pronounced as /notice/Differences in pronunciation between American English (AmE) and British English (BrE) can be divided into
In the following discussion:
Subscript a or b means that the relevant unstressed vowel is also reduced to or in AmE or BrE, respectively.
For many loanwords from French, AmE has final-syllable stress, while BrE stresses an earlier syllable. French loanwords that differ in stress only are listed below.
| align=left | BrE | align=left | AmE | align=left | words with relevant syllable stressed in each dialect[1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | débâcleB2 | |||
| 2nd | 1st | artisanalA1, liaisonabA2*, macraméab, moustache/mustache, Renaissance,ab reveille | |||
| 1st | last | ballet, bandeau, barragea, batonab*, beignet, bereta, bidet, blaséA2, bouclé, bouffantA2, bourrée, brasserieb, brassièreab, brevetabA2,[2] brochureb*B2,[3] brûlée, buffeta,[4] bustier, cachetA2, café*a*b, caffeineA2, calvados, canardaB1,[5] chagrina, chaletA2, chassé, château, chauffeurA2, cliché*a, collagea*B2, cornet, crochet, croissant*a, croquet, debrisaA2, debut, décorA2, démarche, demimonde, denier, detailaA2, détente, duvet, épée, figurineB2, filetb,[6] flambé, fouetté, foulard, frappé, fricandeau, frisson, frontier, garageaB2, gâteau, glacé, gourmetA2, lamé, lingerie, manqué, massif, massage, matinée, métier, mirageB2, moiré, montage, negligeeA2, névé, nonchalantbA2, nondescript, nouveau, outré, parfait, parquet*b, pastelbB2, pastilleb, pâté, peignoir, pension, pissoir, plateau, précisA2, protégébB2,[7] purée, ragout, rapport, rentier, risqué, rosé, roué, rouleau, rusé, sachet, salona, saté, sauté, savantabA2, soignée, soirée, solfège, sorbeta,[8] sortie, soufflé, soupçon,[9] tableau, tonneau, touché, toupée, triage, trousseau, vaccine, valet, vermouthB2, vol-au-vent. Also some French names, including: Argand, Avignona[10] Beauvoir,[11] Bizet,[12] Blériot,[13] Boulez,[14] Calais,[15] Cambray,[16] Cartier,[17] Chablis,[18] Chamonix,[19] Chabrier,[20] Chardonnay,[21] Chirac,[22] Chopin,[23] Citroën, Cocteau,[24] Dakar,[25] Dauphin,[26] Dauphine,[27] Degas,[28] Depardieu,[29] Dijon,[30] Dumas,[31] Flaubert,[32] Foucault,[33] Franglais, Gerard,[34] Godard,[35] Lascaux,[36] Lyon,[37] Mallarmé,[38] Manet,[39] Marat,[40] Massenet, Maurice,[41] Millais,[42] Molière,[43] Monet,[44] Perpignan,[45] Perrault,[46] Perrier, Peugeot, Piaf,[47] Poirot,[48] Poitiers,[49] Poussin,[50] Rabelais,[51] Renaulta,[52] Rimbaud,[53] Rodin,[54] Roget,[55] Rouen,[56] Rousseau,[57] Roussillon,[58] Satie,[59] Seurat,[60] Thoreau,[61] Tissot, Truffaut,[62] Valois,[63] Vouvray,[64] Watteau.[65] | |||
| last | 1st | addressbA1(noun), billionaire/millionaire, carouselA2, cigarette, esquireb*A2, lemonade, limousine, lychee, magazineA2, margarineb, mayonnaiseA2, penchant, potpourri, refugeeA2, shallotA2, solitaire, timbale, tiradeA2, ([bi]p)artisana.B1/2 | |||
| 2nd | last | accouchement, arrondissement, attaché, au courant, charivari, consomméa, cor anglaisB2, décolleté, déclassé, démodé,[66] dénouement, divertissement, distingué, escargot, exposé, fiancé(e)A2, financier, hors de combat, hotelier, papier-mâché, par excellence, portmanteau, poste restante, rapprochement, retroussé, soi-disant, sommelier. Also some French names, including: Debussyb, Dubonneta, Élysées, Montpellier, Parmentier, Piaget, Rambouillet. |
Most 2-syllable verbs ending in -ate have first-syllable stress in AmE and second-syllable stress in BrE. This includes castrate, collate, cremateA2,[67] curate, dictateA2, dilate, donateA2, fixate, frustrate, gestate, gradate, gyrate, hydrate, lactate, locateA2, mandateB2, migrate, mutate, narratebA2, notate, phonate, placatebB2, prostrate, pulsate, rotate, serrateA2, spectate, stagnate, striate,[68] translateA2, truncate, vacateb*A2,[69] vibrateA2. Examples where AmE and BrE match include conflate, create, equate, elate, inflate, negate, sedate; and probate with first-syllable stress. Derived nouns in -ator retain the distinction, but those in -ation do not. Also, migratoryB2[70] and vibratoryB2[71] sometimes retain the distinction.
