Learn English Accents British vs American

Learn English Accents British vs American Learning English Dialects: the UK vs US ChaptersThe Different Accents we get from English Classes in SchoolWhat are the Differences Between a British and American Accent?Characteristics of an American AccentHow to Speak in a British AccentBy learning English you're diving into the language of Shakespeare. But why limit yourself to knowing just a few words, when it is possible to study the language in depth?At  Superprof, we believe that learning  English properly requires an understanding of it's different dialects, cultures and accents!Whether they are international, British or American accents, they all derive from the English language!But, how do we learn these accents? What are the different characteristics of each accent?Furthermore, let’s take the word “international”, a word that you would here a lot in the US. The American’s would pronounce this world like “inernational”; the “t” is dropped. The same goes for, “interstate” and “intersection”.“The Americans drop certain words”This is not always the case. Not all Americans drop syllables when they speak.We consider US English to be a lot more nasal and linear than British English. You will notice that many American’s speak from their nose.Although it is often said that the US “drop” their words, this may seem pejorative, but it does give more of a fluid effect to their speech.The American accent is the accent that many people dream of having, it flows a lot better than the British accent.Discover the most famous English quotes used throughout the world.How to Speak in a British AccentThe British accent is sophisticated and elegant. (Source: Photo credit: LaertesCTB via Visual hunt / CC BY)The Sophisticated British AccentUnlike the American accent, then! Even if there is no familiar English or “street” accent, as in all languages, it is safe to say that the British accent is refined. Some will say that it is much more pleasant than the American accent.Follow the English and Anglo-Saxon TV channels to discove r this accent!Although the United Kingdom is only a short plane or train ride from France, Spain, and Italy, for non-native English speakers who learn the international accent, the British accent is hard to grasp and understand.The diphthongs and triphthongs of British EnglishDiphthongs are syllables where we pronounce two syllables, even if they are not written as such. For example, the word “duty” is pronounced as “dewty”. The same goes for words such as, “layer and employer”.This is also the case in American English, but the British pronounce words far more precisely. After all, they are the bearers of the history of the English language!The Brits have a tendency to add diphthongs where there aren’t any! For example, the pronunciation of words ending with a suffix, like, “pretty”, “definitely” and “shortly”.  British speakers emphasise their accent on the last syllable, so you get the impression of hearing two syllables.PlosivesAnother characteristic of the British accent that allows you to see the differences in the accents, is the plosives. Well, what about it?To put it simply, plosives represent the exaggeration of accents placed on certain consonants. You are unaware that the British English pronunciation imposes placing accents on syllables in each word, to make it linear. Sometimes these accents are found on strong consonant syllables, such as “b, t, p and d”.And as its name indicates, when there is an emphasis, these few consonants must be said in a plosive manner. In a way, they must burst from your mouth. So, the plosive “b” can sometimes be transformed into “p”.This is the case for the word “British”, which would be pronounced as “pritish”.The same goes for the word “Cambridge”, which would be pronounced as “Campridge”.To speak great British English, don’t forget your plosives!  Find out how to learn English with our Great Selection of Anglophile News Outlets.Discover the weird and wonderful world of British cuisine.