English pronunciation in the USA

English pronunciation in the USA

English pronunciation - is one of the most difficult moments in the English language, which in most cases we just ignore, and the importance of which we are often put on the last place. As a result, we speak in English with a heavy Russian accent.

Differences between spelling and pronunciation of English words

The complexity of English pronunciation has several aspects. The way the English word is pronounced, often does not correspond to the way it is written. Despite the fact that in the English alphabet of 26 letters and sounds in the English language is almost two times higher. Some English words have the same spelling but are pronounced differently depending on the context, some words can be pronounced exactly the same, but have very different meanings and are spelled differently. Furthermore writing the English word does not tell you how the word should be pronounced. For many English words, you just have to know how the word is spelled and pronounced. Although in English and there are certain rules of reading, exceptions to them much more. That is why the dictionaries to every English word is always a transcription, which tries to identify how the word is pronounced.

The British and American pronunciation

English pronunciation is different from country to country and even from region to region. But usually isolated and taught two types of English pronunciation: British English and American. The standard used for the British pronunciation of pronunciation, taken in the south of England in the areas of Oxford, Cambridge, Brighton and London. British actors, journalists on television, politicians, scientists and teachers also use a classic English pronunciation. Other residents of the UK usually speak in their local dialect, which can be very different from the standard English pronunciation

The main difference between American pronunciation is the letter "r" is always pronounced. For example, the word farther and father in the British version will sound the same, but in the U.S. the pronunciation is very different. In the British pronunciation of "r" pronounced only in cases where it stands after a vowel (red) or the "r" at the end in the word, and the next word begins with a vowel (far away). Another notable difference - the letter "o", for example in such words as dot, hot in the American version will sound more like the sound of "a" / ɑ :/.

There are some more specific, but much less important, features of American pronunciation.

One of them - a kind of sound [t] in words such as lighter - lighter or center - center. The manner in which to pronounce this sound, called the shock slip. It brings [t] to the short Russian sounds "p".

In words that end in-nt ... followed by a vowel, for Americans, is characterized by softening of the sound [t] to the extent that it almost can not be detected by ear. For saying the U.S. transcription can give something like this:       

wanted ['wonιd] - хотел       

county ['kaunι] - округ

Another specific phonological American pronunciation - exclusion of sound [j] in the pronunciation of words like suit - a suit or Tuesday - Tuesday. For example, for the word       

duty - долг

classic British spelling - [dju: tι]. But in the American version it sounds like [du: tι]. Such phonological feature does not add clarity. For example, words      

do - делать, due - обязанность

will be performed in the American version is practically the same - [du:] 

Some Americans pronounce English words differently. This has nothing to do with the American pronunciation of certain phonemes, discussed above. There are just a small number of words that the Americans and British were read in different ways, for example:

In the words either and neither the British in the first syllable sounds [aι], and the Americans [i:].

The word is the opposite direction - to the British more typical to say [dΛι'rek ∫ n], and for Americans - [dι'rek ∫ n]

Word forehead - brow Englishmen read like ['forιd], and Americans - [' fo: hed]. Obviously, the American pronunciation is much closer to a word.

The letter Z in the British alphabet is called [zed]. Americans call it [zi:].

Numeral twenty - twenty Americans have acquired a completely illogical sound color. Given the manner of "swallow" t in combination-nt ... display the American pronunciation of the numeral twenty possible so: ['twonι]

Grammatical differences

The use of the Americans may disagree with the classic British Standard. Where British grammar requires unambiguous time use Present Perfect (for example, in the proposals to the circumstances of time already, yet, etc.) Americans can consume Past Indefinite.

Auxiliary verb of the future tense shall Americans rarely used even in interrogative sentences in the first person, where required by grammar. In his speech, the U.S. is increasingly replaced by an auxiliary verb and the construction will going to (= gonna). Thus, the question "what do I do?" the English sounds as follows:       What shall I do?

And the Americans will be more characteristic form      What am I gonna do?

Many irregular verbs in the American version of the language is correct, that is, have the ending-ed, and in the 2nd and 3rd form. This applies to such verbs such as, to burn, to spoil, etc.

The use of the Americans and British official parts of speech may be different in some expressions:        on weekend / at weekend, in the hospital / in hospital, etc.

Americans do not use the modal verb need as auxiliary. Instead of the British I needn't do it they say I don't need to do it.

The verb to have certain structures and expressions used by the Americans much less frequently than in the classic British version, for example: to take a drink (Amer.) / to have a drink (UK)

A suggestion I have to do it - I've got to do it, to simplistic I gotta do it

lexical differences

Lexical differences between American and British English varieties due to the historical development of the U.S. and the UK. First, tell the American multinational. This was expressed mainly in the parish of neologisms from other languages​​, mostly from the Spanish. To a lesser extent in the American lexicon reflected the influence of other languages ​​- French, German and languages ​​of the indigenous Indian population. In addition to the borrowed words, international communication in the United States led to the replacement of some British words more intelligible speech, rooted in other Romance languages​​.

БРИТАНСКИЙ	АМЕРИКАНСКИЙ	ЗНАЧЕНИЕ
flat    lift    to hire    pavement    ground floor	apartment    elevator    to rent    sidewalk    first floor	квартира     лифт     арендовать    тротуар     первый этаж

 

Sometimes the words used in different versions of the language in different ways, lead to amusing situations. phrase       "I got a flat"

British understand how: Я приобрел квартиру.

At the same time, from the mouth of an American it sounds less joyful:У меня спустило колесо.