British English. RP

• Received Pronunciation (RP)


  The most prominent historical development in the pronunciation standards of British English
• History of RP


  1. 16th and 17th centuries: Emergence of RP, influenced by educated speech of London and Home Counties, associated with ruling class and educated elite

  2. 18th and 19th centuries: Consolidation of London English/Southern English with rise of public schools, Classroom English/Educated English

  3. Early 20th century: Educated Southern English/RP established as standard pronunciation model, variations based on style, age, social group

  4. 1920s: BBC adopted RP for newsreaders, further establishing its association with prestige and authority

  5. Last few decades: BBC and British media increasingly tolerant of accent diversity
• RP


  • Not homogeneous, variations exist based on age, social circles, speaking style
• Types of RP


  • Conservative RP (favored by older generations)
  • General RP (widely used, heard on BBC news)
  • Advanced RP (associated with younger, affluent circles)
• Other types of RP

  • General RP (most widely used, associated with middle-class educated speakers)
  • Refined RP (reflects class distinction, associated with upper-class, declining)
  • Regional RP (RP with subtle regional features)
• Cockney


  Accent associated with working-class communities of London's East End, with distinct phonological features like H-dropping, glottal stop usage, rhyming slang
• Estuary English (EE)


  Educated accent in London and Southeast, blending of Cockney, RP, and regional southeastern pronunciation and intonation, predicted to become new standard of English, particularly among younger speakers and those avoiding perceived poshness of RP