American and British English pronunciation differences
Differences in pronunciation between American English and British English can be divided into
- differences in accent.[] See differences between General American and Received Pronunciation for the standard accents in the United States and Britain; for information about other accents see regional accents of English speakers.
- differences in the pronunciation of individual words in the lexicon. In this article, transcriptions use Received Pronunciation to represent BrE and General American to represent AmE.
- superscript A2 after a word indicates that the BrE pronunciation of the word is a common variant in AmE.
- superscript B2 after a word indicates that the AmE pronunciation of the word is a common variant in BrE.
- superscript A1 after a word indicates that the pronunciation given as BrE is also the most common variant in AmE.
- superscript B1 after a word indicates that the pronunciation given as AmE is also the most common variant in BrE.
Stress
French stress
For many loanwords from French AmE has introduced a final-syllable stress, BrE stresses an earlier syllable or, as in the original French, uses equal stress on each syllable. French loanwords that differ in stress only are listed below.Verbs ending in ''-ate''
Most 2-syllable verbs ending in -ate have first-syllable stress in AmE and second-syllable stress in BrE. This includes castrate, collate, cremateA2, curate, dictateA2, donateA2, frustrate, gradate, gyrate, hydrate, locateA2, migrate, mutate, narratebA2, phonate, placatebB2, prostrate, pulsate, rotate, serrateA2, spectate, stagnate, striate, translateA2, truncate, vacateb*A2, vibrateA2. Examples where AmE and BrE match include conflate, create, debate, equate, elate, inflate, negate; and mandate and probate with first-syllable stress. Derived nouns in -ator retain the distinction, but those in -ation do not. Also, migratoryB2 and vibratoryB2 sometimes retain the distinction.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: elongateaA2, impregnate, inculcate, inculpate, infiltrateA2, remonstrateabA2, sequestrate, tergiversateaA1. For some derived adjectives ending -atory stress-shifting to -a- occurs in BrE. Among these cases are celebratorya, compensatorya, participatorya, regulatoryaB1. AmE stresses the same syllable as the corresponding -ate verb. A further -atory difference is laboratoryB2: 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 : see initial-stress-derived noun.The following table lists words not brought up in the discussion so far where the main difference between AmE and BrE is in stress. Usually, it also follows a reduction of the unstressed vowel. Words marked with subscript A or B are exceptions to this, and thus retains a full vowel in the unstressed syllable of AmE or BrE. A subsequent asterisk, *, means that the full vowel is usually retained; a preceding * means that the full vowel is sometimes retained.
Words with other points of difference are listed in [|a later table].
Affixes
''-ary, -ery, -ory, -mony, -ative, -bury, -berry''
Where the syllable preceding the suffixes -ary, -ery, -ory, -mony or -ative is unstressed, AmE pronounces the penultimate syllable with a full vowel sound: for -ary and -ery, for -ory, for -mony and -ative. BrE reduces the vowel to a schwa or even elides it completely: or , and. So military is AmE and BrE, inventory is AmE and BrE, testimony is AmE and BrE and innovative is AmE or and BrE.Where the syllable preceding -ary, -ery, -ory, -mony or -ative is stressed however, AmE also usually reduces the vowel:,. Exceptions include library, primaryA2, rosemary.
The suffix -berry is pronounced by similar rules, except that in BrE it may be full after an unstressed syllable, while in AmE it is usually full in all cases. Thus we have strawberry: BrE, AmE, and whortleberry: BrE/AmE.
The placename component -bury has a similar difference: AmE has a full vowel: where BrE has a reduced one:.
Note that stress differences between the dialects occur with some words ending in -atory and a few others like capillary.
Formerly the BrE–AmE distinction for adjectives carried over to corresponding adverbs ending -arily, -erily or -orily. However, nowadays some BrE speakers adopt the AmE practice of shifting the stress to the penultimate syllable: militarily is thus sometimes rather than, and necessarily is in BrE either or.
''-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 L in AmE .AmE will have a reduced last vowel:
- generally in facile, fertile, fissile, fragile, missile, stabile, sterile, tensile, versatile, virile, volatile
- usually in agile, decile, ductile, futile, hostile, juvenile, mobile, puerile, tactile
- rarely in domicileB2, erectile, infantile, nubile, pensile, percentile, projectile, reptile, senile, servile, textile, utile
- never in crocodile, exile, gentile, reconcile; nor to compounds of monosyllables
- BrE, AmE : camomileAB2, mercantileA2, mobile/stabile
- BrE, AmE or : motile, prehensile, pulsatile, tractile
- BrE, AmE or : imbecile
- BrE, AmE : rutile
''di-''
The pronunciation of the vowel of the prefix di- in words such as dichotomy, digest, dilate, dilemma, dilute, diluvial, dimension, direct, dissect, disyllable, divagate, diverge, diverse, divert, divest, and divulge as well as their derivational forms vary between and or in both British and American English.''-ine''
The suffix -ine, when unstressed, is pronounced sometimes , sometimes and sometimes . Some words have variable pronunciation within BrE, or within AmE, or between BrE and AmE. Generally, AmE is more likely to favor or, and BrE to favor.BrE, AmE : carbineA2, FlorentineA2, internecineA2, philistineA2, pristineB2, salineA2, serpentineA2.
