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Why "British" sounds different in British English
Standard British English says /ˈbrɪtɪʃ/: two short /ɪ/ vowels, as in "sit", and a crisp T. American English taps the T between the vowels, /ˈbrɪt̬ɪʃ/, so it sounds like "Briddish".
"Bri'ish", with a glottal stop in place of the T, is widely used and frequently parodied. It is genuinely British, common in London, Estuary English and many other accents, but it is not RP. If you want to sound British in a neutral, widely understood way, use the clear T. The R at the start is pronounced, because it comes before a vowel.
How to say "British" like a Brit, step by step
- Start with br, then a short i: brit.
- Release a clean t with your tongue tip behind your top teeth.
- Add a short ish.
- Stress the first syllable: BRIT-ish. Not "Briddish", not "Bri'ish".
Practise "British" in a sentence
- He has a British passport but grew up in Spain.
- The British Museum is free to visit.
- Queuing is a very British habit.
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 British in a British accent?
In Received Pronunciation, British is pronounced /ˈbrɪtɪʃ/, roughly "BRIT-ish". Say BRIT-ish with a clear T, rather than the American tap or a glottal stop.
Is the American pronunciation of British wrong?
No. /ˈbrɪt̬ɪʃ/ is standard in American English. Both are correct, they simply belong to different accents. If you are learning a British accent, aim for /ˈbrɪtɪʃ/.