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It is no exaggeration to say that "British English and American English sound completely different".
Basically, American English was often heard in junior high school and high school listening materials. It is not uncommon for people to have never heard of British English.
Even if you say "pronunciation" in one word, it varies from country to country.
This time, I will explain three features that you should know about British English pronunciation.
Knowing which sounds in British English are very different from American English will make it easier to grasp the characteristics at once.
If you are interested in English pronunciation, this is something you should know.
Why you should know the pronunciation of British English
First, before I give you some tips on how to pronounce British English, I would like to explain why you need to know the characteristics of British English.
English is a language used in many countries, but in fact there is a big difference just by comparing the pronunciations of American English, British English, and Australian English.
If you plan to master English and communicate with people all over the world, you need to know that "the pronunciation you are studying is not always everything".
It's nice to get used to American English, but if you continue to correct pronunciation specifically for American English without knowing British English at all, the shock of witnessing British English will be immeasurable. ..
This is because American English and British English are different at the level of "surprise and embarrassment."
Even if you mainly learn American English pronunciation, by knowing the characteristics of British English, you will be able to respond even though you are not accustomed to saying, "By the way, I pronounced this in the UK." ..
The three characteristics introduced here are extremely basic pronunciations. If you know this alone, it will surely be useful in the future.
Three characteristics of British English pronunciation
British English is actually known to be relatively easy for Japanese to pronounce.
This is because American English is often pronounced with varying or abbreviated sounds, while British English is pronounced word by word, making it easy to imitate and hear.
Here are three sounds that British English is clearly different from American English.
① Do not pronounce the vowel R
The "R" sound, which is also a representative of the sounds that Japanese people are not good at.
British English is simple, unlike American English, which pronounces R clearly by rolling and pulling the tongue.
For example, if you explain the pronunciation of work as an example, in British English it sounds like a katakana "work", whereas in American English it sounds complicated because it pronounces "R" firmly.
In the extreme, British English pronunciation is almost unpronounced if there is no vowel after the "R".
"Ear" sounds like "ear".
In American English, there is an "R" at the end of the word, so the sound of R is pronounced while being stretched further.
"More" sounds like "mo" in British English. This is a typical example of a sound close to moe.
② O is pronounced with a sound similar to Japanese "O"
In American English, "body" is pronounced as an a-type sound like "buddy," but in British English, it is "body."
It is pronounced with a sound similar to the katakana "body".
The "O" in British English sounds distinctly different from that in American English.
To put it simply, the pronunciation is similar to the Japanese word "o".
"Conversation" sounds like "conversation" in American English, but it also sounds like "conversation" in British English.
It sounds like romaji reading.
③ T is pronounced properly
"Flap-t" that many people struggle with in American English.
The pronunciation of [t] when sandwiched between vowels changes to a unique light sound that is neither [t] nor [d], and it is difficult to pronounce it well until you get used to it.
The pronunciation of "water" and "better" sounds like "wara" and "bella" in American English.
However, this is also unique to American English and does not apply to British English.
In British English, the sounds are "water" and "solid".
The point is not to extend the R at the end of the word, but the biggest feature is the sound of [t].
[t] is pronounced exactly in British English.
The sound of [t] does not change depending on the surrounding sounds as in American English.
Conclusion
If you turn your attention to the pronunciation of British English, there are many really interesting discoveries.
For those who are struggling to imitate the pronunciation of American English, it is not uncommon to feel that "British English may be easier."
Also, British English and American English may have different words themselves or different accent positions.
You'll be amazed at how much difference there is between Britain and the United States in the same English.
Why don't you come into contact with British English by paying attention to the three tips introduced here?
Discovering Sounds offers not only American English but also British English pronunciation correction programs.
Click here for details ⇒ https://discoveringsounds.com/britishenglish/
American English has an 11-step curriculum, but British English has less sounds than American English, so it has a 7-step curriculum.
If you are interested in British English pronunciation, please apply for a trial lesson (one-on-one, complete reservation required)!
In this article, we have introduced "Three Features of British English Pronunciation"!