Most longer -ate verbs are pronounced the same in AmE and BrE, but a few have first-syllable stress in BrE and second-syllable stress in AmE: demarcateaA2, elongateaA2, impregnateB1, incarnateA2, inculcate, inculpate, infiltrateA1, remonstrateabA2,[72] sequestrate, tergiversateaA1.[73] For some derived adjectives ending -atory stress-shifting to -a(tory)- occurs in BrE. Among these cases are celebratorya[74] (BrE:), circulatorya, compensatorya,[75] participatorya,[76] regulatoryaB1.[77] AmE stresses the same syllable as the corresponding -ate verb (except compensatory, where AmE stresses the second syllable). A further -atory difference is laboratoryB2: AmE and BrE .[78]
There are a number of cases where same-spelled noun, verb and/or adjective have uniform stress in one dialect but distinct stress in the other (e.g. alternate, prospect): see initial-stress-derived noun.
The following table lists words not brought up in the discussion so far where the main difference between AmE and BrE is in stress. Usually, it also follows a reduction of the unstressed vowel. Words marked with subscript A or B are exceptions to this, and thus retains a full vowel in the (relatively) unstressed syllable of AmE or BrE. A subsequent asterisk, *, means that the full vowel is usually retained; a preceding * means that the full vowel is sometimes retained.
Words with other points of difference are listed in a later table.
| align=left | BrE | align=left | AmE | align=left | words with relevant syllable stressed in each dialect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | AdonaiAB2, adultBAB2, albumen/albumin, aristocrat, Bernard, bitumen, Boudicca, cerebral/cerebrumA2, combatant/combative, communal, complex (adj.), composite, converseA2(adj.),[79] illustrativeA2, Kodály, majusculeA2, miniscule/minuscule, Mosul, omegaA, paprika, patinaA1, perfume (noun), pianistAB2, premature,[80] raceme, Riyadh, sitar, sojourn (verb), stalactiteA2, stalagmiteA2, subalternA2, SuezA2*, thanksgivingABB2, transferenceAA2, travail, UlyssesA | |||
| 2nd | 1st | accent (verb)A2, alternate (adj.), amortise/amortize, ancillaryB, archangelB1, Argyle, AugustineBA2, Azores, backfire (verb), banalA2, Bantu, baptize, Baghdad, Balthazar, Bangkok, Byzantine, capillary, capsize, catenary, cervicalAB2, (bi/quin/)centenaryB2, controversyB1, Corfu, corollary, defence/offenseAA2(sports only), deficitB1, despicableB2, download (verb), elsewhereABAB2, enquiry/inquiryAA2, epsilon, expletiveA, fritillary, Galbraith, guffawA1,[81] hegemony, Hong KongA2, hospitableA2, implicative/multiplicative/predicative, Koblenz, lasso, Malay, Mardi Gras, marshmallowAB, maxillary, medullary, metallurgy, miscellany, nomenclatureAB2, obligatory, participle, patronal, premise (verb), pretence/pretenseAA1, princess*AB2, prospect (verb), recluse, recourse, research (noun), resource, respiratory, rupee, salivary, saxophonist/xylophonistBB2, Shanghai, skeletalBB2, spinet, spread(-)eagledAB,[82] Stonehenge, stonewall, substratumABA2, tracheaAB2, urinalAB2, vaginalAB2, volatilise/volatilize, wastepaper, waylay, weekendABB2, Zoroaster | |||
| 1st | 3rd | opportuneABB2 | |||
| 3rd | 1st | Bucharest, Budapest, disciplinary, furthermore, h(a)emoglobinAB, manganese, manateeB2, PakistanA2,[83] Panama, PyreneesAB, Senegal, Singapore, stewardessB2 | |||
| 2nd | 3rd | submarinerA2, Yom Kippur | |||
| 3rd | 2nd | aboveboard, alumin(i)um, arytenoidA1, CaribbeanA2, centrifugalB2, chimpanzeeA1, obscurantismABA2[84] | |||
| 4th | 1st | manageress |
Where the syllable preceding the suffixes , , , or is unstressed, AmE pronounces the penultimate syllable with a full vowel sound: for and , for , for and . BrE reduces the vowel to a schwa or even elides it completely: pronounced as /[-əri]/ or pronounced as /[-ri]/ (hereafter transcribed as in diaphonemic transcription), and . So military is AmE and BrE,[85] inventory is AmE and BrE,[86] testimony is AmE and BrE [87] and innovative is AmE or and BrE .[88] (The elision is avoided in carefully enunciated speech, especially with endings , , .)
