How do you pronounce Responsibility in American vs British English?

In American English, responsibility is pronounced ɹiˌspɑnsəˈbɪɫəti. In British English, it is pronounced ɹɪspˌɒnsəbˈɪlɪti. The difference: The “lot” vowel: American English uses an unrounded /ɑ/, British English a rounded /ɒ/.

responsibility

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

AccentIPA
🇺🇸 American (US)ɹiˌspɑnsəˈbɪɫəti
🇬🇧 British (UK)ɹɪspˌɒnsəbˈɪlɪti

Syllables

WordSyllable breakdownCount
responsibilityresp · ons · ib · il · ity5

Why the two accents differ here

The “lot” vowel: American English uses an unrounded /ɑ/, British English a rounded /ɒ/.

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 “responsibility” pronunciation pageCompare any word in 4 accents