Sounds & words
English Accent Practice
Same word, two accents: compare, listen and repeat.
About the English Accent Practice
American and British English share a spelling system but not always a sound system. This page compares the two on real words: tomato, schedule, water, bath, laboratory and more, showing the American and British IPA side by side with a note on what changes.
Use Listen to hear each version, then repeat it in shadowing mode: the page plays the model, gives you a short gap, then plays it again. The listening test plays a word in one accent and asks you to identify it. Both accents are recorded, so the test works on every device.
Neither accent is more correct, and most speakers mix features. What matters is consistency and clarity. Choose the accent of the place you live or work, learn its three or four biggest features first (the R, the T and the BATH vowel), and use the other accent mainly for understanding. The listening test helps train your ear for both.
How to use it
- 1Browse the comparison table, or search for a word.
- 2Press US and UK to hear each accent, and read the IPA difference.
- 3Use Shadowing: listen, repeat aloud, listen again.
- 4Take the US or UK listening test to check your ear.
Practice tips
- Pick one target accent and stick to it for consistency.
- The biggest differences are the R at the end of syllables and the T between vowels.
- Don't aim for a perfect accent, aim for clear speech.
- Listen to short phrases, not just single words.
What it measures, and what it doesn’t
IPA comes from the CMU (US) and Britfone (UK) dictionaries. Audio is recorded with Kokoro, an open AI voice model, in two American and two British voices. The listening test is self-contained and scored out of ten.
What your browser needs: Nothing extra: American and British voices are built in.
Progress is saved in your browser only. See the privacy policy.
English Accent Practice FAQ
Is American or British English better to learn?
Neither. Choose the one that matches your goals, such as where you live, work or study, and stay consistent.
Why do I only hear one accent?
Pick a voice at the top of the tool: Heart and Michael are American, Emma and George are British. Each accent is a separate recorded voice, so you can switch whenever you like.
Where do the IPA transcriptions come from?
The American forms come from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary and the British forms from Britfone. Words missing from either are skipped rather than guessed.