Gourt Home::Gourt :: American and British English pronunciation differences
Differences in pronunciation between American English (AmE) and British English (BrE) can be divided into:
- differences in accent (i.e. phoneme inventory and realisation). Accents vary widely within AmE and within BrE, so the features considered here are mainly differences between General American (GAm) and British Received Pronunciation (RP); for information about other accents see regional accents of English speakers.
- differences in the pronunciation of individual words in the lexicon (i.e. phoneme distribution). Here, there is more consistency within the speech of the British Isles, Australia, and many Commonwealth countries on one side, and North American speech on the other. However, there are still variations: e.g. Australian English, which mostly follows BrE, uses the AmE pronunciation of vitamin, and a pronunciation of foyer different from both the BrE and AmE. In this article, transcriptions use RP to represent BrE and GAm and to represent AmE.
In the following discussion
- superscript A2 after a word indicates the BrE pronunciation of the word is a common variant in AmE
- superscript B2 after a word indicates the AmE pronunciation of the word is a common variant in BrE
Accent
- GAm is rhotic while RP is non-rhotic; that is, R is only pronounced in RP when it is immediately followed by a vowel. Where GAm has before a consonant, RP either has nothing (if the preceding vowel is or , as in bore and bar) or has a schwa instead (the resulting sequences are centring diphthongs or triphthongs). Similarly, where GAm has r-coloured vowels ( or , as in cupboard or bird), RP has plain vowels or . However many British accents, especially in Scotland and the West Country, are rhotic, and some American accents, such as the traditional Boston accent, are non-rhotic.
- The "intrusive R" of many RP speakers (in such sequences as "the idea-r-of it") is absent in GAm; this is a consequence of the rhotic/non-rhotic distinction.
- GAm has fewer vowel distinctions before intervocalic than RP; for many GAm speakers, unlike RP, merry, marry and Mary are homonyms; mirror rhymes with nearer, and furry rhymes with hurry. However, some eastern American accents, such as the Boston accent, have the same distinctions as in RP.
- For some RP speakers (upper class), unlike in GAm, some or all of tire, tower, and tar are homonyms; this reflects the merger of the relevant vowels; similarly the pour-poor merger is common in RP but not in GAm.
- RP has three open back vowels, where GAm has only two or even one. Most GAm speakers use the same vowel for RP "short O" as for RP "broad A" (the father-bother merger); many also use the same vowel for these as for RP (the cot-caught merger).
- For Americans without the cot-caught merger, the lot-cloth split results in in some words which now have in RP; as reflected in the eye dialect spelling "dawg" for dog.
- The trap-bath split has resulted in RP having "broad A" where GAm has "short A" , in most words where A is followed by either followed by another consonant, or , , or (e.g. plant, pass, laugh, path). However, many British accents, such as most Northern English accents, agree with GAm in having short A in these words, although it is usually phonetically rather than .
- RP has a marked degree of contrast of length between "short" and "long" vowels (The long vowels being the diphthongs, and , , , , ). In GAm this contrast is much less evident, and the IPA length symbol () is often omitted. American phoneticians often prefer the characterizations "tense"/"lax" or "checked"/"free" rather than "short"/"long".
- The "long O" vowel (as in boat) is realised differently: GAm pure or diphthongized ; RP central first element. However there is considerable variation in this vowel on both sides of the Atlantic.
- The distinction between unstressed and (e.g. roses vs Rosa's) is often lost in GAm. In RP it is retained, in part because it helps avoid nonrhotic homonyms; e.g. batted vs battered as vs . It is, however, lost in Australian English, which is also non-rhotic.
- Where GAm has in an unstressed syllable at the end of a morpheme, conservative RP has . This distinction is retained in inflected forms (e.g. candied and candid are homonyms in RP, but not in GAm).
- In GAm, flapping is common: when either a or a occurs between a sonorant phoneme and an unstressed vowel phoneme, it is realized as an alveolar-flap allophone . This sounds like a to RP speakers, although many GAm speakers distinguish the two phonemes by aspirating in this environment, especially after ) or ( (thus bitter and rated are distinguishable from bidder and raided). is an allophone of in conservative RP, which is hence caricatured in America as a "veddy British" accent.
