AMERICAN AND BRITISH ACCENTS OF ENGLISH: A CONTRASTIVE STUDY

Abstract This research project presents a contrastive analysis of American and British accents of English, grounded in the Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH) as its theoretical framework. It begins by highlighting the historical and sociolinguistic evolution of English into distinct varieties since colonial times, which has given rise to phonological variations observed today. The study aims to explore the phonetic disparities between American and British accents, investigating fundamental aspects such as diphthongization, rhoticity, flapping among others. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to a deeper understanding of how accentual contrasts can lead to misunderstandings, especially in educational contexts where both varieties may coexist. The research is guided by specific questions regarding the phonological differences between American and British English, including their sounds, syllabic laxing tendencies and others. Methodologically, qualitative data were collected and organized into structured tables, facilitating a detailed analysis of fifteen contrasting features between the two accents. The findings reveal that American English typically simplifies diphthongs to monophthongs and adopts rhotic pronunciations, whereas, British English maintains diphthongs and exhibits non-rhotic characteristics. Additional contrasts include variations in stress patterns, the pronunciation of final past tense verbs, and the presence of glottal stops. In conclusion, this study shows the multifaceted nature of these accents and emphasizes the necessity for greater awareness regarding their phonological distinctions in both educational settings and everyday communication. The insights gained contribute to the broader understanding of English as a global lingua franca, ultimately advocating for improved teaching and learning strategies that acknowledges and incorporates these accentual differences.