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Why "after" sounds different in British English
RP says /ˈɑːftə/: a long, open back vowel, then F and T, then a short schwa. General American says /ˈæftər/, with the front vowel of "cat" and an R-coloured ending.
The long vowel before F is typical of the BATH group: "after", "laugh", "half" and "craft" all take it in southern British English. Not every word with this spelling does, though. "Daft" and "raft" are long in RP, but "traffic" and "graphic" keep a short /æ/. In Northern England "after" usually has a short vowel, which is equally British but signals a different region.
How to say "after" like a Brit, step by step
- Open your jaw and say a long ah from the back of the mouth, as in "father".
- Move straight into f, top teeth lightly on the lower lip.
- Make the t a real T. In the cluster "ft" it is short, but it should still be heard.
- End on a weak uh with the tongue relaxed and no R: AHF-tuh.
Practise "after" in a sentence
- I'll ring you after lunch.
- She left straight after the meeting.
- We went for a walk in the park the morning after.
Saying it once correctly is easy. Saying it right in the middle of a fast sentence is the hard part, which is why the sentences above matter more than the single word.
Frequently asked questions
How do you pronounce after in a British accent?
In Received Pronunciation, after is pronounced /ˈɑːftə/, roughly "AHF-tuh". The first vowel is a long "ah" and the final R is silent: AHF-tuh.
Is the American pronunciation of after wrong?
No. /ˈæftər/ is standard in American English. Both are correct, they simply belong to different accents. If you are learning a British accent, aim for /ˈɑːftə/.
Do all British people say AHF-tuh?
No. Most speakers in Northern England and the Midlands say after with a short a, close to the American vowel but without the R. The long ah is the southern English and RP form.