Where the syllable preceding , , , or is stressed however, AmE also usually reduces the vowel:, . Exceptions include library,[89] primaryA2,[90] rosemary.[91] (Pronouncing library as rather than is stigmatized in the United States, for example as associated with African-American Vernacular English,[92] whereas in BrE, is common in rapid or casual speech.)
The suffix -berry is pronounced by similar rules, except that in BrE it may be full after an unstressed syllable, while in AmE it is usually full in all cases. Thus we have strawberry: BrE, AmE, and whortleberry: BrE/AmE .
The placename component (e.g. Canterbury) has a similar difference: AmE has a full vowel: where BrE has a reduced one: .
Stress differences between the dialects occur with some words ending in (listed above) and a few others like capillary (included in
Formerly the BrE–AmE distinction for adjectives carried over to corresponding adverbs ending , or . However, nowadays some BrE speakers adopt the AmE practice of shifting the stress to the penultimate syllable: militarily is thus sometimes rather than, and necessarily is in BrE either or .[93]
Words ending in unstressed derived from Latin adjectives ending are mostly pronounced with a full vowel in BrE but a reduced vowel or syllabic L in AmE (e.g. fertile rhymes with fur tile in BrE but with furtle in AmE).
AmE will (unlike BrE, except when indicated withB2) have a reduced last vowel:
In some words the pronunciation also comes into play:
Related endings , , are pronounced the same in AmE as BrE.
The pronunciation of the vowel of the prefix di- in words such as dichotomy, digest (verb), dilate, dilemma, dilute, diluvial, dimension, direct, dissect, disyllable, divagate, diverge, diverse, divert, divest, and divulge as well as their derivational forms vary between and or in both British and American English.[99]
The suffix -ine,[100] when unstressed, is pronounced sometimes (e.g. feline), sometimes (e.g. morphine) and sometimes (e.g. medicine). Some words have variable pronunciation within BrE, or within AmE, or between BrE and AmE. Generally, AmE is more likely to favor or, and BrE to favor .
BrE, AmE (1) : carbineA2, FlorentineA2, internecineA2, philistineA2, pristineB2, salineA2, serpentineA2.
BrE, AmE (1) (2) : adamantineA2.
BrE, AmE : uterineB2.
BrE, AmE (1) (2) (3) : crystalline, labyrinthine.[101]
BrE (1), AmE (1) (2) : strychnineA2.
The weak vowel merger causes affixes such as -ate (as in climate), be- (before a consonant), de- (as in decide), -ed (with a sounded vowel), -es (with a sounded vowel), -est, -less, -ness, pre- (as in prepare) and re- (before a consonant) to be pronounced with the schwa (the a in about), rather than the unstressed (found in the second syllable of locksmith). Conservative RP uses in each case, so that before, waited, roses and faithless are pronounced, rather than, which are more usual in General American. The pronunciations with are gaining ground in RP and in the case of certain suffixes (such as -ate and -less) have become the predominant variants. The noun carelessness is pronounced in modern RP and in conservative RP; both pronunciations typically merge in GA (usually towards the latter). This variation is denoted with the symbol (IPA|ᵻ) in some of the dictionaries published by Oxford University Press and in the Routledge Dictionary of Pronunciation of Current English. In the latter, the British pronunciation of climate is transcribed (IPA|ˈklʌɪmᵻt), though carelessness is transcribed (IPA|ˈkɛːləsnəs).
Affixes such as dis-, in-, -ing and mis- contain in conservative RP as well as General American and modern RP, so that words such as disloyal or teaching are phonemically and in all three varieties.
The title Saint before a person's name has a weak form in BrE but not AmE:before vowels, .[102]
These tables list words pronounced differently but spelled the same. See also the table of words with different pronunciation reflected in the spelling.
Words with multiple points of difference of pronunciation are in the table after this one. Accent-based differences are ignored. For example, in their respective conventional accent-specific transcription systems, Moscow would be transcribed as RP pronounced as //ˈmɒskəʊ// and GAm pronounced as //ˈmɑskaʊ//, but it is RP and GAm in the transcription system used in this article. Only the – difference is highlighted here, since both the presence of a contrastive pronounced as //ɒ// vowel in RP (which falls together with pronounced as //ɑː// in GA) and the RP use of pronounced as /[əʊ]/ rather than pronounced as /[oʊ]/ are predictable from the accent. Also, tiara is listed with AmE ; the marry–merry–Mary merger changes this vowel for many Americans.
