English on the other side of the Atlantic

Daisy Wilson-Morrow

Some lexical differences

Automotive terminology, UK vs. US

UK US

lid: “double sheet metal on the lid” roof

screen windshield

binnacle instrument panel

greenlane: “Ordnance Survey maps are vital for any greenlaning foray”

unpaved road

break: “The west country’s largest 4x4 breakers”

disassemble (car); breaker = junkyard

auto jumble automotive swap meet

strops tow straps

Major phonological differences

• Non-rhotic

• ‘Additional’ vowel contrasts

Modern rhotic, non-rhotic areas

Modern rhotic, non-rhotic areas

Rhotic/non-rhotic correspondencesUS UK

[r] [] beard [bd]

[r] [] bared [bd]

[r] [] bird [bd]

[r] [] board [bd]

[ur] [] toured [td]

[r] [] bard [bd]

Other vowel qualities

front central back

unrounded unrounded rounded

high i u

lower-high

mid higher-mid e o

lower-mid

low

Examples

part [pt]

pot [pt]

bought [bt]

fire [f] (< [fj])

bird [bd]

bud [bd]

Transcription practice

• turn [tn]

• lair [l]• liar [lj]• Larry [læri]

• sorry [sri]• soar [s]