How do you pronounce Draught in American vs British English?

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

draught

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

Side by side

AccentIPA
🇺🇸 American (US)ˈdɹæft
🇬🇧 British (UK)dɹˈɑːft

Syllables

WordSyllable breakdownCount
draughtdraught1

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 “draught” pronunciation pageCompare any word in 4 accents