Received Pronunciation (RP): The Classic British Accent

Received Pronunciation, often called RP, BBC English, or the Queen's English, is the prestige accent of British English. While only about 3% of the UK population speaks pure RP, it remains the most widely taught British accent worldwide.

Key Features of RP

1. Non-Rhoticity

RP speakers do not pronounce /r/ after vowels:

"car" = /kɑː/ (no "r" sound)

"farmer" = /ˈfɑːmə/

"harbour" = /ˈhɑːbə/

2. The TRAP-BATH Split

Words like "bath", "grass", "dance" use the long /ɑː/ vowel:

"bath" = /bɑːθ/ (not /bæθ/)

"dance" = /dɑːns/

"glass" = /ɡlɑːs/

3. Clear Consonants

RP maintains clear pronunciation of /t/ between vowels:

"better" = /ˈbetə/ (no flapping)

"water" = /ˈwɔːtə/

"letter" = /ˈletə/

4. Long Vowels

RP features distinctly lengthened vowels in certain positions:

FLEECE: /iː/ as in "see"

GOOSE: /uː/ as in "food"

NURSE: /ɜː/ as in "bird"

How RP Differs from American English

The most notable differences include the treatment of post-vocalic /r/, vowel quality in the BATH and LOT sets, and distinctive intonation patterns.

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