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Tag Archives: Received Pronunciation (RP)
The Anglo-Indian Dialect
Below is an interesting short film created from outtakes of The End of the Raaj, a recent documentary about the Anglo-Indian community. This snippet discusses the Anglo-Indian dialect, and the various words and terms associated with this sub-culture. It’s a long clip, … Continue reading
The Cloth Set
I remember the first time I learned about the cloth set. It was a boiling summer day in an un-air-conditioned New York workplace. Feeling the heat, I exclaimed to a co-worker, “Man, this is a hot office!” At that moment, … Continue reading
Estuary English in the 21st Century
I’ve used the term Estuary English quite a bit on this site. For the dialect novices out there, I’d like to explain what this phrase means, and my personal take on it. Estuary English is a hard concept to define. Sometimes … Continue reading
Posted in British English Tagged celebrity accents, Estuary English, Received Pronunciation (RP) 28 Comments
Sign of the Times: William and Kate’s Accents
Yes, even a blog about accents needs to touch on the Royal Wedding a little bit. I won’t spill more digital ink about the wedding, nor the wedding-mania that swept America this past week. I am, however, fascinated by the … Continue reading
Posted in British English Tagged class and accent, Estuary English, Received Pronunciation (RP) 36 Comments
Stage Accents vs. Real Accents
As per recent discussions of American actors doing British accents, I’d like to make an important distinction: Authentic accents vs. stage dialects*. For about 90% of situations in which an American actor needs a British accent, that accent is probably … Continue reading
Mastering the Trap-Bath Split
[Update: I made a few slight revisions to this post based on feedback.] (NOTE: This post uses the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). For information about the IPA, please visit my page of IPA Resources.) What is the #1 thing American actors screw … Continue reading
Posted in British English Tagged accents for actors, Boston accents, Cockney, Received Pronunciation (RP) 40 Comments
Shakespearean vs. Modern English
For many years, there was a “standard” accent used by Shakespearean actors. In the UK, this was Received Pronunciation (RP), the “standard British” accent you hear among Oxford professors and in Jane Austen films*. In America, classical actors used something … Continue reading