Received Pronunciation — the traditional prestige accent of British English

Pronunciation features

RP is typically non‑rhotic: the consonant /r/ is not pronounced at the end of a syllable or before a consonant, so words like car and hard lack a pronounced post‑vocalic /r/ in careful speech. It exhibits a number of vowel distinctions commonly used to characterise southern English pronunciation, for example the trap–bath split (different vowels in trap and bath in many words), and the foot–strut split (different vowels in foot and strut).

Other recognised features include long versus short vowel contrasts, a set of centring diphthongs (as in near, square, cure in conservative descriptions), and a relatively clear, non‑velarised /l/ in many positions. RP often shows linking or intrusive /r/ across word boundaries in speech like many British accents. For concise phonetic descriptions consult phonetics resources such as phonetics sources.

History and social role

RP emerged over the 18th to 20th centuries as pronunciation associated with certain social institutions: private schools, older universities and the professional classes. It became widely recognised in the 19th and 20th centuries as a desirable model for public life and broadcasting. The growth of national media in the 20th century familiarised large audiences with RP as one standard of public speech. Historical and educational contexts that influenced its spread are discussed in studies of education and language history, for example education and language history.

Because RP relates only to pronunciation, it is distinct from labels such as Standard English that also cover grammar and vocabulary. Prestige terms such as "the Queen's English" or "BBC English" are sometimes used loosely to mean RP or a related standard of usage; see usage notes at usage notes.

Variants and change

There is no single immutable RP. Linguists distinguish older or conservative RP, which preserves features described in early 20th‑century accounts, from modern or contemporary forms in which some vowels and consonant realisations have shifted. Informal speech among speakers who would be described as RP may show features borrowed from regional accents or from other southern varieties such as Estuary English. Comparative dialect and variety descriptions are available at dialect studies and variety descriptions.

Teaching, dictionaries and modern status

For much of the 20th century RP was widely taught to foreign learners of British English and served as the reference pronunciation in many dictionaries. Today language teaching and media increasingly recognise a broader range of standard accents; alternatives labelled General British or regionally neutral accents are commonly presented alongside RP in teaching materials. Useful teaching resources and pronunciation references include ESL materials and dictionary pronunciation guides.

Attitudes to RP have changed: it remains a recognised form, especially in formal contexts and in some performing arts training, but British speech has become more diverse and socially dynamic. Contemporary sociolinguistic research emphasises the social meanings of different accents and the varied ways speakers adopt, retain or reject features of RP.

Further reading

• Overviews of phonetic features and transcription in pronunciation guides: phonetics sources.
• Historical and social accounts of standardisation and broadcasting: education and language history.
• Resources for learners and teachers comparing RP with other taught forms: ESL materials and dictionary pronunciation.
• Sociolinguistic discussions of prestige, regional accents and contemporary change: see usage notes, dialect studies and variety descriptions.