What is Received Pronunciation?
Received Pronunciation is commonly known as BBC English or ‘the King’s English’.
The Oxford dictionary defines Received Pronunciation as:
“a widely recognized accent of British English, associated with education, broadcasting and the South of England”
And according to The Cambridge dictionary, Received Pronunciation is defined as:
“the standard way in which middle-class speakers of southern British English pronounce words”
RP emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it was based on the speech of public school-educated individuals and the British upper-middle and upper classes. RP is characterised by its clear, precise pronunciation, and its relatively standardised grammar and vocabulary. Despite being associated with a specific social group, RP has become a widely recognised accent that is considered the benchmark for standard English pronunciation in the UK and elsewhere.
RP has evolved over the years into various forms including the traditional and modern forms. Many British actors on the international stage speak RP and it’s also the preferred British accent for narration and audio books. Note that RP is not the same as “Standard British English”.
Click here for examples of RP spoken today by famous people such as actors and celebrities, etc.
The following is a video published by the English Phonetics Archive. In this recording from 1993 Prof John Wells gives a lecture on Received Pronunciation.