British English and American English: Phonetic differences

• Suffix -mony: Suffix -mony after a stressed syllable is pronounced [moʊni] in GA and [məni] in RP.

Some of these suffixes corresponding to adjectives, which in turn can be converted into adverbs by adding the suffix -ly. This change also implies a shift in stress in GA, which is not generally found in RP. In GA the stress in adverbs falls on the antepenultimate syllable, as in arbitrarily [-ɑ:rbəˈtrerəli], contrarily [kənˈtrerIli], momentarily [-moʊmənˈterəli], or ordinarily [-ɔːrdnˈerəli]. When the word is long, a secondary stress normally appears on the first syllable of the word. Other suffixes, such as -ery, essentially keep the same pronunciation in both accents.

 

2.5. Changes in articulation

 

As stated at the outset, there some minor differences in articulation between British and American English. These differences do not compromise mutual understanding. American English is inclined to pronounce unstressed syllables. Bernard Shaw stated, “he could once recognize an American because he accented the third syllable of  necessary. ”There is a certain jocular intention in his comment -we could not expect less from Shaw-, but it also acknowledges a fact about American English, the due emphasis given to each syllable. Thus, we hear

necessary [ˈnesəsəri] in RP, but a more clearly articulated version in GA,

necessary [ˈnesəseri], with two tense vowels in the same word.

 

 

2.6. Intonation

 

Another important difference is intonation. When we speak, our voice goes up and down. When Englishmen speak, their voice can go very high and quite low. When American people speak their voice is quite flat, they do go up and down but not so much. So the effect is that British people sing a lot, and American people sound much more monotonous by comparison.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

The study of changes in pronunciation has been aided tremendously by technical innovations over the last few decades. Researchers used to gather information on pronunciation by conducting interviews in which they would ask about a particular word, listen to the response, and quickly jot down the way it was said.

 

The availability of high-quality, portable tape recorders has freed the researcher from needing to document pronunciations on the spot. Also, the great fidelity of the recordings and the ability to listen to a sample repeatedly has allowed linguists to document more subtle distinctions of sound. An even greater level of detail has been opened to researchers through the use of computerized spectrographic analysis.

 

The detailed examination of differences in speech also has applications outside the field of linguistics. The ability of computers to recognize and understand natural human speech can be greatly enhanced by a fuller account of the rich variety of accents across the country. Interpersonal connections that promote new pronunciations also influence other social behaviors.

 

The study of pronunciation changes also can provide insight into how innovations of various types are spread. The networks of influence involved in the diffusion of, say, the Northern Cities Shift may also serve as conduits for other innovations such as new technology. Similarly, the interpersonal connections that promote new pronunciations also influence other social behaviors. An improved understanding of these connections might be useful to, for example, public health officials in disseminating information about disease, child safety, etc. Changes such as those described here have had and will continue to have a significant impact on the sound of American English. For linguists studying such changes, this is an exciting time.

 

When we are learning English as a foreign language, it is important to understand the differences between British and American English. Mixing the two varieties will make English sound strange and unnatural so it is best to choose just one and use it all the time. There is no “better” or “worse” variety of English and both British and American have their advantages depending on how and where you intend to use the language.

 

In American English, pronunciation is the most active arena for language change. Researchers have identified dozens of pronunciation changes underway in various parts of the country. To the casual observer it might be surprising to discover that different changes are happening within different regions. Surprising because this counters a common assumption that Americans are growing more similar in their speech as a result of greater mobility, easier communication and increased access to the mass media.

 

In general, where there are differences between British English and American English spelling, it can be said that American English has the more economical and phonetic spelling. Unnecessary letters are left out and words are spelled how they sound.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography:

 

Леонтьева С. Ф. / Теоретическая фонетика английского языка: Учеб. для студентов вечер, и заоч. отд-ний педвузов.—2-е изд., испр. и доп. — М.: Высш. шк., 1988.

 

Shakhbagova D. A. / Varieties of English Pronunciation, — M., 1982.

 

W. William Labov, S. Ash, and C. Boberg. / The Atlas of North American English: Phonetics, Phonology and Sound Change. — Mouton de Gruyter, 2006.

 

W. Maguire and McMahon A. / Analysing Variation in English. — Cambridge University Press, 2011.

 

John C. Wells. / Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. — Longman, 2000.

 

John Algeo. / The Cambridge History of the English Language: English in North America. — Cambridge University Press, 2001.

 

Peter Avery and Susan Ehrlich. / Teaching American English Pronunciation. Oxford Handbooks for Language Teachers Series. — Oxford University Press, 1992.

 

H. J. Giegerich. / English Phonology. — Cambridge University Press, 1992.

 

Colley F. Sparkman. / The value of phonetics in teaching a foreign language. — The Modern Language Journal, 10(4):227–235, 1926.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhotic_and_non-rhotic_accents

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_pronunciation_differences

 

http://onlineteachersuk.com/en/differences-between-british-and-american-english/

 

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/british-and-american-spelling

 

http://www.ma.eui.upm.es/usuarios/Fmartin/Web/Idiomas/English/Br-Ame-pronun-diff.pdf

http://www.studyenglishtoday.net/english-phonetics.html

http://abc-t.kz/polezno-znat/some-basic-differences-between-british-english-and-american-english/

http://www.liu.se/ikk/english/files/Course%2BWebpages/english-3/1.206147/CompendiumVowelsConsonantsofEnglish.pdf

 

http://www.academia.edu/6416807/British_and_American_English_Pronunciation_Differences_Contents

 

http://www.diffen.com/difference/American_English_vs_British_English#American_vs_British_accent