BrE, AmE : adamantineA2.
BrE, AmE : uterineB2.
BrE, AmE : crystalline, labyrinthine.
BrE , AmE : strychnineA2.
Effects of the weak vowel merger
The weak vowel merger causes affixes such as -ate, be-, de-, -ed, -es, -est, -less, -ness, pre- and re- to be pronounced with the schwa , rather than the unstressed . Conservative RP uses in each case, so that before, waited, roses and faithless are pronounced, rather than, which are more usual in General American. The pronunciations with are gaining ground in RP and in the case of certain suffixes have become the predominant variants. The noun carelessness is pronounced in GA and modern RP and in conservative RP. This variation is denoted with the symbol in some of the dictionaries published by Oxford University Press and in the Routledge Dictionary of Pronunciation of Current English. In the latter, the British pronunciation of climate is transcribed, though carelessness is transcribed.Affixes such as dis-, in-, -ing and mis- contain in conservative RP as well as General American and Modern RP, so that words such as disloyal or teaching are phonemically and in all three varieties.
The suffix -ist is pronounced in RP and in GA. The latter pronunciation is considered to be non-RP, so that machinist is pronounced in RP and in GA.
Weak forms
The title Saint before a person's name has a weak form in BrE but not AmE:before vowels,.
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 both the presence of a contrastive vowel in RP and the RP use of rather than are predictable from the accent. Also, tiara is listed with AmE ; the marry–merry–Mary merger changes this vowel for many Americans.Many sources omit the length marks in transcriptions of AmE, so that words such as father or keep are transcribed and rather than and. Even though it is not phonemic, vowel length in GA works in a very similar manner to RP, so this is mainly a difference in transcription.
A2 means that American speakers may also use the British pronunciation;B2 means that British speakers may also use the American pronunciation.
| BrE | AmE | Words |
| Excluding words changed by the trap–bath split, : banana, cabana, choraleA2, ColoradoA2, Internationale, khakiA2, localeA2, mascara, morale, musicale, NevadaA2,, -orama/-ramaA2, pajamaA2, PakistaniAB2, pastorale, plaqueB2, rale, rationale, SaharaA2, sarsaparilla, scenarioA2, sopranoA2, SudanB2, sultana, tiaraA2 | ||
| "A" in the anglicised pronunciation of many foreign names and loanwords, e.g.: angstA2, AnkaraA2, aquaA2, Ariosto, Asti, Baku, Balaton, Basra, Białystok, Bratislava, camaraderie, CaracasB2, Carpaccio, CasablancaA2, Casals, caveatA2, Cézanne, chiantiA2, Chiapas, dacha, Dachau, d'Annunzio, Delgado, Dushanbe, Francesca, goulashA2, grappa, Gulag, hacienda, Haryana, Kafka, Kampala, kampong, kanji, Kant, kebab, Las A2, lasagnaB2, latteB2, Lausanne, macho, mafia, MannA2, Mascagni, MilanA2, Mohammed, MombasaA2, Pablo PicassoA2, paparazzo, paso doble, pasta, patioA2, pilaff, quattrocento, Rachmaninoff, rallentandoA2, ravioliA2, regattaA2, samizdat, sanitaire, SlovakA2, squacco, Sri LankaA2, taco, tagliatelle, trattoria, tzatziki, Uganda, Vivaldi, wigwam, Wuhan, Yerevan | ||
| charade, cicadaA2, galaAB2, graveA2, pralineB2, stratumB2, tomatoA2 | ||
| agave, swathe | ||
| Adolf, basilA2, canineB2, granary, placable, macronA2, paleo-, patronise/-izeA2, patriotB2, patriate/-ationB2, phalanxA2, plaitA2, Sabine, satrapA2, satyrA2 | ||
| apparatusA2, apricotA2, babel, comrade, dahlia, dataA2, digitalisA2, gratisB2, patentB2, rabidAB2, statusA2 | ||
| B2 | twat | |
