Received Pronunciation (RP) English

Background of RP:

There seems to be some disagreement as to the origins of the term "received" in the phrase, "Received Pronunciation" but both A.J. Ellis’ On early English Pronunciation, 1869-1889 as well as John Walker’s Critical Pronouncing Dictionary and Expositor of the English Language of 1791 are among the possibilities for it’s early appearance. (Wells 1982a), however, cites Daniel Jones, as the "great describer and codifier of the Received Pronunciation of English" in the 1890’s. Regardless of its exact origins, theterm "received" originally meant "that which is generally accepted" or "that accepted by the best society."

RP has for many years epitomized the "top end of the scale" of British English and it is what English people have traditionally meant when they’ve said that someone "hasn’t got an accent." It remains that RP is often regarded as a "neutral" and often "correct" accent. It is also referred to under the terms "BBC English," "Public School English" or even "Standard English. (Wells 1982a)

RP is also the accent that Americans and possibly other foreigners would likely refer to as the typical British accent. It should also be noted that there is no single accent whose role and status in the United States correspond to that of RP in England. (Wells 1982a)

A number of distinctions even within RP have, over the years, been proposed by various linguists. These include "Mainsteam" RP, "Upper crust" RP, "Adoptive" RP, "Near" RP, "Conservative" RP, and "General" RP." (Wells 1982a) discusses these in detail along with their individual phonetic and lexical nuances. Wales (1994) also differentiates between them in saying that "conservative" RP is often spoken by the older generation, and "advanced" RP by the younger generation. Her discussion of the accents of the royal family can be found in the "Queen’s English" section.

Regardless of the differences within RP, it is an accent commonly recognized and one that has been taught as the standard English in schools for years.

Geography of Received Pronunciation (RP) English:

RP is only really associated with England and not the other countries of Great Britain. However, it is not associated with any particular location within England. Because it is what might be thought of as an "educated accent" it appears characteristically in upper and upper middle class speakers and is more sociologically defined rather than geographically defined.

Sociolinguistic Issues of Received Pronunciation (RP) English:

Traditionally, there have been certain occupations most typically associated with an RP accent and they include barristers (attorneys in the superior courts) stockbrokers and diplomats. Up until the 1970’s this was the accent that was required to be considered an announcer on the nationally broadcast BCC (British Broadcasting Corporation) television and radio stations, hence the term "BBC English." As discussed in the general sociolinguistic issues section, RP is an accent that is not localizable but is very recognizable as being the standard, neutral accent of the society. It is not, however, used by a large percentage of the population.

Wells (1991) has identified some characteristics of popular accents that have been resisted by RP and also some changes that have been accepted into RP. He asserts that it is important not to lose sight of the fact that "accents, and more generally varieties of language, are not objective entities so much as mental constructs" and that is preference is for a "sociolinguistic defnition of RP, which entails recognizing the possibility of change. Some of those changes can reasonably be attributed to influence from Cockney – often overtly despised, but covertly imitated."

Features of Received Pronunciation (RP) English:

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