Between The American and The Englishman

Between The American and The Englishman

When listening to a conversation between an American and an Englishman, a person will become aware of the most significant differences between the two varieties of the language. While the Englishman does not pronounce r sound before a consonant sound or at the end of a word, the American does. This might lead to a rather humorous misunderstanding it, when asked by the American what his job was, the Englishman answered that he was a clerk (pronounce clock to the American ear). Failure to use the r sound at the end of a word might also lead to confusion between words like paw and pour, moreover a noticeable difference exists between the basic rods used to express the same thing. The American might want to know the price of gas in London, but the Englishman will answer him by using the word petrol. Unlike the American, who wears an undershirt when the weather is cold, the Englishman wears a vest. The American wants to know where the elevator is, while the Englishman asks the location of the lift.

Source: Kumpulan Soal Ganesha Operation, UM UGM/2004/32 Text 22, hlm.792