Many sources omit the length marks in transcriptions of AmE, so that words such as father or keep are transcribed pronounced as //ˈfɑðər// and pronounced as //ˈkip// rather than and . Even though it is not phonemic, vowel length in GA works in a very similar manner to RP, so this is mainly a difference in transcription.
| BrE | AmE | Words | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excluding words changed by the trap–bath split,[103] (which affects most southern British speakers and almost no American speakers): banana, cabana, choraleA2, ColoradoA2, finale, Internationale, khakiA2, localeA2, mascara, morale, musicale, NevadaA2,[104] pajama(s)A2, PakistaniAB2, pastorale, plaqueB2, rale, rationale, SaharaA2, sarsaparilla, scenarioA2, seraglio, sopranoA2, SudanB2, sultana, tiaraA2. Suffix words ending in -orama/-ramaA2: cyclorama, diorama and panorama. | |||
| "A" in the anglicised pronunciation of many foreign names and loanwords,[105] e.g.: Abu Dhabi, Abu Nidal, accelerando, AngstA2, AnkaraA2, aquaA2, Ariosto, Asti, Asunción, Avogadro, Baku, Balaton, banzai, Basra, Białystok, Bratislava, camaraderie, CaracasB2, Carpaccio, CasablancaA2, Casals, caveatA2, Cézanne, chiantiA2, Chiapas, dacha, Dachau, Deus ex machinaA2, d'Annunzio, Dushanbe, Dvořák, Francesca, ganja, Gdansk, gazpacho, gestalt, glissando, goulashA2, grappa, Gulag, gratin, hacienda, Hamas, HansB2, Haryana, IslamicA2, jalapeño, Jaruzelski, Kafka, Kalashnikov, kakemono, kamikaze, Kampala, kampong, kanji, Kant, katakana, kebab,[106] lambada, La Paz, Las (placenames, e.g. Las Vegas)A2, lasagnaB2, latteB2, Lausanne, Lillehammer, Luhansk, macarenaA2, macho, mafia, mamba/o, manga, MannA2, mantra, maraca, MarioA2, Mascagni, Mazda, MilanA2, Mohammed, MombasaA2, Pablo PicassoA2, paparazzo, paso doble, pasta, patioA2, Paternoster, Pavlova, pilaf(f), Pusan, quattrocento, Rachmaninoff, Rafah, Rafsanjani, rallentandoA2, Ramadan, ravioliA2, regattaA2, ritardando, Rwanda, salsa, samba, samizdat, sanitaire, sashimi, sforzando, shiatsu, SlovakA2, squacco, Sri LankaA2, stalag, taco, tagliatelle, tapas, trattoria, Traviata, tzatziki, Uganda, Vivaldi, volte-face, wigwam, Wuhan, Yap (island), Yasser/sir, Yerevan | |||
| charade, cicadaA2, galaAB2, graveA2(accent), pralineB2,[107] promenadeB2(square dancing), strafe, stratumB2, tomatoA2 | |||
| UtahA2 | |||
| agave, swathe | |||
| AdolfA2, basil (plant)A2, canineB2, granary, (im)placable, macronA2, pal(a)eo-, patronise/-izeA2, (com/un)patriot(ic)B2, (ex/re)patriate/-ationB2, phalanxA2, plaitA2, Sabine, satrapA2, satyrA2, | |||
| apparatusA2, apricotA2, babel, comrade, dahlia, dataA2, digitalisA2, gratisB2, patentB2, rabidB2, statusA2 | |||
| aquaticA2, twatB2 | |||
| quagmireB2,[108] scallopB2, wrath | |||
| Boulogne, Dordogne | |||
| XhosaAB2 | |||
| or | sloth, trothA2, wontA2, wrothB2 | ||
| Excluding words changed by the lot-cloth split: alcoholA2, altarB2, alterB2, assaultB2, atollA2, Austen, austere, Austin, Australia, Austria, BalkanB2, BalticB2, BaltimoreB2, cauliflowerA2, claustrophobia, cobaltB2, exaltB2, falseB2, falterB2, faultB2, GibraltarB2, gnocchiA2, haltB2, hydraulicB2, maltB2, MaltaB2, paltryB2, parasolA2, protocolA2, saltB2, sausage, somersaultB2, vaultB2, WalterB2, waltzB2. Many chemical compounds ending in -ol; for example, butanol, ethanol, methanol, propanol, etc. | |||
| leprechaunA2[109] | |||
| asphalt, mall | |||
| or | YaltaB2 | ||
| or | falconA2[110] | ||
| Aesculapius, Aeschylus, (a)esthete/-ticB2,[111] an(a)esthetist/-ize, amenityB2,[112] breveA2, D(a)edalus, (d)evolutionB2, eco-A2, ecumenicalB2, epochalB2, esotericB2,[113] h(a)emo-A2, Hephaestus, hygienicA2, KenyaB2, lever(age)A2, methaneB2, OedipusA2, (o)estrogenB2,[114] (o)estrusB2,[115] p(a)edophile, penalizeA2, Ph(a)edrus, predecessorA2, predilectionA2, pyrethrinA2, qu(a)estor, schizophreniaA2, Semite, systemic | |||
