Questions tagged [british-english]
This tag is for questions related to English as used in Great Britain, and sometimes Ireland.
160
questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
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How are /ɪ/ and /ʌ/ realised in the Nottingham (East Midlands) accent?
I've got a sample of a few words pronounced by a Nottingham accent representative: https://youtu.be/2fCSeDEZeVU
My ear is far from perfect and this is why I'd like to ask for your help in this ...
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Meanings of “catch one up” in British English
I know that it’s common in British English to say things like
You go on ahead. I’ll catch you up.
That usage is never encountered in American English. We would say, “I’ll catch up with you.”
In ...
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Non-standard grammar feature in British dialect?
I moved from Worcestershire in the UK to a non-native English speaking country when I was a child, which has made me very aware of my accent. Unlike my parents, I used to have a regional accent. I ...
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Is linking R to a vowel in British English an intentional effort or a natural occurrence?
If I am not wrong, the linkage between words happens naturally when you try to pronounce the words quickly. Unlike American English, where the ending R is always clearly pronounced, British ...
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1
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Is the diphthong /aʊ/ generally realized as [ɑʊ] in British English?
I noticed that the diphthong /aʊ/ is pronounced by most British English speakers as [ɑʊ] (I may be inaccurate here).
You can see the vowel /a/ on the vowel diagram below:
I understand this diagram ...
user387044
3
votes
1
answer
128
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Do compounds ending in "college" have initial stress in British English but final stress in American English?
Zwicky (1986, p. 54) claims that compounds ending in college have initial stress in British English but final stress in American varieties. Thus, Brits would say KING'S college but Americans ...
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3
votes
1
answer
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In which context should I use reduced relative clauses?
As I should write essays and other kinds of writings in an academic style, I was wondering whether reduced relative clauses are formal or I had better opt for a non-reduced relative clause so that I ...
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Is the difference between "what a nerve" and "what nerve" regional?
I understand "what (a) nerve!" means "how rude".
I somehow always thought "what a nerve" is more common and was surprised at the exchange made in this question. ...
- 647
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3
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Origin of "Indent" as in inventory or request
I have recently moved to an institution run by the British government where staff use the term "indent" as a noun to refer to an inventory exercise done to work out what they need to buy.
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Monosyllabic triphthongs with R are distinguished from sequences with disyllabic realizations
In British Received Pronunciation, and most other non-rhotic
(r-dropping) varieties of English, monosyllabic triphthongs with R are
optionally distinguished from sequences with disyllabic realizations:...
- 2,509
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“Can I ask it?”
In the TV show Ted Lasso, one character (of Nigerian descent) asks another for a roll of tape by saying “Can I ask it?” I wasn’t familiar with this phrasing. I think an American would have said “Could ...
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Is "tokenization/tokenize" written with a "z" or "s" in British English?
I can't find any examples of tokenization/tokenize written with an "s", and MS Word also corrects it to a "z" when set to UK English. Is there a reason this word does not follow ...
- 121
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0
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86
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What is the most common allophone of r after θ in British English, like in [θri:]?
I ask because post-alveolar r could not be used after dental θ. My intuition tells me that it should be alveolar r, but I have not found on the Internet any confirmation for it.
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"worth" with possessive(s) in coordinated nominals
According to Garner Modern English Grammar
The idiomatic possessive should be used with periods of time and
statements of worth — 30 days’ notice (i.e., notice of 30 days), three
days’ time, ...
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Differences between American and British question intonation?
In interactions with American and British people, I've noted Americans tend to have rise-fall (↗↘) intonation while I've heard the British having rise-fall-rise (↗↘↗) intonation while asking questions....
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