PRONUNCIATION AND ACCENT DIFFERENCES IN BRITISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH: VOWELS, SOUNDS, STRESS, AND INTONATION

Abstract

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of pronunciation and accent differences in the English language, with particular emphasis on vowel sounds, consonant sounds, word stress, sentence stress, and intonation patterns. The study explores how these phonetic features contribute to variation between British and American English accents and how they affect intelligibility and communicative effectiveness. Through detailed explanations and illustrative examples, the article demonstrates that pronunciation plays a crucial role in spoken communication. It also emphasizes that the primary goal of pronunciation learning is not the elimination of a learner’s accent, but the development of clear, natural, and intelligible speech suitable for academic, professional, and everyday contexts.