Page "Comparison of American and British English" Paragraph 7

British and American English are the reference norms for English as spoken, written, and taught in the rest of the world.

For instance member nations of the Commonwealth where English is not spoken natively, such as India, often closely follow British English forms, while many American English usages are followed in other countries which have been historically influenced by the United States, such as the Philippines.

Although most dialects of English used in the former British Empire outside of North America and Australasia are, to various extents, based on British English, most of the countries concerned have developed their own unique dialects, particularly with respect to pronunciation, idioms and vocabulary.

Chief among other English dialects are Canadian English ( based on the English of United Empire Loyalists who left the 13 Colonies ), and Australian English, which rank third and fourth in number of native speakers.