Jinx can either refer to an object (or person) that brings bad luck, or be used as a verb. There is no direct equivalent in Italian – the closest word is ‘scomodo,’ which means uncomfortable.
AwkwardĪwkward is the perfect word to describe that peculiarly British blend of embarrassment, discomfort and uncertainty that arises most often in social situations when someone has said something that they shouldn’t. However, there are also words in English that can’t be translated into other languages with a single word. We previously looked on the Tomedes blog at ten words that have no English translation. In reality, there are parts of our own country that are more foreign sounding to each other than British English does.** This article is updated regularly. And if you think that sounds odd, it's the same way when Brits (another option) talk about Americans and American English, assuming it's all the same. I'm asking for which term is best to generalize the language spoken over there by a generic grouping of individuals from there. Yes, I do know the difference between the UK, England, and Britain. Which way is it in the UK?Īnd please let me know which you would prefer most/least in the previous line: UK, England, Britain, British English? However, in some regions, the "t" is voiced. Speaking of that, "often" is usually pronounced "offen", with the "t" silent. The Midwest and South, as is often the case, may pronounce things a little differently. I've never heard the "e" words pronounced like the "i" word, at least not on the West or East Coasts. "Been" and "Ben" sound almost the same ("been" may have a slightly longer and breathier "eh" in the middle, whereas "Ben" is always short.) "Bin" is pronounced like a "pin" or a "tin". Native Californian 24 January 2014 at - The author made a slight mistake. If you like what you see here on Lost In The Pond, follow us and weigh in on UK/US differences | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | RSS | Pinterest | Instagram
Simply put, the American pronunciation rhymes with dock. For the record, talk is also not pronounced TAWK in American English, as some Brits would have you believe. In truth, I can think of only one word where Americans themselves speak an absent rhotic 'r' and this would be in the word colonel. In fact, the most common American pronunciation involves the word rhyming with bother.Īs with father, Brits have a tendency to insert a rhotic 'r' into the word talk (as in TORK). When pronouncing the word father using American English, a lot of Brits will either really sound out the 'a' (in a similar manner to the Irish), or they'll arbitrarily insert a rhotic 'r' before the 't' (as in FAR-THUR). So instead of saying HAAHF, they should be pronouncing it HAY-AHF. Words like half (and similarly, calf) are difficult for Brits to say in an American accent, mainly because the 'a' sound is so vastly different from what they are used to. As a matter of fact, the words been, bin and Ben are spoken with virtually the same pronunciation. However, in the United States, the word been is pronounced exactly the same way as bin. This one is similar to against, in that Brits instinctively pronounce it the way they always have. Within virtually every accent across the United States, Americans either pronounce it A-GHENST or A-GHANST. If you do this in front of an American, be prepared to receive an odd look.
With that out of the way, here are 5 words Brits cannot pronounce when attempting an American accent.Īlmost without exception, even the most gifted impersonator or linguist will feel a strong desire to pronounce against the same way he or she would back in England - that is A-GHAYNST. And there's no need to feel ashamed: even the great Hugh Laurie insists he had trouble at first. There are certain words that, for whatever reason - be it unfamiliarity or language complexity - are just blooming difficult to get your head (and tongue) around. Those of us Brits who like to think they can nail a perfect American accent might want to think again.
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