| quagmireB2, scallopAB2, wrath | ||
| B2 | A2 | Xhosa |
| or | sloth, trothA2, wontA2, wrothB2 | |
| A2 | schmaltz | |
| asphalt | ||
| Excluding words changed by the lot-cloth split: alcoholA2, atollA2, AustinB2, gnocchiA2, oratoryA2, parasolA2, sausage, | ||
| A2 | leprechaun | |
| or | A2 | falcon |
| Aesculapius, Aeschylus, esthete/-ticB2, anesthetist/-ize, amenityB2, breveA2, Dedalus, eco-A2, ecumenicalB2, epochalB2, esotericB2, evolutionB2, hemo-A2, Hephaestus, hygienicA2, KenyaB2, leverA2, methaneB2, OedipusA2, estrogenB2, estrusB2, pedophile, penalizeA2, Phedrus, predecessorA2, predilectionA2, pyrethrinA2, questor, schizophreniaA2, Semite, senileA2, systemic | ||
| crematoriumA2, cretin, depotA2, fetidB2, hedonism/-ist, leisureA2, presentationA2, reconnoitA2, zebraB2 | ||
| beta, eta, gazeboA2, heinousB2, Mekong, quayA2, reparteeA2, theta, zeta | ||
| detourB2, HeleneA2 | ||
| B2 | Zimbabwe | |
| Haggai, IsraelA2 | ||
| ateB2, étui, mêléeA2, presa | ||
| againB2, cortègeB2, nonpareil | ||
| coloratura, hoverA2, Somme. Also the strong forms of these function words: bodyA2, from, of, was, whatA2 | ||
| accomplice/-ishB2, colanderB2, conjureA2, constableB2, monetaryA2, -mongerA2 | ||
| adios, Aeroflot, ayatollah, Barbados, baroqueB2, BoccheriniA2, Bogotá, cognacA2, compost, doldrumsA2, dolor/dolour, groschen, grossoA2, homo-B2, Interpol, Lod, mocha, olfactoryA2, Pinocchio, pogrom, polkaB2, produce A2, professorialA2, prophy-, realpolitikA2, riposte, Rosh HashanahA2, sconeAB2, shone, solsticeA2, Sonia, TolstoyA2, trollB2, yogurtB2. Also, in general, Greek-derived names of places, people, or ideas that end in "-os", for example, ErosA2, ethos, Helios, logos A2, mythos, pathos, etc.; although chaos follows the British norm in both countries. | ||
| Adonis, codicilB2, codifyA2, goffer, ogleA2, processA2, projectB2 | ||
| dynasty, hibiscus, housewifery, idyll, italicA2, pipette, privacyB2, simultaneousA2, sinecure, tinnitus, totalizator, tricolorB2, trimester, Tyrolean, vitaminB2. See also -ine. | ||
| butylB2, condyle, cyclicB2, doctrinal, finance/-ialAB2, forsythia, -isation/-izationA2, kinesis/-ticB2, Minotaur, primer, Pythagoras, subsidence/-ent, synapseB2, umbilicalB2. See also -ine. | ||
| Isaiah | ||
| eitherAB2, Pleiades, viaA2. See also -ine. | ||
| albino, geyser, migraineB2, oblique. See also -ine. | ||
| B2 | symbiosis/-tic | |
| A2 | In the prefixes anti-, multi-, semi- in loose compounds | |
| beenB2, cliqueA2, creekA2 mainstream, invalid B2, prima | ||
| aphrodisiac, Biarritz, bulimia, memorabilia, pitaB2, prestigiousA2, tricot | ||
| enclave, envoi/-voy | ||
| A2 | femme fatale, pall-mall | |
| A2 | nous | |
| kümmel | ||
| Buddha, cuckoo, Düsseldorf, Gutiérrez, guru, Ljubljana, Mussolini | ||
| boogie-woogie, boulevard, hoofA2, roofAB2, rootA2, snooker, woofA2 | ||
| ferrule, fortune | ||
| A2 | courier | |
| or B2 | brusque | |
| surplus | ||
| B2 | cumin | |
| A2 | route | |
| broochA2, provenB2 | ||
| cantaloup, hecatomb | ||
| plover | ||
| A2 | Moscow | |
| A2 | Madagascar | |
| Berkeley, Berkshire, Cherwell, clerk, derby, Hertford. | ||
| A2 | err | |
| B2 | Ernst | |
| A2 | deterrent | |
| A2 | ampere | |
| A2 | inherent | |
| A2 | coherent, era, hysteria | |
| Irkutsk | ||
| chirrupA2, squirrel, stirrupA2, syrupA2 | ||
| A2 | whorl | |
| acornA2, record, the weak form of or | ||
| metaphor, Westmorland | ||
| Amazon, anacoluthon, automatonA2, Avon, capon, crampon, crayonA2, Lebanon, lexicon, marathon, ascot, melancholy, myrmidon, OregonA2, pantechnicon, paragon, Parthenon, phenomenon, pylon, python, Rubicon, saffronA2, siliconA2, wainscot. Also any geometric shapes ending in "-agon"; for example, hexagon, octagon, pentagon, polygon, etc. | ||
