🌎 Speaking: Pronunciation B2 - Lesson 5: Awareness of Accent Varieties
Welcome to our final lesson! As an advanced learner, it's important to understand that English is a global language. There is no single "correct" accent1. From London to Los Angeles, Sydney to Singapore, people speak with different, equally valid, accents or varieties2. This lesson will help you notice some common differences, which will improve your listening comprehension and make you a more confident international communicator.
Key Differences in Major Accents
You don't need to learn every detail, but being aware of a few key patterns will help you understand more people. Let's compare features of General American (GA) and British Received Pronunciation (RP).
Three Common Features to Listen For:
- 1. The /r/ Sound (Rhoticity)
- American (Rhotic): The /r/ sound is pronounced after vowels. Ex: "car", "water", "heard".
- British (Non-rhotic): The /r/ is usually silent after vowels. Ex: "ca(h)", "wate(h)", "he(h)d".
- 2. The 'T' Sound in the Middle of Words
- American (Flap T): The 't' between vowels often sounds like a soft 'd'. Ex: "water" sounds like "wa-der", "better" sounds like "be-dder".
- British (True T): The 't' is usually a clear, sharp /t/ sound. Ex: "water" has a distinct 't' sound.
- 3. The Vowel in 'bath', 'dance', 'can't'
- American: These words use the short /æ/ vowel, the same as in "cat" or "trap".
- British: These words often use the long /ɑː/ vowel, the same as in "father".
Scenario: Who is Speaking?
Imagine you hear these three people speaking. Based on the clues, can you guess where they might be from?
- Speaker A: "I can't find the ca(h) pa(h)k. It's not wha? I wanted."
(Clues: Uses the /ɑː/ vowel in "can't" and "park", drops the 'r' sounds, and uses a glottal stop3 for the 't' in "what". --> Most likely a British speaker.) - Speaker B: "My fäther got a bedder compuder."
(Clues: Uses the /ɑ/ vowel in "father" and the "flap t" making "better" and "computer" sound like they have a 'd'. --> Most likely an American speaker.) - Speaker C: "I'll see you on Sundee, maite."
(Clues: The vowel in "day" sounds more like "dee", and the vowel in "mate" is a unique diphthong. The word "mate" is also a very common marker. --> Most likely an Australian speaker.)
💡 Your Goal: Be Clear, Not a Copycat
It is important to remember that you do not need to sound American, British, or Australian. Your own accent, for example a Cambodian-English accent, is perfectly acceptable and part of who you are as a global English speaker.
The goal is to be intelligible4. This means other people can understand you clearly. Focusing on the core pronunciation features we've learned in this B2 series—like sentence stress, rhythm, and clear consonant sounds—is much more important than trying to copy a specific "native" accent.
Awareness of other accents helps your listening skills, so you are not confused when you hear them. It does not mean you have to change your own accent, but rather appreciate the diversity of the English language.
🧠 Practice Quiz: Identify the Feature
Read the description and choose the correct term.
1. An American speaker pronounces the /r/ in "car" and "hard". This is an example of a...
A) Non-rhotic accent
B) Glottal stop
C) Rhotic5 accent
→ Answer: C. Rhotic accents are those that pronounce the /r/ sound after vowels.
2. When a British speaker says "bu-er" instead of "butter", the 't' sound is replaced by a...
A) Flap T
B) Glottal Stop
C) Silent T
→ Answer: B. The catch in the throat that replaces the /t/ sound is called a glottal stop.
📝 Your Mission: Go on an Accent Safari
Your mission is to expose your ears to different English varieties.
- Find two short video clips on a site like YouTube. For example, search for "BBC News report" (British) and "CNN news report" (American).
- Listen to 30-60 seconds of each clip. Don't worry about understanding every word.
- Your only goal is to notice ONE difference. Listen for the /r/ sound, the /t/ sound in 'water' or 'better', or the vowel in a word like 'can't'.
- Think about it: Could you hear a difference? Which one was easier or harder for you to understand? This active listening exercise is a powerful tool for improving your real-world comprehension skills.
Vocabulary Glossary
- Accent: (Noun) - สำเนียง (săm-nĭang) / ការបញ្ចេញសំឡេង (kaa bɑɲ'ceɲ sɑm'leeng) - A specific way of pronouncing a language, often associated with a country, region, or social class. ↩
- Variety: (Noun) - ความหลากหลาย (kwaam làak-lăai) / ទម្រង់ផ្សេងៗ (tum'rʊəng p'seeng p'seeng) - A form of a language spoken in a particular area or by a particular group of people. ↩
- Glottal Stop: (Noun Phrase) - เสียงกักเส้นเสียง (sĭang gàk sên sĭang) / សំឡេងបិទគល់អណ្ដាត (sɑm'leeng bət kul ɑn'daat) - A speech sound made by briefly stopping the airflow at the vocal cords. ↩
- Intelligible: (Adjective) - ที่เข้าใจได้ (têe kâo jai dâai) / ដែលអាចយល់បាន (dael aac yʊəl ban) - Clear enough to be understood. ↩
- Rhotic: (Adjective) - (เกี่ยวกับ)การออกเสียง R ((gìeow gàp) gaan òk sĭang R) / ដែលបន្លឺសំឡេង R (dael bɑn'ləə sɑm'leeng R) - An accent in which the /r/ sound is pronounced after a vowel. ↩