Pronunciation difference between NAmE and BrE
Hi,
Often when I say to people that there is a huge difference in pronunciation between NAmE and BrE, I can't say exactly how big it actually is. What do you think is the percentage of the words that differ? I'd would like to leave out words that include "r" and assume they are pronounced the same.
Thanks.
I think that if you leave out systemic and easily predictable differences (coda /r/, realization of /o/, /A: Q/ opposition, etc) the percentage of words that differ in pronunciation is actually quite small. If you want me to venture a non-scientific guess, I'd say less than 1%.
I actually wanted to leave out only the words with r's in them. All the rest I wanted considered. It's because I think if you're learning one type of pronunciation, you can't help all the r's that is typical of your chosen pronunciation. But you can teach yourself all the other words according to their proper pronunciation. So I'd like to take into account all the differences that occur in words like: pot, better, new, fast and so on.
All of those words are pronounced differently, at least in the two standard varieties. However they aren't that noticeable of differences for the most part--misunderstandings are very rare in English between the two standard varieties compared to most other languages. The "r" is the most noticerd difference, followed by the COT and CAUGHT vowels.
/lAst/ is last in London, but lost in L.A.
I think that there is more variation within British dialects than between American and British; I imagine that there are quite a few British speakers that consider their fellow Britons to have more of an accent than the average American. Most words have some difference, though, even if very slight. For instance, British people tend to pronounce the word "weekend" as if it were two words. In America, there is a subtle difference between the pronunciations of "This weekend" and "This weak end"; Britons don't seem to make that distinction.
I would imagine that the incidence of Britons having problems and issues of comprehension with the accented speech of other Britons from other parts of the UK is appreciably higher than than is the case with the United States and the American people.
I wonder if there is an American equivalent of a frustrated, faintly irritated, elderly gentleman in Surrey, South East England, having comprehension issues while engaged in a telephone conversation with a thickly accented 20 something woman manning the help-desk of an organisation in Glasgow, Scotland or in Sunderland, up there in Geordieland, North East England?
At the same time as I'm posting in here I'm having my Sunday morning breakfast of coffee, bran flakes, warm croissants and butter and strawberry jam along with fresh strawberries from Kent.
I'm listening to a discussion on BBC Radio 4 about the correct way to pronounce "Newfoundland" - the Canadian province, and there seems to be some disparity here in the UK over this - I say "NEW-fund-l'nd" and so do many other Brits, apparently, but there again others say "New-FOUND-l'nd" or even go the whole phonetic way - "New-FOUND-land".
What do Newfoundlanders themselves call it, I wonder?
I believe it is pronounced "NEW fund land".
My aunt once went to stay in America, and whilst buying clothes, found that the shopkeeper of a clothes shop, who was American, didn't understand a word she was saying, and thought that my aunt was speaking in a foreign language. She's English. Rather amusingly, the Mexican shop assistant was able to 'translate' into American English for the shopkeeper. I was astounded when I heard this!
On a similar note, my mother's godparents live in America, in Texas. Her godfather is from Texas himself, and his wife, my mother's godmother is English, as is my mother. My mother once went to stay with them in Texas, and during her stay there, met some friends of her godparents, of whom one suddenly burst out: "Maria darling, why isn't that amazing? I never wanted to say it before, but your goddaughter has the same speech impediment you have!" (speaking to the godmother).
Is this normal in America? Do people really have so little exposure tot he English accent that they don't know what it is when they hear it? My family all speak with quite 'posh' accents, so one day in the future, I intend to go to America and be as British as I can, asking for fish and chips and the such like!
What do Newfoundlanders themselves call it, I wonder?
It sounds like NOOFinland to me, accent is on the 1st syllable,
and FOUND is not pronounce like FOUND but like FIN
LOL
LOL. I know what you mean. I'm not even a native speaker but I very much enjoy indulging myself in purposely baffling Americans with British-isms like 'indeed' or 'lorry' or 'by Jove'; or with British pronunciation of 'aunt' or 'bath' or any other word for that matter. I enjoy watching their faces.
'Like, wha-at'?
Caspian - mate, a few years back I tried to order some food from a Burger King drive through and I can't even begin to explain the absolute carry on that ensued.
I can't quite remember what I was trying to order but it was basically Burger and chips (fries) so how hard can it be??
Now, I am a pretty well spoken English lad from Essex and have never had a problem being understood and I have been all over the world. But this bird who served me just didn't understand anything that I said. I repeated myself time and again but she just couldn't grasp a word of it. She ended up saying that she spoke a bit of Spanish and if I did also in the hope that maybe we would have a better chance of communicating that way!! I couldn't believe it!! Creased me up!! I am not even going to get started on my Kentucky Fried Chicken story! But I also remember one bloke in Universal studios having a VERY hard time with me asking for "TO-MAR-TERS"
My favourite line to raise the eyebrows of a yank when over there would have to be "where can I go and smoke a fag". It gets a brilliant reaction everytime.