British English pronunciation
British English here means Received Pronunciation, the reference accent of southern England. Its defining traits are the opposite of American English: the letter r is dropped unless a vowel follows, so car becomes “cah”; the a in bath, dance and grass is a long “ah”; and the t is pronounced clearly rather than tapped. Type any word above to hear it in a British voice.
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What makes British pronunciation distinct
The r is dropped (non-rhotic)
An r is only pronounced when a vowel follows it. At the end of car or in the middle of hard it disappears, lengthening the vowel instead.
The trap–bath split
Words like bath, dance, grass and laugh take a long “ah”, where American English keeps a short a.
A clearer t
The t in water and better is pronounced as a full t (or, in casual speech, a glottal stop) rather than the American tap.
Distinct word choices
Schedule often begins with a soft “sh”, tomato rhymes with “mah-toe”, and the metal is aluminium.
Compare with other accents
The quickest way to hear what changes is side by side. Hear the same word in British and another accent with Compare, or read how they differ:
Related guides
Last reviewed 2026-08-18 · Learn Pronounce