English, despite being a widely spoken language, is known for its diverse range of accents and dialects. Two of the most prominent variations are American English and British English. While the two varieties share the same basic vocabulary and grammar, their pronunciation can vary significantly.

To communicate effectively with speakers of American and British English, it’s important for English learners to be aware of the differences between these two language variations. So let’s explore some of the nuances of American vs British English pronunciation, and learn why these two variations exist.

Understanding the nuances of American vs British English

First things first – how exactly did American English and British English become so different?

British colonization played a huge role in the spread of the English language to various parts of the world, leading to the development of different regional accents in many countries. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the United States gained independence and developed its own identity. The differences in language between American and British English became more noticeable.

British colonizers, who lived in isolation and were influenced by local dialects, developed distinct features in their pronunciation. Their exposure to other languages like Dutch, Spanish, and Native American languages greatly impacted the way they spoke.

American lexicographers (people who write dictionaries) also had a big influence on the differences between American and British English. They published dictionaries that aimed to simplify and standardize American English. This led to changes like “colour” in British English becoming “color” in American English. These changes gradually affected the way we now pronounce words.

What are the key differences in accent and speech?

General American English (GME) and Received Pronunciation (RP) are both regarded as the standard forms of spoken English in the USA and UK. So, how do they compare? 

Overall, even though RP has more vowel sounds than GME, the vowels in GME tend to be more open and relaxed. The vowels in GME can also change depending on the sounds around them.

Thankfully there are not many differences in consonants between the two accents. One main difference is that GME is “rhotic”. This means that the “r” is always pronounced. However, in RP the “r” is silent after a vowel at the end of a word. This means that words like “girl” and “center” have a silent “r” in most British accents, but it’s very clearly pronounced in most American accents.

Let’s now look at some of these differences in more detail.

Vowel sounds in British and American English

1. The “o” sound

British English has a long and short “o” sound to help distinguish certain words like “cot” and “caught”. However, American English has just one vowel, making “cot” and “caught” sound exactly the same.

2. The “a” sound

In American English, the vowel in “cat” is very open and wide compared to the vowel sound in British English. In RP, the sound is much shorter.

Interestingly, American English also adds an extra vowel sound after the sort “a” when it’s followed by a nasal sound. This makes words like “man” sound more like “ma-un” (this is because the tongue relaxes as it transitions from the “a” to the “n”). This doesn’t happen in British English, so the “a” sound never changes.

3. R-colored vowels

American English has something called “r-colored vowel sounds”. This means that the “r” sound is pronounced at the same time as the vowel sound. For example, the word “beard” sounds like “BI-urd” in American English, but in British English the “r” is silent, so it sounds like “BI-ud”.

Another example is words ending in “-r” or “-re”. The “r” is pronounced in American English, so words like “center” sound like “SEN-tur”. However, in British English, it sounds like “SEN-tuh”.

Consonant sounds in American and British English

1. Flap T

A key mark of an American Accent is the “Flap T”. This is when the “t” sound between two vowels changes to something like a “d” sound, making words like “water” sound like “wo-dur”. RP speakers will either say this “t” as a “true t” (like in the word “two”) or glottalise it, which we will look at now.

2. Glottal stop

In many areas of the UK, you may hear people replacing the “t” sound with the “glottal stop”. This is the sound you make in your throat between the words “uh oh!”. The glottal stop is only pronounced in the middle and end of words, so words like “water” can sound like “WO-uh” and “cat” can sound like “ca”. American English speakers only use the glottal stop in words like “button”, “mountain” and “cotton”.

Stress and intonation in American and British English

The intonation patterns in American English and British English can vary, but here are a few general differences.

1. Pitch

American English tends to have a greater range in pitch and may use a wider range of pitch variations in their intonation compared to British English speakers.

2. Rising vs falling intonations

Sentences often finish with a falling intonation in British English (including questions). While in American English, statements can quite often end with a rising intonation (this is called “upspeak” or “uptalk”).

3. Stress

British English is a more “left-leaning” variety when it comes to word stress. This means that the stress tends to be more towards the start of the word than the end. Here are some examples:

How to decide which accent to focus on? 

One of the main difficulties that English language learners often face at the beginning of their learning journey is deciding which accent to focus on.

The simple solution is to choose the accent you either like the most, have the most contact with, or will find the most useful (for example, if you live in the USA, then focus on understanding American English accents).

Another challenge is knowing the pronunciation differences for specific words. For example, “vitamin” is pronounced as “VI-tuh-min” in British English and “VAI-duh-min” in American English. Confusing these kinds of words could result in having a mix of accents or possibly not understanding someone if they use a pronunciation you haven’t heard before.

It’s essential for English learners to recognize these challenges and dedicate time to practice. After all, mastering pronunciation is an important part of learning a language. Understanding these differences will help you communicate and be understood more easily with speakers from the UK and USA.

Learn some more differences between American and British English