Perception of flapped /t/ in British English: a generational shift?

Abstract

This study investigates the perception of the flapped allophone of /t/ in British English, a feature traditionally associated with American English. We explore whether this perception has evolved among British English speakers. Using an identification perception experiment, participants from two age groups (18-25 and 55+) had to identify the orthographic representation of the audio stimuli of nonce words containing a flap /t/, produced by speakers of SBE and GA. Preliminary analysis revealed that while the effect of generation alone was not significant, the interaction between generation and accent was significant. Younger participants were more likely to correctly identify a flap in British English compared to older participants, suggesting a generational shift in the perception of this phonetic feature. These findings indicate a potential evolution in the acceptance of flapped /t/ as a variant in British English, which may be due to the prevalent use of American English in popular media.