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Dialect comparison

General American vs Received Pronunciation

Compare two dialects of English side by side — where they're spoken, what they're called, and how they relate.

General American

Standard American English

The broad accent associated with national US broadcasting and most of the inland north and west. A reference point rather than a single regional variety.

Spoken in
Approximate centre
41.88°, -87.63°
Received Pronunciation

RP · BBC English · Standard Southern British

The traditional prestige accent of southern England. Long carried by national broadcasting and higher education, but no longer dominant in everyday British speech.

Approximate centre
51.51°, -0.13°

How to read this comparison

Which one to learn

Start with General American or Received Pronunciation based on the community, country, or media you expect to use most.

Mutual understanding

Shared language labels do not guarantee identical speech. Compare country coverage, aliases, and audio where available.

Where to go next

Open each dialect page for sources, nearby varieties, atlas context, and app availability.

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