why do the British say "Mum" while Americans say "Mom" (2010, hotel)

[jr75]

I've always been curious about how British folks pronounce the a at the end of words. When I watch the BBC world news the journalists will say what sounds to me like an r sound. For example: America sounds like Americ-r or Obama sounds like Obam-r. Is this a regional thing in GB?

[doctorjef]

Originally Posted by jr75

I've always been curious about how British folks pronounce the a at the end of words. When I watch the BBC world news the journalists will say what sounds to me like an r sound. For example: America sounds like Americ-r or Obama sounds like Obam-r. Is this a regional thing in GB?

Living there I found only a minority of people tended to insert those r sounds. What is much more common, almost universal in England is the softening of the r within words or at the ends of words almost to the point of nonexistance, e.g. pattern pronounced as "paten".

[jenniferprestia]

Do you think that's an either or thing? I tend to both - paten and americ'r

[Sonrise]

Originally Posted by jenniferprestia

Do you think that's an either or thing? I tend to both - paten and americ'r

Why do you say Americer, when there is no "r" in the word? My sister in law named Mona had a professor in college, and he always called her Moner; drove her nuts for obvious reasons. It's not just brits that do this, it's quite common in New England as well as Australia; what's even odder then adding an "r" when there is none, is making them silent when they're not supposed to be. For example, the following sentence:

Linda and Lisa jumped into their car, drove to the bar and ordered some beer and pizza; would sound like the following in England, Boston and Australia:

Linder and Leaser jumped into their cah, drove to the bah, and ordered some beeah and peetzer.

You guys invented the language and have utterly butchered and destroyed beyond comprehension.

[PA2UK]

Originally Posted by jr75

I've always been curious about how British folks pronounce the a at the end of words. When I watch the BBC world news the journalists will say what sounds to me like an r sound. For example: America sounds like Americ-r or Obama sounds like Obam-r. Is this a regional thing in GB?

Originally Posted by Sonrise

Why do you say Americer, when there is no "r" in the word?

We've already covered the addition and dropping of R's to the ends of words:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/11095402-post15.html

[doctorjef]

Originally Posted by jenniferprestia

Do you think that's an either or thing? I tend to both - paten and americ'r

No, the two patterns aren't mutually exclusive. The only thing I actually find disturbing is the people who talk like Jonathon Woss. Although he is the most pwonounced example, I've seen quite a few other cases on tv, as well as one of the wawdens of my pawish church in London. One of my former bosses also had a very mild case of this pwoblem pwonouncing r's. I have never wun onto this in Amewica, except for one girl I wecall fwom pwimary school. She saw the school speech thewapist for her difficulty. IME the pwoblem in the UK seems to be more pwevalent in women than in men. On another fowum one of the posters insisted that this is just a further stage in the loss of the wotic (i.e. rhotic) r in English pwonunciation. However, I have difficulty believing that explanation. I do find it very stwange.

[PA2UK]

Originally Posted by doctorjef

No, the two patterns aren't mutually exclusive. The only thing I actually find disturbing is the people who talk like Jonathon Woss. Although he is the most pwonounced example, I've seen quite a few other cases on tv, as well as one of the wawdens of my pawish church in London. One of my former bosses also had a very mild case of this pwoblem pwonouncing r's. I have never wun onto this in Amewica, except for one girl I wecall fwom pwimary school. She saw the school speech thewapist for her difficulty. IME the pwoblem in the UK seems to be more pwevalent in women than in men. On another fowum one of the posters insisted that this is just a further stage in the loss of the wotic (i.e. rhotic) r in English pwonunciation. However, I have difficulty believing that explanation. I do find it very stwange.

Strange? It's a speech impediment! Just like people who have a lisp! Wow, you really do have a problem with people who have disabilities. Not very tolerant or understanding, are you?

[doctorjef]

Why would this particular "impediment" be so much more common in England (not Britain -- Scots, for example, don't seem to have this difficulty). And why would a very serious English biologist insist that this is actually an evolving speech pattern in England (I'm not saying that as a biologist he has any expertise in linguistics or speech therapy, just that he's an educated person)? And no, I don't have a pwoblem with persons with disabilities. Why, is it that you don't pronounce your r's either?

[yachtcare]

Hmmm, try saying "mom" with an english accent.....there's yur answer, right there.

[PA2UK]

Originally Posted by doctorjef

Why would this particular "impediment" be so much more common in England (not Britain -- Scots, for example, don't seem to have this difficulty). And why would a very serious English biologist insist that this is actually an evolving speech pattern in England (I'm not saying that as a biologist he has any expertise in linguistics or speech therapy, just that he's an educated person)?

And the statistics and studies to back up this theory are.....?

I am an American living in England I have not notice this impediment being anymore prevalent in England than in the US. I've never even met anyone in England who speaks that way.

And no, I don't have a pwoblem with persons with disabilities.

Oh no, you just mock them.

Why, is it that you don't pronounce your r's either?

I pronounce my R's. I have no speech impediment and my pronounciation of words is fairly decent. That doesn't stop me from thinking that mocking and patornizing people for having a disability - and then having the nerve to try to claim it's not actually a speech impediment - is just offensive and disgusting.