Early Modern English

====Transition from Middle English====
{{further|Late Middle English}}
The change from [[Middle English]] to Early Modern English was not just a matter of changes of vocabulary or pronunciation; a new era in the history of English was beginning.<ref name=":0" />

An era of linguistic change in a language with large variations in dialect was replaced by a new era of a more standardised language, with a richer lexicon and an established (and lasting) literature.
*1476 – [[William Caxton]] started printing in [[Westminster]]; however, the language that he used reflected the variety of styles and dialects used by the authors who originally wrote the material.

=====Tudor period (1485–1603)=====
*1485 – Caxton published [[Thomas Malory]]'s ''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]]'', the first print bestseller in English. Malory's language, while archaic in some respects, was clearly Early Modern and was possibly a Yorkshire or Midlands dialect.
*1491 or 1492 – [[Richard Pynson]] started printing in London; his style tended to prefer [[Middle English#Chancery Standard|Chancery Standard]], the form of English used by the government.