PRACTICE LIBRARY · ABOUT 5 MINUTES · BRITISH RP VS GENERAL AMERICAN
RP vs General American R: stop the American R slipping into a British accent
If General American is your everyday accent, R is usually the first thing to slip back into an RP performance. Hear both accents say the same words, learn the one place they differ, and practise catching it.
Both accents pronounce R before a vowel: red, very and story sound much the same. They split on R after a vowel. General American keeps it in car, park and water. RP drops it, unless the next word starts with a vowel.
Each pair below is the same word from two AI voices, one General American and one RP. You'll need about five minutes and your phone's voice recorder. This page doesn't record you.
Start the exercise0:00–1:30 · SIDE BY SIDE
Same word, two accents
Play the General American version first, then the RP one. Listen to the end of the vowel. In General American the tongue pulls back and the vowel takes on an R colour. In RP the vowel simply finishes.
This reference could not load. You can continue with the written exercise.
This reference could not load. You can continue with the written exercise.
This reference could not load. You can continue with the written exercise.
This reference could not load. You can continue with the written exercise.
This reference could not load. You can continue with the written exercise.
This reference could not load. You can continue with the written exercise.
- Play each pair. Then say the General American version and the RP version back to back.
- Feel what your tongue does. For the American R it pulls back or bunches up. For RP it can stay relaxed and low through the end of the word.
The RP voice is fairly light. Car keeps a faint trace of R. Far drops it completely and park nearly does. Aim for far.
1:30–2:30 · -ER ENDINGS
Where the R hides: unstressed endings
The R slips back in most easily in endings like -er, because they're quick and unstressed. In General American the ending is an R-coloured vowel. In RP it's a plain, short schwa, the vowel at the start of “about”.
This reference could not load. You can continue with the written exercise.
This reference could not load. You can continue with the written exercise.
This reference could not load. You can continue with the written exercise.
This reference could not load. You can continue with the written exercise.
- Say water the American way, then the RP way. Then say just the RP version three times, keeping the ending short and relaxed. Do the same with better.
2:30–3:15 · EAR TEST
Which accent was that?
Train your ear
Press play to hear one of the words above in either accent, then pick which one it was. Listen to the end of the vowel.
You can also use the labeled clips above without this check.
3:15–5:00 · IN A LINE
Catch it in connected speech
Short words like for, her and more are where the R tends to come back once you speed up. Here's one line in both accents:
“That area was much nearer for her and more to her liking.”
This reference could not load. You can continue with the written exercise.
This reference could not load. You can continue with the written exercise.
- Before playing, mark every written R. Area and the middle of nearer have a vowel after the R, so both accents pronounce them.
- Play the General American line, then the RP one. In RP, the end of nearer, for, more and the her before liking all lose their R. Her and can link with an R, because a vowel follows.
- Record the line in RP. Play it back and listen only for R. If one slips in, note the word, say just that phrase three times, then run the whole line again.
Variation matters. Not every American accent is rhotic in the same way, and many British accents, such as Scottish English and some West Country and Lancashire accents, pronounce R after vowels. This page compares two specific varieties: General American and RP.
GO DEEPER
Practise the RP side
Work through the RP non-rhotic R exercise for more words, -er endings and linking R, or rehearse your own lines with RP for auditions.
In Accentuate, the British RP path starts with non-rhotic R: words, phrases and full sentences you can record and get directional feedback on. Feedback is directional, not proof that a performance sounds convincingly RP.