Received Pronunciation, In Brief
Received Pronunciation is the cultivated speech of the educated and upper classes of
Great Britain. It is a heavily documented and familiar speech, being the standard for
the BBC for many years, and the native or adopted speech of many well-knows
actors (Judi Dench, Jeremy Irons, Helen Mirren).
Native RP Speakers tend to use pitch (occasionally with vowel elongation) as a tool
for word emphasis. Most often, consonants are the major tool in making a point.
The focus/placement for RP asks for great agility in the jaw and energy in the lips,
with far forward sound placement.
VOWELS, are more a shift in position than actual substitution… think forward:
AH:
1) De-nasalize. Aim for the chin.
2) Consult the “ask list” to discover if you should use a “Broad A” in place of
another AH vowel. The Broad A being a back mouth vowel, feeling
open and wide.
UH:
As in “but,” “cup,” and “hut.” Shorter sound than in Standard American, give
great energy and aim towards the gum ridge.
O:
Or the “British Short O” is just that, short. The jaw opens, offering the mouth
a tall, oval shape. As in “not” and “hot.”
AW:
As in “law,” “call,” “Paul.” The lips have a marked rounding, nearly the
position to whistle. The soft palate raises, leaving a cavernous feeling in the
mouth. This sound can be medium-long and should possess much forward
energy.
OO:
As in “tune” or “dune.” Forward and more round. Occasionally, you will add
a “yuh” to the beginning of this vowel, creating a “liquid u.”
OH:
The “British Long OH.” OH vowels which take length shift from the Standard
American OH (a diphthong, blending of two vowels) to the above mentioned
sound. It adds a new primary sound, generally a short uh or schwa, to create
a triphthong. It is an important sound and signature sound. UhOH.
Y, LY, or LLY Endings: In standard American are sounded as a pure E vowel. In RP
they transition to a pronunciation between a pure E and IH.
CONSONANTS:
R
In attempting RP many Americans give themselves away by indiscriminately
dropping all the “R’s” or not dropping enough. The drop/weakening pattern
of R is the same as in NYC, Boston, and some Southern American Accents.
Once learned, this rule can contribute greatly to an authentic sound. Accents
of English which pronounce all written R’s are considered rhotic, those which
do not are called non-rhotic. Therefore, RP is non-rhotic and Standard
American is rhotic.
Rules for the Non-Rhotic accents:
PRONOUNCED/SOUNDED R
-Primary (first) sound of a word (red)
-Sound preceding a vowel sound (tree)
-Sound following a consonant sound (grow)
UNPRONOUNCED/UNSOUNDED/SOFTENED R
-Terminal (final) sound of a word (ever)
-Sound preceding a consonant sound (hurt)
LINKING R
-If an R is in the final position of a word and the following word begins with a vowel
sound (and is part of the same thought) the words are linked with the R sounded
and attached to the vowel sound of the following word. (here and there)
L
is sounded (when in the primary or medial position) as a “light L.” The tip of
the tongue quickly taps the gum ridge and releases. When an L sound comes
before a consonant sound or silence it becomes a longer, held “dark L.”
lily lavender lime limitless wall doll arsenal
T
is a sound which is almost always fully realized when in the terminal
position or between vowels, and given a slightly aspirated quality.
Later batter heart right Spartan Britain
TERMINAL/FINAL SOUNDS
The English tend to finish words in a stronger manner than Americans. Final D and
T sounds should be sounded.
Also, RP speakers will tend to condense a suffix like ary, ery, aly, ory to one syllable,
with a slightly clipped feel:
Literally Library Stationary
SPECIAL PRONUNCIATIONS
Schedule
Issue/Tissue
Nephew
Privacy
Patent
Clerk