General North American

English (GA)
General Features
Basically very similar to the NRP consonants, but with the
following differences.
Rhotic /r/
GA is rhotic, so /r/ is pronounced in all positions.
really /rl/
horse /hrs/
work /wrk/
hour /ar/
Compare the American /r/ with the Southern Irish and Scots accents which are also rhotic.
No intrusive /r/
Unlike NRP speakers, GA speakers do not tend to realise the intrusive /r/, for example in
the phrase:

double vodka or two /db vdk r tu/
Syllabic // or //
Some GA speakers render syllable final er or el/le as /r/ or /l/, respectively. But
more commonly they use /r/ or /l/ as a syllabic consonant, i.e. to mark the syllable instead
of //, e.g.:
- worker /wrk/ (or /wkr/)
- believable /blivb/ (or /blivbl/)
Note: this feature is also found in UK varieties.




/t/: t-voicing
GA speakers voice /t/ /d/ in intervocalic positions when:
/t/ follows a stressed vowel
- unforgettable /nfgedb/ or /nfgedbl/
/t/ follows a vowel + /r/
- started /strdd/
Including when /t/ is followed by a syllabic // or //.
- traitor /treidr/ or /treid/
This also applies across word boundaries, e.g.:
- hate it /hed t/
Yod-dropping
Yod refers to a y-sound as in yes /j/. NRP/RP speakers include this sound in many
words with /t d n s z/ followed by /u/, e.g. tune, duke, nude, assume or
presume. Most GA speakers, however, drop the yod in these cases, e.g.:
- tune /tun/ (NRP = /tun/ RP = /tjun/)*
- duke /duk/ (NRP = /duk/ RP =/djuk/)*
- nude /nud/ (NRP = /njud/ )
- assume /sum/ (NRP = /sjum/)
- presume /przum/ (RP = /przjum/)
* See notes on NRP/RP differences
GA has a set of vowels and diphthongs which is quite close to NRP
but with significant differences


Free
GA has many of the NRP free vowels, or close equivalents, but does not the long free
vowel distinction, hence: /a/ /i/ // /u/. Note the following contrasts to NRP:
// // in bath words (approximately)
e.g. past /pst/; after /ftr/
// // (approximately)
The NRP // in words like taught /tt/ tends to be pronounced closer to //, /tt/,
e.g.
- all //
Vowels contd.
// // (approximately)
GA speakers usually do not have the NRP rounded back vowel // as in lot. Again they
use a sound close to //, e.g.
- stopped /stpt/
So this means they tend to pronounce many NRP //-// word pairs identically, e.g.
- cot.caught =/kt/
- collarcaller =/k/ or /kr/
Diphthongs


GA speakers tend to shorten some NRP diphthongs, e.g.:
/i/ //
e.g. experience /eksprns/
/e/ /e/
e.g. there /er/
Words ending -ile
Many words ending -ile are pronounced /l/ by NRP speakers. GA speakers pronounce
it /l/ or reduce it further to a syllabic //, e.g.
- fertile /frtl/ or /frt/
- missile /msl/ or /ms/

Words ending -nter
When -nt appears in medial position, it is often reduced to /n/, e.g.:
- winter /wn/ or /wnr/
Stress features
Many NRP speakers clip the final unstressed vowel (schwa) in words ending -ary or -
ory, e.g. library /lbri/ or mandatory /mndtri/. In contrast, GA speakers
commonly pronounce this vowel // as a secondary stress, e.g.
- momentary /memndri/
- military /mlteri/

Final Note
Nasalisation
Probably the most immediate clue that you are listening to an American is the nasalisation running through
their speech. This is the nasal sound you produce when you say /n/ or the in Spanish.
R-colouring
Another particularly GA characteristic. The pronunciation of /r/ affects or colours the adjacent consonants
and vowels. The pronunciation of partner is a good example.
Intonation
GA tends to have fewer pitch changes than NRP. This can lead to Brits finding Americans a bit monotonous
when the speak, while Americans Brits sound a bit exaggerated.
Rhythm
GA speakers tend to lengthen stressed checked vowels (e.g. after) which British speakers tend to refer to
(negatively) as a drawl.