Accents and Vowels: Exploring Differences Between American, British, and Australian English

🇺🇸American accents treat phrases like 'two o'clock,' 'three o'clock,' and 'four o'clock' with similar rhythm, while British accents distinguish the third phrase with a longer duration.

🇬🇧In British accents, long vowels like 'oː' in 'four o'clock' are followed by an inserted 'r' sound to separate the vowel from a following vowel, a practice that is absent in American accents.

🇦🇺Australian accents share similarities with British accents in terms of inserting an 'r' sound after long vowels, such as in 'four o'clock,' but this practice is specific to vowel + vowel contexts.

📚Various resources and dictionaries inaccurately represent vowel length distinctions between American, British, and Australian English, leading to common misconceptions and incorrect teaching.

🎭Actors attempting British accents often struggle with accurately reproducing vowel length and pronunciation, resulting in misinterpretations of words and phrases.

Why do British accents insert an 'r' sound after long vowels like in 'four o'clock'?

—The 'r' sound is unconsciously inserted in British accents to separate long vowels followed by another vowel. This practice is a way of avoiding hiatus, or the occurrence of adjacent vowels in speech.

Do American accents have distinct vowel length?

—In General American accents, vowel length distinctions are not as prominent as in British accents. The vowel in phrases like 'four o'clock' is not a long vowel in the same sense as in British English.

Why do pronouncing dictionaries inaccurately represent vowel length in different English accents?

—Pronouncing dictionaries often provide broad transcriptions that may not accurately reflect the actual vowel length distinctions in different accents. This can lead to misconceptions and incorrect teaching of vowel pronunciation.

Why do actors often struggle with reproducing accurate British accents?

—Actors attempting British accents may struggle with reproducing accurate vowel length and pronunciation due to misinterpretations of symbols in pronouncing dictionaries and the lack of familiarity with the specific nuances of vowel sounds in different accents.

Is there a specific rule for inserting an 'r' sound after vowels in British English?

—The insertion of an 'r' sound after vowels in British English is not governed by a specific rule, but rather a natural tendency to avoid vowel hiatus. It occurs when a long vowel is followed by another vowel in specific contexts.

00:00The video starts by acknowledging the support of patrons.

00:04The narrator introduces the topic of accents and highlights the extensive content covered in the video.

00:12The differences in pronunciation of time phrases between American and British accents are discussed, emphasizing the rhythmic variation in British English.

01:22Research data comparing American and British accents in pronouncing 'two o'clock' and 'four o'clock' is presented, revealing the significant difference in duration.

04:06The existence of 'consonantal diphthongs' in vowels 'ij' and 'uw' is explained, debunking the misconception of 'linking y' and 'linking w' sounds.

09:24The misconception of vowel length in British and American accents presented in pronouncing dictionaries is addressed, highlighting the inaccuracies in representing vowel sounds.

10:51Measured data comparing the vowel length in 'story' between American, British, and Australian accents is shown, revealing significant differences.

13:01The avoidance of vowel hiatus and the insertion of an 'r' sound in British and Australian accents are discussed, highlighting the challenge of pronouncing adjacent vowels.

14:25The inaccuracy of symbol transcription in pronouncing dictionaries and the implications for language teaching and learning are emphasized.

15:12The speaker concludes by expressing the importance of accurate representation of vowel sounds in different accents.