Accent LabPress ▶ to hear an example in a British accent and ◀▶ in an American one. Playback uses your device's built-in voices.
Quick comparison
| Feature | British (RP) | American | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| R after vowels | Dropped: "cah" | Pronounced: "car" | |
| bath, can't, dance | Long "ah" /ɑː/ | Short "a" /æ/ | |
| hot, stop, lot | Short rounded /ɒ/ | Open "ah" /ɑ/ | |
| T between vowels | Clear T: "wa-ter" | Tapped D: "wadder" | |
| go, home, no | Central start /əʊ/ | Back, rounded /oʊ/ | |
| new, tune, duke | "nyoo", "tyoon" | "noo", "toon" |
1. The R: rhotic vs non-rhotic
American English is rhotic: every written R is pronounced. RP is non-rhotic: an R is only pronounced before a vowel. So "car", "four" and "better" end in a vowel in British English, while "car alarm" and "four apples" bring the R back to link the words.
This also changes the vowels themselves. "Bird", "word" and "nurse" use a long R-less vowel /ɜː/, and "near", "square" and "cure" become glides: "nee-uh", "squeh-uh".
2. The bath vowel
RP splits words Americans say with the same "a" into two groups. Cat, hand and man keep a short /æ/, while bath, can't, after, class and dance take a long /ɑː/. There is no foolproof spelling rule, but the long vowel usually appears before s, f, th and n plus another consonant.
3. The short O
"Hot" in American English sounds close to "haht". In RP it is short and rounded, /ɒ/. That is why the British and American versions of "not a lot" sound so different even at normal speed.
4. T sounds
American English taps a T between vowels so it sounds like a quick D: "wadder", "budder", "liddle". RP pronounces a real T. (Many regional British accents replace it with a glottal stop instead, "wa'er", but standard British English keeps it.)
5. The go vowel
The RP vowel in go, home and phone starts in the centre of the mouth and glides to "oo". The American vowel starts further back with rounder lips. It is subtle, but it is one of the main features that makes RP sound posh. See the posh accent guide for more.
6. Yod: new, tune, duke
RP keeps a small "y" sound after n, t and d before "oo": new is "nyoo", tune is "tyoon", and many speakers merge "tune" towards "chune". American English usually drops it: "noo", "toon".
Words that are simply pronounced differently
Some words don't follow a sound rule at all. They just have a different British pronunciation. These are the ones learners ask about most:
| Word | British | American |
|---|---|---|
| tomato | tuh-MAH-toh | tuh-MAY-toh |
| schedule | SHED-yool | SKED-jool |
| vitamin | VIT-uh-min | VYE-tuh-min |
| aluminium | al-yoo-MIN-ee-um | uh-LOO-min-um |
| privacy | PRIV-uh-see | PRY-vuh-see |
| herb | HERB (with H) | ERB (silent H) |
| garage | GARR-ahzh | guh-RAHZH |
| leisure | LEZH-uh | LEE-zhur |
Word stress and melody
British English tends to shorten unstressed syllables more aggressively. Compare "secretary" (British SEK-ruh-tree, three syllables; American SEK-ruh-tair-ee, four) or "laboratory" (British luh-BORR-uh-tree; American LAB-ruh-tor-ee). The melody also differs: RP often uses a wider pitch range and falls more clearly at the end of a statement.
Switching from American to British
If you speak with an American accent, change things in this order: drop the R, add the long bath vowel, round the short O, then fix the Ts. Those four changes alone will make you sound British to most listeners. The full method is in how to do a British accent, and Accent Lab will tell you which American habits are still showing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the biggest difference between British and American accents?
The R. Standard American English pronounces the R in words like car, water and bird. Standard British English (RP) drops it unless a vowel follows. This one change affects thousands of words and is the first thing listeners notice.
Is British or American English easier to understand?
Neither is objectively easier. Learners usually find the accent they hear most often easier to understand. RP and General American are both designed as clear, widely understood standard accents.
Did Americans used to have British accents?
In the 1700s, English on both sides of the Atlantic still pronounced the R. Southern England later dropped it, while most of America kept it. So in that respect, modern American English is closer to the older accent than modern RP is.
Should I learn a British or an American accent?
Learn the one you will use. If you live, study or work with people in the UK, or simply prefer the sound, choose British English. The important thing is to pick one and be consistent, rather than mixing the two.