Have you ever watched dramas or movies made in the United States or England? Did you have any questions while watching movies and dramas in both countries? While watching dramas and movies, some people may have noticed the difference in pronunciation between the two countries. On the other hand, other people may not know the differences in pronunciation between American English and British English. There are many examples of different pronunciations between the two countries and how American English was first originated.

▲ People use different English between America and England.

First, the American pronunciation of 'a' is often pronounced as [æ] when the syllable containing vowel 'a' is stressed, whereas British pronunciation is often pronounced as [a]. For example, in the United States, people pronounce 'class' as [klæs], while the people in Great Britain pronounce it as [klɑːs]. Also, in American pronunciation, 'o' is pronounced as [a], while in British English it is pronounced as [ɔ]. Giving an instance, American people pronounce 'borrow' as [ˈbɑːroʊ] or [ˈbɒrəʊ], whereas the British people pronounce it as [ˈbɒrəʊ]. Third, American people often pronounce 'i' as [i], while British people often pronounce 'i' as [ai]. For instance, 'dimension' is pronounced as [dɪˈmɛnʃ(ə)n(ə)] in America, while it is pronounced as [daɪˈmenʃ(ə)n] in England. Generally, 'r' is always pronounced as [r] in American pronunciation, whereas in British pronunciation, the word 'r/re' ends or the consonant that follows 'r/re' is not pronounced. For example, the word, 'purse', is pronounced as [pɜːrs] among American people, whereas it is pronounced as [pɜːs] among British people. In American English, 't' and 'd' are gently pronounced, and they sound [r], whereas in British English, 't' and 'd' are literally ruptured. The same occurs frequently when 't' and 'd' come between vowel and consonant 'l'. However, an American accent does not necessarily mean that the 't' between vowels is [r]. When people pronounce [r], the vowel in front of the 't' should be stressed.

▲ There are many pronouncing differences beween American English and British English.

Then, why is it that American English and British English are different? Before the British pronunciation was used only by the educated upper-middle class. First, the Pilgrims entered the United States and used their words mainly and then sent criminals from England. Also, black slaves from Africa were introduced to the southern part of the United States, mixing up the African accent. After the United States gained independence from Great Britain, a man named Noah Webster took his own path to reflect independence from England in terms of language. When he was in school, he used English textbooks, which he thought students should learn from American textbooks. He finally made a book in 1783 that taught students how to read and write, which made a huge difference for American students. Later, he published “An American Dictionary of the English Language” in 1866 to promote America's own language.

▲ ˝American Dictionary of the English Language˝ was published by Noah Webster.

So far, we have seen the differences in pronunciation between the U.S. and British English and the history of American English. It is said that many people know English pronunciation, also called “received pronunciation” and “Posh English” only uses three percent. According to James McAvoy of The Late Show in 2016, it is a problem with the education system that there are a lot of posh actors. Also, Englishman Emma Sparks said it is not just a matter of pronunciation, it is a matter of money and opportunity. In other words, in the “Posh English” that we know, there is a solid identity system working.

October 26th, 2019

by Lee Dowon