Why American accent is different to British?

The first is isolation; early colonists had only sporadic contact with the mother country. The second is exposure to other languages, and the colonists came into contact with Native American languages, mariners' Indian English pidgin and other settlers, who spoke Dutch, Swedish, French and Spanish.

Why is the American accent so different from British?

Americans never spoke with a British accent as it would be thought of today. The people who emigrated from the British Isles to what has now become the USA spoke English with a rich variety of regional accents of the time when they emigrated, as did the people they left behind.

Which accent sounds better British or American?

The answer is that American English and British English are both great. Choosing one over the other is a matter of personal preference. Some prefer an American accent because they grew up watching American movies and listening to American music. Some think British English sounds more proper and prefer that.

Why British accent is harder than American?

The main issue that makes it difficult to understand a British accent is that it is different from an American accent in terms of pronunciation and word choice. This means that someone who has only ever encountered American accents may struggle to follow along when someone speaks with a British accent.

Which accent is the original American or British?

And both British and American accents have changed since the US declared its independence. None of them are identical with the ways that people spoke in 1776. None of them are the “true, original English accent,” and indeed there never was a single “true, original English accent.”

Why Do Americans and Brits Have Different Accents?

Why do British people say innit?

"Innit" is a British English slang and popular social media expression that is a contraction of the phrase"isn't it" or "is it not."

Which British accent is closest to American?

Certain accents from the western and northern parts of England may be the runners-up. Some of these share major features with American English, such as many vowel sounds and post-vocalic 'r'. I would say Irish, without a doubt. Listen to the 't' and the 'r' sounds.

Can British people understand American accent?

Mostly. There are occasional misunderstandings, but these are more often down to confusions about different meanings of words. The accent isn't too much of a problem. In fact, we have more problems with our own accents within the British Isles than we generally do with American accents.

Why do British people say us instead of me?

"Us" for me is common in the north east (of England) particularly Co Durham Land of Prince Bishops. It's just an old English way of speaking. Many people say "us" but if they are writing will use the word "me".

What is the hardest British accent?

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.

Which English is tough British or American?

American is very slightly easier to spell thanks to Mr. Webster's spelling rationalisation. British and American pronunciation styles both have their inconsistencies. For example: both have odd pronunciations for place names like Leicester (Lester) Square in London or Conetoe (Caneeta) in North Carolina.

Which English accent is best?

Others may consider the formality of British English, the 'Queen's English', the best English accent to learn. The reality is, English is spoken in innumerable accents around the globe—not only in regional variations by native speakers, but also by international speakers.

What is the most accepted English accent?

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.

Why do Americans love British accents?

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 ...

Why do Brits speak English?

History. English is a West Germanic language that originated from the Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Britain by Germanic settlers from various parts of what is now northwest Germany and the northern Netherlands.

Did British English come first?

The English language evolved in Britain as a result of early invasions of the island, firstly from a tribe of Germanic invaders called the Angles about 1500 years ago, and later invasions from the Saxons and the Jutes, two tribes out of Germany and modern day Denmark.

What do British call Americans?

Yankee is sometimes abbreviated as “Yank.” People from all over the world, including Great Britain, Australia, and South America, use the term to describe Americans. (In Spanish, it's spelled yanqui.) Sometimes, it's a negative description.

Is it rude if I speak with a British accent even though I m not British?

No, not at all. As long as your effort is sincere. If you imitate the accent for the purposes of mockery or to insult someone, then that can be seen as rude.

Which countries love the British accent?

The accent proved particularly popular in countries like China, Sweden, India and the USA. Additionally, the survey showed that Asian countries like South Korea, Japan and Malaysia were also allured by English and other UK accents.

Can foreigners tell the difference between American and British accents?

Originally Answered: Do non native English speakers hear the difference between American and British accents? Yes. It's pretty obvious. I think we can all agree on the fact that there's a clear difference between “warer” and “wotah”, and that applies for pretty much everything.

Can you have a mix of British and American accent?

More broadly, the term "mid-Atlantic accent" can also refer to any accent with a perceived mixture of American and British characteristics.

Is it OK to mix American and British accent?

Although there exists an ocean of differences between British and American English, there aren't many documented or strict rules on whether or not it's acceptable to mix the two. The reason for this could be traced to the fact that drawing distinctions between the two can be a little confusing.

Do any American actors do British accents?

American actors have used accents for their roles, and sometimes they're good enough to fool fans. Peter Dinklage and Gillian Anderson are a few famous TV stars who have believable British accents. Renée Zellweger, Julianne Moore, and Chloë Grace Moretz are also all American.

Is the British accent made up?

An old language

The rich variety of dialects in Britain can to a large extent be attributed to the fact that English has been spoken on this island for more than 1500 years. This long time period has allowed for the language to develop into regional varieties of English.

Did George Washington have a British accent?

British English has evolved more rapidly than American English has. The English George Washington spoke had of course evolved even less. So his accent was closer to Shakespeare and farthest from modern British English.