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Why "coffee" sounds different in British English
British English says /ˈkɒfi/. The first vowel /ɒ/ is short, made at the back of the mouth with lightly rounded lips, the same vowel as in "hot", "stop" and "cough". American English lengthens and opens it: /ˈkɔːfi/ in some regions, /ˈkɑːfi/ ("kah-fee") in others.
The difference is mostly about length and rounding. If your O sounds like the A in "father", round your lips more. If it sounds like the AW in "law", shorten it and drop your jaw slightly. The ending is a short, bright "ee". The same short vowel is in hot, so practise them together.
How to say "coffee" like a Brit, step by step
- Drop your jaw slightly and round your lips a little for a short o.
- Say kof, cutting the vowel short as the F starts.
- Finish with a quick ee: fee.
- Stress the first syllable: KOF-ee. Compare it with "cough": same first vowel.
Practise "coffee" in a sentence
- Fancy grabbing a coffee before the lecture?
- I'll have a flat white and a slice of carrot cake, please.
- There's a lovely little coffee shop by the station.
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 coffee in a British accent?
In Received Pronunciation, coffee is pronounced /ˈkɒfi/, roughly "KOF-ee". Use a short, rounded O as in "hot": KOF-ee.
Is the American pronunciation of coffee wrong?
No. /ˈkɔːfi/ or /ˈkɑːfi/ is standard in American English. Both are correct, they simply belong to different accents. If you are learning a British accent, aim for /ˈkɒfi/.