- Yod-dropping occurs in GAm after ; i.e. historic (from spellings u, ue, eu, ew), is pronounced in a stressed syllable. In contrast, RP speakers:
- always retain after : e.g. new is RP , GAm ;
- retain or coalesce it after : e.g. due is RP or , GAm ;
- retain or drop it after : e.g. allude is RP or (as GAm) .
- retain, coalesce or drop it after : e.g. assume is RP or , or (as GAm) ;
- In some words where has been coalesced in GAm, it may be retained in RP: e.g. issue is RP or (as GAm)
Stress
French stress
For many loanwords from French where AmE has final-syllable stress, BrE stresses an earlier syllable. Such words include:- BrE first-syllable stress: adultA2,B2, balletA2, baton, beret, bidet, blasé, brevetA2, brochureB2, buffet, caféA2, chagrin, chaletA2, chauffeurB2, chiffon, cliché, coupé, croissant, debrisB2, debut, décor, detailA2, détenteB2, flambé, frappé, garageB2, gateau, gourmetA2, lamé, montageA2, parquet, pastel, paté, précis, sachet, salon, soupçon, vaccine; matinée, negligée, nonchalant, nondescript; also some French names, including BernardB2, Calais, Degas, Dijon, Dumas, Francoise, ManetA2, MonetA2, Pauline, Renault, RenéB2, Renoir, Rimbaud, DelacroixB2.
- BrE second-syllable stress: attaché, consommé, décolleté, déclassé, De Beauvoir, Debussy, démodé, denouement, distingué, Dubonnet, escargot, fiancé(e), retroussé
- AmE first-syllable, BrE last-syllable: addressA2 (postal), m(o)ustacheA2; cigaretteA2, limousineB2, magazineB2,
- AmE first-syllable, BrE second-syllable: exposéB2, liaisonA2, macramé, Renaissance
- AmE second-syllable, BrE last-syllable: New Orleans
-ate and -atory
Most 2-syllable verbs ending -ate have first-syllable stress in AmE and second-syllable stress in BrE. This includes castrate, donateA2, mandateB2, prostrate, pulsate, rotate, serrateB2, spectate, striated, translateA2, vacate, vibrate; in the case of cremate, narrate, placate, the first vowel is in addition reduced to in BrE. (Examples where AmE and BrE match include debate, elate, relate.) Derived nouns in -ator may retain the distinction, but those in -ation do not. Most longer -ate verbs are pronounced the same in AmE and BrE, but a few have first-syllable stress in BrE and second-syllable stress in AmE: elongate, infiltrateA2, remonstrate, tergiversate. The ending -atory is similarly different: in BrE primary stress moves from the root word to the first syllable of the suffix, while in AmE the stress of the root is unchanged, with a secondary stress in the second syllable of the suffix. Thus, from regulate comes regulatory with AmE and BrE . An exception to this is laboratory: AmE and BrE .Miscellaneous stress
There are a number of cases where same-spelled noun, verb and/or adjective have uniform stress in one dialect but distinct stress in the other (e.g. alternate, prospect): see initial-stress-derived noun.The following table lists words where the only difference between AmE and BrE is in stress (possibly with a consequent reduction of the unstressed vowel). Words with other points of difference are listed in a later table.
