How do you pronounce Across in American vs British English?
In American English, across is pronounced əˈkɹɔs. In British English, it is pronounced əkɹˈɒs. The difference: The “cloth” vowel: American English uses /ɔ/, British English the shorter rounded /ɒ/.
across
Tap to hear · American accent
Accent
If an accent sounds the same, your device is missing that voice — it falls back to the closest one.
Speed
Syllable by syllable — tap each one
Side by side
| Accent | IPA |
|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 American (US) | əˈkɹɔs |
| 🇬🇧 British (UK) | əkɹˈɒs |
Syllables
| Word | Syllable breakdown | Count |
|---|---|---|
| across | acr · oss | 2 |
Why the two accents differ here
In across, the difference falls on /ɔ/ in American English against /ɒ/ in British. The rest of the word’s 2 syllables are said the same way in both.
The “cloth” vowel: American English uses /ɔ/, British English the shorter rounded /ɒ/.
Practise the sound itself on the /ɔ/ sound page, or see the full American vs British guide for the other features that separate the two accents.
Other words with the same difference
9 other words on the site turn on this same feature — once you hear it in one, you hear it in all of them:
Which one should you use?
Neither is more correct — they are different standard accents. Choose based on where you live, work, or are being examined, and then stay consistent. Mixing accents mid-sentence is what sounds unnatural, not the accent itself.