Do only Americans pronounce "used to" as /juːstə/ or /juːsta/?

Asked Feb 22 '20 at 03:33

Active Feb 22 '20 at 08:09

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Another post (When contract "used to" as "usta", is it pronounced /ə/ or /a/?) explains why "used to" is pronounced /juːstə/.

This post focus on who pronounce that way.

I've watched lots of American television series, which got me a sense that Americans like contracting words in street spoken English.

To give you an idea, "used to" in this sentence

I used to know a guy like that.

Would be pronounced /juːstə/ or /juːsta/. Do only Americans pronounce this way? or native English speakers in other places like UK, Australia, Canada do the same thing?

edited Feb 22 '20 at 08:09

asked Feb 22 '20 at 03:33

WXJ96163

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Does this answer your question? When contract "used to" as "usta", is it pronounced /ə/ or /a/? – James K Feb 22 '20 at 07:37
@JamesK Thanks. That post explains why "used to" is pronounced /juːstə/.
This post focus on who pronounce that way.
– WXJ96163 Feb 22 '20 at 08:09
As a Brit, I would say /juːstə/ is commonplace. It's really nothing to do with this particular phrase IMO. Pretty much any unstressed vowel in English can end up as ə. On the other hand I am struggling to think of any case where I would say /juːsta/. If I'm pronouncing the o "properly" then it's more /u/ than /a/. Of course, that is just my accent, in some other accents maybe it's more of an /a/. – stevekeiretsu Feb 22 '20 at 13:13

Do only Americans pronounce "used to" as /juːstə/ or /juːsta/?

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