1. Historical Divergence:
* Colonial Isolation: When British colonists settled in America, they were geographically isolated from the evolving language in Britain. This led to independent development of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.
* Influence of Other Languages: American English was influenced by other languages spoken by colonists, such as Dutch, French, and Native American languages.
2. Regional Variation:
* Dialectal Variation: Both British and American English are themselves composed of regional dialects with variations in pronunciation. The pronunciation of American English reflects the influence of the dialects spoken by early settlers, while British English has evolved differently.
* Social and Economic Factors: Class, education, and geographic location have contributed to variations in pronunciation within both British and American English.
3. Phonetic Shift:
* The Great Vowel Shift: This 15th-century phonetic change in England impacted vowel pronunciation in a way that didn't fully affect American English.
* Stress Shift: American English has shifted the stress in certain words compared to British English, leading to slight changes in vowel pronunciation.
4. Linguistic Change:
* Sound Simplification: American English tends to simplify sounds, dropping certain syllables or consonants, while British English preserves them.
* Vowel Merging: Certain vowels have merged in American English, while they remain distinct in British English.
Specific Examples:
* "R" Pronunciation: American English pronounces "r" in all positions, while British English drops the "r" in some cases (e.g., "car," "park").
* "A" Pronunciation: American English often uses a flat "a" sound (e.g., "cat"), while British English might use a more open "a" sound (e.g., "caht").
* "T" Pronunciation: In American English, "t" is often pronounced as a "d" sound between vowels (e.g., "better"), while British English typically retains the "t" sound.
It's important to note:
* Pronunciation differences are not absolute. There is regional variation within both British and American English, and some sounds are pronounced similarly in both varieties.
* The distinctions in pronunciation are generally subtle, and speakers of both varieties can usually understand each other.
Ultimately, the differences in pronunciation reflect the unique historical and linguistic paths of these two varieties of English.