How do you pronounce Answer in American vs British English?

In American English, answer is pronounced ˈænsɝ. In British English, it is pronounced ˈɑːnsɐ. The difference: The “bath/trap” split: American English uses the short /æ/ of “cat”, while British English uses the long /ɑː/ of “father”.

answer

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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

AccentIPA
🇺🇸 American (US)ˈænsɝ
🇬🇧 British (UK)ˈɑːnsɐ

Syllables

WordSyllable breakdownCount
answeransw · er2

Why the two accents differ here

The “bath/trap” split: American English uses the short /æ/ of “cat”, while British English uses the long /ɑː/ of “father”.

This is one of a handful of features that separate the two accents. Our American vs British pronunciation guide walks through all of them with examples.

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.

Full “answer” pronunciation pageCompare any word in 4 accents