British vs. "American English"

[MariaEbb]

I don't care about American spellings and American words it's the pronounciation I don't like and the Boston accent is the worst.
/Maria

[RimcMullen]

Hi Maria,

Some people say American language - others say American English, which I think is far more correct as America has speakers of many different languages living there. The official term for written English is SEAE (Standard Edited American English).

Regarding accents, your last post was nothing more than stating a personal preference; the same as saying something like 'Swedish food is the worst'. I would never write a post like that because, while I may personally feel that Swedish food is boring and flavorless, that is only my preference, many others must like it a lot or it wouldn't exist. It’s just a personal opinion and while it may be the worst to you - that does make it the worst to others. You need to qualify that statement with something like, ‘in my opinion’ or ‘to my ears’.

But really, the Boston accent is very like the British in that it is R-less as well. You should try not to judge people by their accents. I know it's hard, sometimes I still I instinctively cringe when I hear certain southern American or an east London accent. I guess it’s not the accent so much as the bad grammar that bothers me. However, I have known lovely nice people with those accents and their speech had very little to do with their personality.

Perhaps your opinion of Boston accents is because of someone you have known, in which case I would also caution you against judging entire communities of people based on a bad experience with one or two of them.

Maybe you could tell us what it is about the Boston accent which you find so unappealing?

Richard

[Prezbucky]

Americans in the northern Midwest (generally) pronounce vowels in the Scandinavian/German mode:

A = A (take)
I = I (why)
E = E (me)
O = O (no)
U = U (you)

... it is somewhat nasal but at least they (we...) don't add other vowels to those we're pronouncing. The northern Midwesterners pronounce vowels like Germans, Scandies and Spaniards do: hard, straight and true.

If you watch American TV you're likely to hear the Californian bastardization of vowels -- they are all rounded/blunted:

A = eh
E = ih
I = aw'ee
O = eh'oo
U = yeew

It disgusts me!

So please pronounce vowels the hard/straight way so you don't sound like a damn Valley Girl or an anchor on CNN.

:)
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[Expatcat]

I grew up in the midwest, Chicago area, but without the typical Chicago accent. I have been living in Germany for over a year.

I do not understand Prezbucky's term "Scandinavian/German MODE", but In German language the vowels are NOT pronounced the way he/she posted with the exception of "O" and "U" although in German pronunciation the mouth does not close (like a kiss) at the end of those vowels producing a dipthong as it does in English. Instead

German A= a like in sofa
short E= e like in met
long E= ay like in day
short I= i like in fit
long I= ee like in tree
short U= like u in out

"A" is only pronounced like Prezbucky posted when it has an umlaut:
Ä= a like in take

I can't really make heads or tails out of that description of what one might hear on American TV, especially without distinguishing between long and short vowels. But in my opinion the most obvious mispronounciation in the midwestern accent is the use of the shwa, the "uh" sound for the vowel of choice.

[Cate]

Hi,
UK and American Enligsh are different in the ponunciation of words, expressions and in many words too, should i make a choice and focus in learning just one, but i want badly to master both of them, would you please help me.
THANKS

[Dedi]

Helo........ I am Dedi from Indonesia I would like to ask about.What the diffrent Brtish and American English

[Beeesneees]

There are lots of differences - too many to list... but they are not so different that speakers of one do not usually understand the other.
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Cheers m' dears!

[Dedi]

Yeah correct Beeesneees I think I should prefer 1 , I have been learning English for 8 years but I need to talk more and more to Improve my pronounciation

[Bagheera]

KITOS ROCKS!!!

British English has always been more sophisticated!

Nice battle! If I lived in the English speaking world I would participate.
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I'm a natural blonde, please speak slowly ;-)