| crematoriumA2, cretin, depotA2, fetidB2, hedonism/-ist(ic), leisureA2, presentationA2, reconnoit(re/er)A2, zebraB2, zenith | |||
| gazeboA2, heinousB2, Mekong, quayA2, reparteeA2. Greek alphabet letters containing eta: beta, theta and zeta. | |||
| detourB2, HeleneA2 | |||
| ZimbabweB2 | |||
| commedia dell'arte, Haggai,[116] IsraelA2 | |||
| ateB2, éminence grise, étui, mêléeA2, Pécs, presa | |||
| again(st)B2, cortègeB2, machete, nonpareil | |||
| mayorA2 | |||
| amokB2, coloratura, comme il faut, hoverA2, Somme, Sorbonne. Also the strong forms of these function words: because, (every/some/no/any)bodyA2, from, of, was, whatA2 | |||
| accomplice/-ishB2, colanderB2, conjureA2, constableB2, monetaryA2, -mongerA2 | |||
| adios, Aeroflot, ayatollah, Barbados, baroqueB2,[117] BoccheriniA2, Bogotá,, Carlos, cognacA2, compost, Costa Rica, doldrumsA2, dolo(u)r, groschen, grossoA2, homo-B2, Interpol, KosovoA2, Lod, mocha, olfactoryA2, Pinocchio, pogrom, polkaB2, produce (noun)A2, professorialA2, prophy-(lactic/laxis), realpolitikA2, riposte, Rosh HashanahA2, sconeB2, shone, solsticeA2, Sonia,[118] TolstoyA2, trollB2, yogurtB2.[119] Also, in general, Greek-derived names of places, people, or ideas that end in "-os", for example, ErosA2, ethos, Helios, logos (singular)A2, mythos, pathos, etc.; although chaos follows the British norm in both countries. | |||
| Adonis, codicilB2,[120] codifyA2, goffer, ogleA2, processA2(noun), projectB2(noun) | |||
| dynasty, hibiscus, housewifery,[121] idyll(ic), italicA2, pipette, privacyB2,[122] simultaneousA2, sinecure, tinnitus, totalizator, tricolo(u)rB2,[123] trimester, Tyrolean, vitaminB2. See also -ine. | |||
| butylB2, condyle, cyclic(al)B2, doctrinal, finance/-ialAB2, forsythia, -isation/-izationA2, kinesis/-ticB2, Minotaur, primer (schoolbook),A2 Pythagoras,A2 respite, subsidence/-ent, synapseB2, umbilicalB2. See also -ine. | |||
| aïoliA2, Isaiah | |||
| (n)eitherAB2, Pleiades, via. See also -ine. | |||
| albino, geyser, iodine, migraineB2, oblique (verb), reprise. See also -ine. | |||
| symbiosis/-ticB2 | |||
| In the prefixes anti-, multi- and semi- in loose compoundsA2 (e.g. in anti-establishment, but not in antidote). | |||
| beenB2,[124] cliqueA2, creekA2, invalid (noun)B2, prima | |||
| aphrodisiac, Biarritz, bulimia, memorabilia, pi(t)taB2, prestigiousA2, tricot | |||
| enclave, envoi/-voy | |||
| pall-mall | |||
| nousA2 | |||
| kümmel | |||
| Buddha/-ism/-ist, cuckoo, Düsseldorf, Gutiérrez, guru, Ljubljana, Mussolini, Tuzla | |||
| boogie-woogie, boulevard,[125] hoofA2, roofAB2, rootA2, snooker, woofA2 (weaving) | |||
| ferrule, fortune | |||
| courierA2 | |||
| MuslimA2 | |||
| or | brusqueB2 | ||
| surplus | |||
| cuminB2 | |||
| routeA2 | |||
| broochA2, provenB2 | |||
| cantaloup(e), catacomb, hecatomb | |||
| plover | |||
| MoscowA2 | |||
| MadagascarA2 | |||
| Berkeley, Berkshire, CherwellB2, clerk, derby, Hertford(shire). (The only AmE word with = is sergeant.) | |||
| errA2 | |||
| ErnstB2 | |||
| deterrentA2 | |||
| ampereA2 | |||
| (atmo/hemi/strato)spheric(al), inherentA2 | |||
| era,A2 hysteriaA2 | |||
| Irkutsk | |||
| chirrupA2, squirrel, stirrupA2, syrupA2 | |||
| whorlA2 | |||
| acornA2,[126] record (noun), the weak form of or | |||
| Eleanor, metaphorB2, Westmor(e)land | |||