| BrE | AmE | words with relevant syllable stressed in each dialect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | caffeine, cannotA2, casein, Kathleen, SuezA2, communal, escalopeB2, omega, paprikaB2, patina, subaltern, stalactite, stalagmite, ThanksgivingB2, transference, aristocratA2,B2, kilometreB2 |
| 2nd | 1st | defense (sport), guffawA2, ice creamA2,B2, mama, papa, pretense, princessA2,B2, Canton, Augustine, Bushido, Ghanaian, LofotenB2, marshmallow, patronal, spread-eagle, controversy, formidableB2, hospitableB2, miscellany, predicative, saxophonistB2, submariner, capillary, catenary, corollary, fritillary, medullary |
| 1st | 3rd | ParmesanB2, partisan, premature, opportune, carburet(t)or |
| 3rd | 1st | margarine, PyreneesB2, cockatoo |
| 2nd | 3rd | advertisement |
| 3rd | 2nd | arytenoidA2, oregano, obscurantist |
Adjective Stress
In almost all dialects of English, when an adjective precedes a noun, stress is placed either on the noun or on both words equally. However, in some select phrases in American English the stress is placed firmly on the adjective. Hence, American "POLAR bear" versus British "Polar BEAR," AmE "CROSS Dresser" vs. British "Cross DRESSER," etc.
Affixes
-ary -ery -ory -bury, -berry, -mony
Where the syllable preceding -ary,-ery or -ory is stressed, AmE and BrE alike pronounce all these endings . Where the preceding syllable is unstressed, however, AmE has a full vowel rather than schwa: for -ary and -ery and for -ory. BrE retains the reduced vowel , or even elides it completely to . (The elision is avoided in carefully enunciated speech, especially with endings -rary,-rery,-rory.) So military is AmE and BrE or .Note that stress differences occur with ending -atory (explained above) and a few others like capillary (included above). A few words have the full vowel in AmE in the ending even though the preceding syllable is stressed: library, primaryA2, rosemary. Pronouncing library as rather than is highly stigmatized in AmE, whereas in BrE, is common in rapid or casual speech.
Formerly the BrE-AmE distinction for adjectives carried over to corresponding adverbs ending -arily, -erily or -orily. However, nowadays most BrE speakers adopt the AmE practice of shifting the stress to the antepenultimate syllable: militarily is thus rather than .
The placename component -bury (e.g. Canterbury) has a similar difference after a stressed syllable: AmE and BrE or . The ending -mony after a stressed syllable is AmE but BrE . The word -berry in compounds has a slightly different distinction: in BrE, it is reduced ( or ) after a stressed syllable, and may be full after an unstressed syllable; in AmE it is usually full in all cases. Thus, strawberry is BrE but AmE , while whortleberry is BrE and similarly AmE .
-ile
Words ending in unstressed -ile derived from Latin adjectives ending -ilis are mostly pronounced with a full vowel () in BrE but a reduced vowel or syllabic in AmE (e.g. fertile rhymes with fur tile in BrE but with turtle in AmE). This difference applies:- generally to agile, docile, facile, fertile, fissile, fragile, futile, infertile, missile, nubile, octile, puerile, rutile, servile, stabile, sterile, tactile, tensile, virile, volatile;
- usually to ductile, hostile, (im)mobile (adjective), projectile, textile, utile, versatile;
- not usually to decile, domicile, infantile, juvenile, labile, mercantile, pensile, reptile, senile;
- not to crocodile, exile, gentile, percentile, reconcile; nor to compounds of monosyllables (e.g. turnstile from stile).
-ine
The suffix -ine, when unstressed, is pronounced sometimes (e.g. feline), sometimes (e.g. morphine) and sometimes (e.g. medicine). Some words have variable pronunciation within BrE, or within AmE, or between BrE and AmE. Generally, AmE is more likely to favour or , and BrE to favour : e.g. adamantineA2, carbine, crystallineA2, labyrinthine, philistine, serpentineA2. However, sometimes AmE has where BrE has ; e.g. iodineB2, strychnineA2.Weak forms
Some function words have a weak form in AmE, with a reduced vowel used when the word is unstressed, but always use the full vowel in RP. These include: or ; you ; your .
On the other hand, the titles Saint and Sir before a person's name have "weak forms" in BrE but not AmE: before vowels, and ; before consonants, and .
Miscellaneous pronunciation differences
These tables list words pronounced differently but spelled the same. See also the table of words with different pronunciation reflected in the spelling.
