The Printing Press and the Great Vowel Shift

What explains the difference between English and American accents?  On this episode of Reasonably Sound, Mike Rugnetta explains that this spoken phenomenon starts with the written word.

Music:

Hudson Cycle – Nico Muhly

I’m Afraid of Americans (V1) – David Bowie

Americans – Oneohtrix Point Never

Paper Crumpling R – Sesame Street

Messages Received – Cabaret Voltaire

On American versus English Spelling:

Why Do Brits and Americans Spell Words Differently?

Americanize, Anglicise: Why Do Brits And Yanks Spell Words Differently?

Present Day American Spelling from The Cambridge History of the English Language, Volume 6

Main Sources for this Episode:

A History of the English Language by Elly van Gelderen

Linguistics for Everyone: An Introduction by Kristin Denham, Anne Lobeck

Why Do Americans and Brits Have Different Accents?

When Did Americans Lose Their British Accents?

Received Pronunciation

 

PD Episode Image: Press by takomabibelot http://bit.ly/2EaEj8Q