| Amazon, anacoluthon, automatonA2, Avon, capon, crampon, crayonA2, Lebanon, lexicon, marathon, (m)ascot, melancholy,[127] myrmidon, OregonA2, pantechnicon, paragon, Parthenon, phenomenon, pylon, python, Rubicon, saffronA2, siliconA2, wainscot. Also any geometric shapes ending in -agon; for example, hexagon, octagon, pentagon, polygon, etc. | |||
| AesopA2, Amos, colon, condom, despot, EnochA2, ingot, mosquito, sombrero, Winthrop | |||
| röntgen, Stendhal | |||
| accent (noun), nonsense | |||
| , | congress, Kentucky, parallelepiped,[128] prestige | ||
| Places ending with -chester;B2 e.g., Chichester, Colchester, Dorchester, Grantchester, Ilchester, Lanchester, Manchester, Portchester, Rochester, Silchester, Winchester | |||
| Ceylon | |||
| Some of the words affected by the weak vowel merger:AB2 impetigo, orange, Semitic, etc. See also effects of the weak vowel merger. | |||
| baboonA2, bassoonA2, CapriA2, fastidiousAB2, nasturtiumA2, papooseA2, platoonA2, raccoon, saucepan, taboo, tattoo, toucan, trapeze | |||
| DraconianA2, hurricaneB2, legislature, satanic. Also, longer words ending in -ative. | |||
| entrailsA2, magistrateA2, portrait, template[129] | |||
| foyerA2 | |||
| Göttingen, Koestler | |||
| föhn | |||
| Montreux, Schönberg | |||
| or | bleu, œuvre, pas de deux | ||
| Bofors, Mauritius | |||
| anchovy, borough, thorough, varicose, volitionA2. Also place names that end in "-burgh", such as EdinburghA2 and surnames ending in -stone, e.g. Johnstone (see also -ory and -mony). Words prefixed with an unstressed "pro-"A2, with the exceptions of process, progress and project (verb), commonly use either pronunciation in American English; for example, probation, procedure, prohibit, proliferate, prolific, Prometheus, prophetic, propinquity, prorogation, protest (verb), protract, protrude, protuberance/-ant, and Provence. | |||
| Excluding words altered by the yod-dropping phenomenon: barracuda, culotte, pumaA2 | |||
| couponA2, fuchsine, HoustonB2 | |||
| conduitA2, iguanaB2,[130] unguent | |||
| figureA2 | |||
| eruditeA2,[131] purulent, virulenceB2 | |||
| duress, Kuwait, résuméA2[132] | |||
| Excluding words altered by the yod-dropping phenomenon: HondurasB2 | |||
| nougat | |||
| HuguenotA2 | |||
| connoisseur,A2 entrepreneur,A2 masseurA2 | |||
| tournamentA2 | |||
| Betelgeuse, chanteuse, chartreuseA2, masseuse | |||
| berceuse | |||
| AussieA2, blouse (noun), blouson, complaisantA2, crescentB2, dextrose, diagnoseA2, erase, fuselageA2, glasnost, Joseph, Manresa, mimosa, oppositeA2, parse, ruseA2, talisman, treatiseB2, valise, venisonB2, visaA2,[133] xylose | |||
| asthma, chromosomeA2, Zaragoza | |||
| piazzaA2, schnauzer, terrazzo | |||
| xi | |||
| luxury | |||
| AsiaB2, cashmere, PersiaB2, (as/dis)persionA2, (ex/in)cursionB2, (im/sub)mersion, (a/con/di/in/per/re)versionA2 | |||
| erasure | |||
| Elgin | |||
| sandwich,B2[134] spinach | |||
| Chou (en Lai) | |||
| chassis | |||
| cassiaA2, CassiusA2, DionysiusA2,[135] hessian, Lucius, (ne/omni/pre)scient/-ence, Theodosius | |||
| or | issue,B2 sexual,B2 tissueB2 | ||
| or | ,, or | nausea,[136] transient[137] | |
| , | artesianB2, Elysian, FrisianB2, Frasier, glazier, grazier, hosieryB2, IndonesiaB2, MalaysiaB2, Parisian, PolynesiaB2, Rabelaisian, visualB2[138] | ||
| cordial | |||
| bastion,[139] besti(al/ary), celestial,[140] ChristianB2, (Se)bastian[141] | |||
| consortiumA2,[142] otiose, ratiocinate, sentientB2[143] | |||
| scheduleB2[144] | |||
| nicheAB2 | |||
| bequeath, boothB2, loath(ful/ly/some)A2, smithyA2, withA2 | |||
| AnthonyB2 | |||
| Excluding words changed by flapping (sometimes described as the pronounced as //t–d// merger): TaoismA2 | |||
| conquistador, sequoia | |||
| questionnaireB2 | |||
| nephewB2 | |||
