How to pronounce aunt in a British accent

Why "aunt" sounds different in British English

RP has /ɑːnt/, with the long vowel of "father". Because the R in "aren't" is silent, the two words are homophones: /ɑːnt/. Most Americans say /ænt/, identical to the insect, although "ahnt" is traditional in parts of New England and Virginia and common among many African American speakers.

Within Britain the word varies too. Many speakers in the North and Midlands use a short a, as they do in other BATH words. If you are aiming for a standard southern British accent, or for the way the word is said in most British films and television, "ahnt" is the form to learn.

How to say "aunt" like a Brit, step by step

1. Open your mouth wide and hold a long ah, as in "car" without the R.
2. Close with n, tongue tip on the ridge behind your top teeth.
3. Release a short t from the same tongue position.
4. Check it against "aren't": in RP the two should sound identical.

Practise "aunt" in a sentence

• ▶ My aunt lives just outside Brighton.
• ▶ We're staying with my aunt and uncle over Christmas.
• ▶ Her great-aunt turned ninety last month.

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.