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British pronunciation · practical guide

British vs American pronunciation: what to listen for

RP and General American differ in several vowels and in how R is used after a vowel. Compare car, bath and hot. Both countries have many accents, so these examples describe two teaching references rather than every British or American speaker.

By BritSpeech ·

R at the end of a word

In General American, you usually hear R in car even before a pause. In RP, it is normally absent there. Before a following vowel, RP speakers can link the R into the next word. Practise phrases as well as isolated words so you do not learn to delete every R.

Try it aloud

  1. Compare: car / car park / car engine.
  2. Now try: far / far away.
  3. Listen for the sound that comes after R.
Listen: carBritish model · generated voice

Listen once, repeat the word, then use it in a sentence. Practise the dropped r.

The vowel in bath

The RP model uses the long vowel heard in father for bath. General American usually uses the vowel in cat. Many speakers in northern England also use a short vowel in bath; that is a British pronunciation too.

Try it aloud

  1. Listen to the UK and US recordings of bath in Cambridge Dictionary.
  2. Choose one model and say: A bath after work.
  3. Keep cat and bath separate if you are practising RP.
Listen: bathBritish model · generated voice

Listen once, repeat the word, then use it in a sentence. Practise the long bath.

The vowel in hot

For the RP model, practise a short vowel with some lip rounding in hot and dog. Many General American speakers use a less rounded vowel. Listen to a speaker rather than relying on spellings such as ‘haht’, which different readers interpret differently.

Try it aloud

  1. Listen to hot, then say: The room is hot.
  2. Repeat off and dog. Keep the vowel short.
  3. Record the three words in a sentence.
Listen: hotBritish model · generated voice

Listen once, repeat the word, then use it in a sentence. Practise the rounded lot.

T changes with the speaker and setting

American speakers often use a quick tap for T in words such as water. British speech also has several T sounds, including a glottal stop in some positions and accents. A clear released T is a useful starting exercise, not the only British option.

Stress and connected speech matter in both varieties. Neither accent is simply flat or musical. Copy a complete phrase and ask which word carries the message.

Questions about this practice

Should I switch every American pronunciation?

Only if that serves your goal. If you want to practise RP, choose one difference at a time. Mixing features does not automatically make your speech unclear.

Is British English harder to pronounce?

It depends on the sounds and rhythm you already use. Choose a model you want to learn rather than assuming one national variety is easier for everyone.

Keep practising

References and listening

Written by BritSpeech. Practice routines are suggestions, not guaranteed learning outcomes. Where included, our audio examples use the app’s generated British voice.