| (sounded) | (silent) | Excluding words changed by nasal flapping: bona fideA2, chthonicB2,[145] coupé (vehicle), diaper, furore, herbA2,[146] KnossosB2,[147] phthisisB2, ricochetB2, salveA2,[148] solder, (un)toward(s)A2(prep.), B2, vaudeville | |
| (silent) | (sounded) | Excluding words changed by non-rhoticity: geographyB2, Maupassant, medicineB2, miniature,A2 Nantes, Nehru, physiognomy, schismB2, Singhalese, suggestA2, traitB2, Valenciennes, vehicleA2, Warwick(shire). See also -ary -ery -ory -bury, -berry. |
| align=left | Spelling | align=left | BrE IPA | align=left | AmE IPA | align=left | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| advertisement | Older Americans may use the British pronunciation, and some British dialects use the American pronunciation. | ||||||
| agent provocateur | (1) (2) | ||||||
| Ajaccio | BrE approximates more to French in French pronounced as /aʒaksjo/; AmE reflects the word's Italian origin pronounced as /it/. | ||||||
| Algarve | (1) (2) | The original Portuguese pronunciation is pronounced as /pt/. | |||||
| Aloysius | |||||||
| amateur | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | |||||
| appliqué | (1) (2) | ||||||
| atelier | (1) (2) | ||||||
| avoirdupois | |||||||
| basalt | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | |||||
| Boccaccio | The original Italian pronunciation is pronounced as /it/. | ||||||
| böhmite | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | The first pronunciations approximate German pronounced as /de/ (spelled (ö) or (oe)); the second ones are anglicized. | ||||
| bœuf | (1) (2) (3) | The original French pronunciation is in French pronounced as /bœf/. | |||||
| bolognaise/bolognese | BrE uses two spellings & pronounced . In AmE the word is usually spelled bolognese & pronounced . | ||||||
| bouquet | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | |||||
| boyar | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | |||||
| Buchenwald | The original German pronunciation is pronounced as /de/. | ||||||
| buoyA2 | The British pronunciation occurs in America more commonly for the verb than the noun; still more in derivatives buoyant, buoyancy & lifebuoy. | ||||||
| Burkina Faso | |||||||
| canton | (1) (2) | difference is only in military sense "to quarter soldiers" other senses can have stress on either syllable in both countries. | |||||
| caramelA2 | (1) (2) | ||||||
| carburettor/carburetor | (1) (2) | BrE is spelled carburettor & pronounced or . In AmE the word is usually spelled carburetor & pronounced . | |||||
| cheong sam | |||||||
| clientele | |||||||
| cloisonné | (1) (2) | The original French pronunciation is in French pronounced as /klwazɔne/. | |||||
| corral | (1) (2) | ||||||
| cosmosA2[149] | (1) (2) | ||||||
| dachshund | (1) (2) (3) | ||||||
| dal segno | The original Italian pronunciation is pronounced as /it/. | ||||||
| Dante | (1) (2) | ||||||
| dilettante | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | BrE reflects the word's Italian origin; AmE approximates more to French. | ||||
| divisiveA2 | |||||||
| Don Quixote | Compare to Spanish pronounced as /es/ | ||||||
| epochA2 | |||||||
| foreheadAB2 | |||||||
| fracas | (1) (2) (3) | The BrE plural is French fracas . For AmE examples (1) and (2), the plural is anglicized fracases | |||||
| fusillade | |||||||
| Galápagos | |||||||
| glacier | (1) (2) | ||||||
| harem | (1) (2) | ||||||
| holocaustA2 | (1) (2) | ||||||
| impasse | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | |||||
| IranA2 | (1) (2) | ||||||
| IraqA2 | (1) (2) | ||||||
| jaguar | |||||||
| jalousie | (1) (2) | ||||||
| junta | The BrE pronunciation is anglicized; the AmE is closer to Spanish. | ||||||
| kudos | |||||||
