Choosing between a British and American accent - ESL language studies abroad (2024)

FAQs

Should I learn an American or British accent? ›

While we teach American English at Engoo, there are no clear advantages or disadvantages to learning either style. If you learn American English, a speaker of British English will still understand you easily. So if you're wondering which one to study, the answer is simply whichever you prefer!

In the main, British English and American English are very similar, even with differences in spelling. In today's world, American spelling is probably winning thanks to Microsoft's spell checker. There are vocabulary differences and some can cause embarrassing situations if you only know one flavour.

While some learners find British English daunting due to its diverse range of accents and the distinctive features of dialects like Received Pronunciation (RP), others find American English equally challenging due to its rhotic sounds, where "r" is pronounced at the end of words.

Pronunciation Differences

British English tends to use more intonation in speech. For instance, while Americans might say "tomayto," Brits say "tomahto." Americans also tend to stress the first syllable of words, while Brits often stress the second.

Often, English language learners have a belief that one accent is 'better' than another. However, in Medical English, it's far more important to speak clearly, and with the correct intonation. Whether you learn American or British English – or another type – makes no difference.

The Mid-Atlantic accent, or Transatlantic accent, is a consciously learned accent of English, fashionably used by the American upper class and entertainment industry of the late 19th century to mid-20th century, that blended elements from both American and British English.

It's listed in Merriam-Webster as a “variant spelling of GRAY”—that makes it legit, right? Unfortunately, mixing American vs. British English doesn't work that way. For an everyday Joe, mixing English usage from all parts of the world creates no issues.

The main difference between British English and American English is in pronunciation. Some words are also different in each variety of English, and there are also a few differences in the way they use grammar.

A new study has named Shetland as the hardest accent in the world for actors to emulate.

What is the hardest English accent to learn? ›

It comes as no surprise then that many people rank the West Country accent as the most challenging English dialect to understand due to its heavy drawl and slurred syllable endings. The West Country accent originates from the region of Southwestern England, bordered by Wales and the Bristol Channel.

Perhaps the two most iconic English varieties in the world are British and American accents. Both of them have a form of “general” accent which is perceived as more educated or correct than the other varieties, as if having an accent-free speech was a sign of social status.

In this short pronunciation video, we will look at how to pronounce "water" in American, British, and Australian English. American English speakers typically say "waw-ter," while British English speakers say "wot-er." Australian English speakers say "wadder."

People tend to think a foreign accent is more interesting and more sexy, says Guy Winch, a psychotherapist from Britain who's long been based in the United States, “because in general we tend to value what's less common.” Americans associate a British accent with someone being “more intelligent, more sophisticated and ...

A good American accent will help you reduce prejudice with some Americans and meet their criteria for appropriate speech patterns. It will help you build trust and credibility because people tend to believe non-native speakers less only because it is harder to understand them.

The British accent is known for its varied dialects and is often seen as one of the most beautiful accents in the world. However, for Americans, this same accent can be difficult to understand. Of the many British dialects, Americans find the accent from the Northeast of England to be the hardest to comprehend.

The answer is simple – a standard American accent is perceived as more professional and easy to understand compared to other accents. In the business world, having a good command of the English language, especially with a standard American accent, opens up many opportunities for growth and success.

General American: The 'Unmarked' Accent

Almost a century later, there's still no “normal” accent, but the term has survived to describe what is considered the most correct, or the unmarked, American accent. The word “unmarked” is pretty loaded when referring to accents, though.