| AesopA2 mainstream, Amos, condom, despot, EnochA2, ingot, mosquito, sombrero, Winthrop | ||
| röntgen, Stendhal | ||
| accent, nonsense | ||
| congress, Kentucky, parallelepiped | ||
| despicableA2 mainstream, WinchesterB2 | ||
| Ceylon | ||
| Some of the words affected by the weak vowel merger: carpet, Martin, rabbit, etc. The merger also creates weak forms of words such as in and it which are non-RP. | ||
| B2 | A2 | Some of the words affected by the weak vowel merger: impetigo, orange, Semitic, etc. See also [|effects of the weak vowel merger]. |
| baboonA2, bassoonA2, CapriA2, fastidiousAB2, nasturtiumA2, papooseA2, platoonA2, raccoon, taboo, tattoo, toucan, trapeze | ||
| DraconianA2, hurricaneB2, legislature, satanic. Also, longer words ending in -ative. | ||
| entrailsA2, magistrateA2 mainstream, portrait, template | ||
| A2 | foyer | |
| Göttingen | ||
| föhn, Göthe | ||
| Schönberg | ||
| or | bleu, œuvre | |
| Mauritius | ||
| anchovy, borough, thorough, varicose, volitionA2. Also place names that end in "-burgh", such as EdinburghA2 and surnames ending in -stone, e.g. Johnstone. Words prefixed with an unstressed "pro-"A2, with the exceptions of process, progress and project, commonly use either pronunciation in American English; for example, probation, procedure, prohibit, proliferate, prolific, Prometheus, prophetic, propinquity, prorogation, protest, protract, protrude, protuberance/-ant, and Provence. | ||
| Excluding words altered by the yod-dropping phenomenon: barracuda, culotte, pumaA2 | ||
| couponA2, fuchsine, HoustonB2 | ||
| conduit, iguanaB2, jaguar, unguent | ||
| A2 | figure | |
| eruditeA2, purulent, virulenceB2 | ||
| duress, Kuwait, résuméA2 | ||
| B2 | Excluding words altered by the yod-dropping phenomenon: Honduras | |
| nougat | ||
| A2 | Huguenot | |
| A2 | connoisseur, entrepreneur, masseur | |
| A2 | tournament | |
| Betelgeuse, chanteuse, chartreuseA2, masseuse | ||
| AussieA2, blouse, blouson, complaisantA2, citizen,AB2 crescentB2, dextrose, diagnoseA2, erase, fuselageA2, mimosa, netizen,AB2 parse, ruseA2, talisman, treatise, valise, venisonB2, visaA2, xylose | ||
| asthma, chromosomeA2 | ||
| piazzaA2, schnauzer, terrazzo | ||
| xi | ||
| B2 mainstream | sexual | |
| luxury | ||
| AsiaB2, cashmere, PersiaB2, persionA2, cursionB2, mersion, versionA2 | ||
| erasure | ||
| Elgin, hegemony | ||
| B2 | sandwich, spinach | |
| Chou | ||
| A2 | braggadocio | |
| chassis | ||
| cassiaA2, CassiusA2, DionysiusA2, hessian, Lucius, scient/-ence, Theodosius | ||
| or | ,, or | nausea, transient |
| artesian, Elysian, Frisian, Frasier, glazier, grazier, hosiery, Indonesia, Malaysia, Parisian, Polynesia, Rabelaisian | ||
| cordial | ||
| besti, celestial | ||
| consortiumB2, otiose, ratiocinate, sentientB2 | ||
| B2 | schedule | |
| B2 | A2 | niche |
| bequeath, boothB2, loathA2, smithyA2, withA2 | ||
| B2 | Anthony | |
| A2 | Excluding words changed by flapping : Taoism | |
| conquistador | ||
| B2 | questionnaire | |
| B2 | nephew | |
| Excluding words changed by nasal flapping: bona fideA2, chthonicB2, coupé, diaper, furore, herbA2, KnossosB2, phthisisB2, ricochet, salveA2, solder, towardA2, B2, vaudeville | ||
| Excluding words changed by non-rhoticity: geo- B2, medicineB2, Nantes, oldeAB2, physiognomy, schismB2 mainstream, Singhalese, suggestA2, traitB2, Valenciennes, vehicleA2 mainstream, Warwick. See also -ary -ery -ory -bury, -berry. |