Approximants

GhE is non-rhotic (i.e. non-prevocalic R is usually not pronounced) since its historical model is the British standard. However, in contrast to RP, GhE does not have linking or intrusive R’s.

The phonetic quality of GhE /r/ is usually [ɻ] (retroflex approximant as in RP), with which Ghanaians are familiar from some dialects of Akan. A large number of Ghanaians lives and works abroad, in Europe but especially in the United States and Canada. During their absence from Africa, a good number acquires some measure of an American accent and such a pronunciation is regarded by many Ghanaians as a sign of material success, characterizing someone who has made a small fortune abroad. Thus, some features of American English, like rhoticity or intervocalic flapping of /t/, are present in the speech of some been-tos ‘returnees from overseas’. Americanisms in pronunciation are also strongly present in radio and TV advertising and in the speech of radio moderators hosting music programs or other informal broadcasts. It seems, however, that Americanisms are largely restricted to the informal sector in the media; the news, for example, is always read by speakers with a non-rhotic accent.

L-reduction and/or vocalization can be observed especially where RP has a syllabic L: available [avelabu^l], circle [sεkɔ'] , apple [apɔ], example [εgzampu]. In these reduction processes, the vowel preceding L is velarized to [ɔ ~ u]. These processes also occur in environments where colloquial BrE does not show L-vocalization: will [wɔ' ~ wu'], fiscal [fiska], shall [ʃa]. Ghanaian languages differ as to the phonological status of /l, r/: in the majority of the Kwa languages, including most of the Akan dialects, Ewe, and Ga-Dangme, [l, r] are in allophonic distribution. Some northern languages like Dagaare, Dagbani, and Kasem have /l/, but [r] occurs only as an allophone of /d/. Other Gur languages, including Frafra and Kusal, have two separate phonemes /l/ and /r/, as does the Kwa language Gonja. Because of this [l ~ r] alternation, especially in the south of Ghana but to some extent also in the north, pronunciations like bless [brεs], block [brk], play [pre], or properly [prɔpεrɪ] can be heard particularly among less educated, older speakers. The reverse, i.e. [l] for /r/, appears to be less frequent, but one example is problem [plɔblεm].

GhE pronunciation differs from RP in that orthographic wh- is often rendered as [hw], so that the question words what, where, which, or why are pronounced  and [hwai], respectively. This is another feature that could have its historical origin in Scottish influence in the Gold Coast, reinforced by spelling pronunciation. As with many other features, there is again variability, with speakers alternating between [hw-] and [w-].

Another difference from RP is that in GhE we find variable yod-dropping (RP /ju:/ > GhE /u/), e.g. in annual [anual], continuing [kɔntinuiŋ] , duress [durεs] or during [durin].