becoming the first truly global language.
Note, however, that these are generalizations, and some of these may not be true for specific dialects: Up until the American–British split (1600–1725), some major phonological changes in English included: After the American-British split, further changes to English phonology included: Changes in alphabet and spelling were heavily influenced by the advent of printing and continental printing practices.