Single differences
Words with multiple points of difference of pronunciation are in the table after this one. Accent-based differences are ignored. For example, Moscow is RP and GAm , but only the - difference is highlighted here, since the - difference is predictable from the accent. Also, tiara is listed with AmE ; the marry-merry-Mary merger changes this vowel for many Americans.| BrE | AmE | Words |
|---|---|---|
| annato, BangladeshA2, Caracas, chiantiA2, Galapagos, Gdansk, grappaA2, gulagA2, HanoiA2, Jan (male name, e.g. Jan Palach), Kant, kebab, Las (placenames, e.g. Las Vegas), mishmashA2, Mombasa, Natasha, Nissan, Pablo, pasta, PicassoA2, ralentando, SanA2 (names outside USA; e.g. San Juan), SlovakA2, Sri LankaA2, Vivaldi, wigwamA2, Yasser (And A in many other foreign names and loanwords) | ||
| aesthete, an(a)esthetize, breveA2, catenaryA2, Daedalus, devolutionA2,B2, ecumenicalB2, epochA2, evolutionA2,B2, febrile, Hephaestus, leverA2, methane, OedipusA2, (o)estrus, penalizeA2, predecessorA2, pyrethrinA2, senileA2 | ||
| Aeroflot, compost, homosexualB2, Interpol, Lod, pogrom, polkaB2, produce (noun), Rosh Hashanah, sconeA2,B2, shone, sojourn, trollB2, yoghurt | ||
| (Excluding trap-bath split words) banana, Java, khaki, morale, NevadaA2, scenario, sopranoA2, tiara | ||
| CecilA2,B2, crematoriumA2, cretin, depot, inherentB2, leisure, medievalA2, reconnoitreA2, zebraB2, zenithA2,B2 | ||
| compatriot, patriotB2, patronise, phalanx, plait, repatriate, Sabine, satrap, satyrA2 | ||
| dynasty, housewifery, idyll, livelongA2, long-livedA2, privacyB2, simultaneous, vitamin. Also the suffix -ization. See also -ine. | ||
| AussieA2, blouse, complaisantA2, crescent, erase, Glasgow, parse, valise. Also trans-A2,B2 (in some words) | ||
| amenA2, charadeB2, cicada, galaA2, promenadeA2, pro rata, tomato, stratum | ||
| codify, goffer, ogleA2, phonetician, processor, progress (noun), slothA2,B2, unwonted, wroth | ||
| accomplice, accomplish, colanderB2, compassA2, constableB2, Lombardy, monetaryA2, -mongerA2 | ||
| hovelA2,B2, hover. Also the strong forms of these function words: ofA2, fromA2, wasA2, whatA2 | ||
| (sounded) | (silent) | herbA2 (plant), KnossosB2, salve, solder |
| Berkeley, Berkshire, clerk, Derby, Hertford. (The only AmE word with | ||
| eitherA2,B2, geyser, neitherA2,B2, Pleiades. See also -ine. | ||
| albino, migraineB2. Also the prefixes anti-A2, multi-A2, semi-A2 in loose compounds (e.g. in anti-establishment, but not in antibody). See also -ine. | ||
| hexagon, octagon, paragon, pentagon, phenomenon. | ||
| eta, beta, quayA2, theta, zeta | ||
| butylB2, diverge, minorityA2,B2, primer (schoolbook). See also -ine. | ||
| ateB2 ("et" is nonstandard in America), melee, chaise longue | ||
| Betelgeuse, chanteuse, chartreuseA2, masseuse | ||
| apricotA2, dahlia, digitalis, patentA2,B2 | ||
| (silent) | (sounded) | medicine. See also -ary -ery -ory -bury, -berry |
| Amos, Enoch, restaurantA2 | ||
| AsiaB2, PersiaB2, versionB2 | ||
| borough, thorough (see also -ory and -mony) | ||
| chirrup, squirrel, stirrup | ||
| cassia, CassiusA2, hessian | ||
| couponA2, fuchsine, HoustonB2 | ||
| boulevard, snooker, woofA2 (weaving) | ||
| record (noun), stridorA2,B2 | ||
| launch, saltB2 | ||
| connoisseurA2, entrepreneurA2 | ||
| föhnB2, MöbiusB2 | ||
| deityA2,B2, Helene | ||
| jaguar, Nicaragua | ||
| Frasier, Parisian | ||
| wrath | ||
| nougat | ||
| Utah | ||
| quarkA2,B2 | ||
| femme fataleA2 | ||
| basilA2 (plant) | ||
| coyote | ||
| Isaiah | ||
| nousA2 | ||
| falcon | ||
