Accent Battles: 🇺🇸 US vs 🇬🇧 UK vs 🇦🇺 AUS
How to Pronounce “laugh”: British vs American vs Australian
Dialect Analysis & Sound Shift
US says ⁄læf⁄; UK and Australia say ⁄lɑːf⁄.
Linguistic Feature: Vowel ContrastsUnited States
American English (US)
⁄læf⁄
Short ⁄æ⁄ with /f/
35 video examples
United Kingdom
British English (UK)
⁄lɑːf⁄
Broad ⁄ɑː⁄ with /f/
35 video examples
Australia
Australian English (AUS)
⁄lɑːf⁄
Broad ⁄ɑː⁄ with /f/
35 video examples
Watch Native Speakers by Accent
105 native video clipsListen separately:
Accent Battle: Which pronunciation do you prefer for "laugh"?
Vote to see live community preferences • 105 votes
Dialect Analysis & Sound Shift: “laugh”
Trap-Bath split before fricative /f/.
Frequently Asked Questions: "Laugh" Accent Differences
How do Americans and Britons pronounce "laugh" differently?
Trap-Bath split before fricative /f/.
Which English accent is considered the standard for "laugh"?
Neither is universally superior. General American (GA) is the predominant broadcast standard in North America, while Received Pronunciation (RP) / BBC English is standard across the UK and widely taught across Europe.
How does Australian pronunciation of "laugh" compare to British and American?
Broad ⁄ɑː⁄ with /f/
How can I practice switching between US and UK pronunciations for "laugh"?
Watch native video clips back-to-back using SayItVid's comparison player. Pay close attention to mouth positioning, vowel length, and whether the final or post-vocalic /r/ sound is pronounced.