| Lanzarote | The original Spanish pronunciation is [lanθaˈɾote], also [lansaˈɾote] in Canarian Spanish. | ||||||
| lapsang souchong | |||||||
| lieutenantB2 | (1) (2) | The 2nd British pronunciation is restricted to the Royal Navy. Standard Canadian and Australian pronunciation is the same as the British. | |||||
| liqueur | (1) (2) | ||||||
| longitudeB2 | |||||||
| Los AngelesB2 | (1) (2) | The original Spanish pronunciation is [los ˈaŋxeles]. | |||||
| Ludwig | The original German pronunciation is pronounced as /de/. | ||||||
| machismo | (1) (2) (3) | (1) (2) | AmE reflects the word's Spanish origin; BrE example (3) approximates more to Italian. | ||||
| mama[150] | (1) (2) | ||||||
| methyl | |||||||
| Meuse | The original French pronunciation is in French pronounced as /møz/. | ||||||
| milieuA2 | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | |||||
| Möbius | (1) (2) | The original German pronunciation is pronounced as /de/ and this is approximately reproduced in BrE. | |||||
| Neuchâtel | The original French pronunciation is in French pronounced as /nøʃɑtɛl/. | ||||||
| NicaraguaB2 | (1) (2) | The original Spanish pronunciation is [nikaˈɾaɣwa]. | |||||
| oreganoB2 | (1) (2) | ||||||
| Otranto | The original Italian pronunciation is pronounced as /it/. | ||||||
| pedagogyB2 | (1) (2) | ||||||
| penult | (1) (2) | ||||||
| phthisic[151] | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | |||||
| premierA2 | (1) (2) | ||||||
| première | (1) (2) | ||||||
| progress | (noun) (verb) | (noun) (verb) | In both British and American, the noun has stress on the first syllable. The verb has stress on the second syllable. Canadians follow the British pronunciation. | ||||
| ProvençalA2 | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | |||||
| provostA2[152] | |||||||
| quasi- | (1) (2) | ||||||
| quinine | (1) (2) | ||||||
| Raphael | (1) (2) | ||||||
| Rawalpindi | |||||||
| renegue/renege | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | BrE uses two spellings & pronounced or . In AmE the word is usually spelled renege & pronounced or . | ||||
| Richelieu | (1) (2) | The original French pronunciation is in French pronounced as /ʁiʃ(ə)ljø/. | |||||
| Rioja[153] | The original Spanish pronunciation is [ˈrjoxa]. | ||||||
| risotto | (1) (2) (3) | ||||||
| Roquefort | The original French pronunciation is in French pronounced as /ʁɔkfɔʁ/. | ||||||
| Salzburg | The original German pronunciation is pronounced as /de/. | ||||||
| Santander | (1) (2) | The original Spanish pronunciation is [santanˈdeɾ]. | |||||
| Schleswig-Holstein | |||||||
| Silesia | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | |||||
| sloughA2 | sense "bog"; in metaphorical sense "gloom". Homograph "cast off skin" is everywhere. | ||||||
| StavangerA2 | (1) (2) | (1) (2) | The original Norwegian pronunciation is in Norwegian pronounced as /stɑˈvɑ̀ŋːər/. The BrE pronunciation is common and also occurs in AmE. | ||||
| Strasbourg | The two original pronunciations are: French in French pronounced as /stʁasbuʁ/ & German pronounced as /de/. | ||||||
| Taranto | (1) (2) | The original Italian pronunciation is pronounced as /it/. | |||||
| tourniquet | (1) (2) | ||||||
| Trondheim | The Urban East Norwegian pronunciation of this word is in Norwegian pronounced as /ˈtrɔ̂nː(h)æɪm/. | ||||||
| Tunisia | |||||||
| turquoiseA2 | (1) (2) | ||||||
| Van Gogh | (1) (2) | The original Dutch pronunciation is in Dutch; Flemish pronounced as /vɑŋˈɣɔx/. | |||||
| vaseA2[154] [155] | (1) (2) | ||||||
| Z (the letter) | The spelling of this letter as a word corresponds to the pronunciation: thus Commonwealth (including, Canada) zed and U.S. zee. |