| booth | ||
| cordiality | ||
| suggestA2 | ||
| template | ||
| tourniquet | ||
| MadagascarA2 | ||
| figure | ||
| envelopeA2,B2 | ||
| Kentucky | ||
| trapeze | ||
| hurricaneB2 | ||
| errA2 | ||
| Huguenot | ||
| Moscow | ||
| broochA2 | ||
| pittaB2 | ||
| beenB2 | ||
| nicheB2 | ||
| milieu | ||
| barracuda (see also yod-dropping under Accent) | ||
| asthma | ||
| scheduleB2 | ||
| AnthonyA2,B2 | ||
| piazza | ||
| kümmel | ||
| brusque | ||
| routeA2 | ||
| cantaloup(e) | ||
| covertA2,B2 | ||
| Dionysius | ||
| transient |
Multiple differences
The slashes normally used to enclose IPA phonemic transcriptions have been omitted from the following table to improve legibility.
| Spelling | BrE IPA | AmE IPA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| barrage | (1) (2) | The AmE pronunciations are for distinct senses (1) "sustained weapon-fire" vs (2) "dam, barrier" (Compare garage below.) | |
| boehmite | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | The first pronunciations approximate German (spelled <ö> or <oe>) ; the second ones are anglicized. |
| bouquet | (1) (2) | ||
| boyar | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | |
| buoy | The U.S. pronunciation would be unrecognised in the UK. The British pronunciation occurs in America, more commonly for the verb than the noun, still more in derivatives buoyant, buoyancy. | ||
| cadre | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | |
| canton | (1) (2) | difference is only in military sense "to quarter soldiers" | |
| enquiry/inquiry | (1) (2) | BrE uses only one pronunciation and one spelling: enquiry. However, in America both pronunciations are found, and since the dominant American pronunciation, //, can only be written inquiry, both spellings are found (although inquiry is usually used). | |
| febrile | (1) (2) | The BrE pronunciation occurs in AmE | |
| fracas | (1) (2) | The BrE plural is French fracas ; the AmE plural is anglicized fracases | |
| garage | (1) (2) | The AmE reflects French stress difference. The two BrE pronunciations may represent distinct meanings for some speakers; for example, "a subterranean garage for a car" (1) vs "a petrol garage" (2). (Compare barrage above.) | |
| glacier | (1) (2) | ||
| hygienic | |||
| jalousie | (1) (2) | ||
| lapsang souchong | |||
| lasso | The BrE pronunciation is common in AmE | ||
| lieutenant | (1) (2) | The 2nd British pronunciation is restricted to the Royal Navy. Standard Canadian pronunciation is the same as the British. | |
| lychee | Spelling litchi has pronunciation | ||
| Molière | |||
| oblique | AmE is as BrE except in military sense "advance at an angle" | ||
| penchant | The AmE pronunciation is anglicized; the BrE is French. | ||
| penult | (1) (2) | ||
| premier | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | |
| première | (1) (2) | ||
| provost | (1) (2) | The BrE pronunciation also occurs in AmE | |
| quinine | (1) (2) | ||
| resource | (1) (2) | ||
| reveille | |||
| slough | sense "bog"; in metaphorical sense "gloom", the BrE pronunciation is common in AmE. Homograph "cast off skin" is everywhere. | ||
| Tunisia | (1) (2) | ||
| untoward | |||
| vase | (1) (2) | The BrE pronunciation also occurs in AmE | |
| z (the letter) | The spelling of this letter as a word corresponds to the pronunciation: thus Commonwealth (including, usually, Canada) zed and U.S. (and occasionally Canada) zee. |
References
American and British English differences | English phonology
"American and British English pronunciation differences"