How to Learn a British Accent *Fast* (Modern RP)

Summary

In this educational video, Izzy, a final year medical student at Cambridge University, shares essential tips to help viewers perfect a British Received Pronunciation (RP) accent. She covers key aspects such as word choice, consonants, vowels, and intonation, providing examples and techniques like mirroring to improve pronunciation. The video is a valuable resource for those interested in adopting a more British RP accent for acting or personal interest.

Takeaways

• 😀 Learn the British Received Pronunciation (RP) accent, which is often considered the standard British accent and is similar to BBC English or Queen's English.
• 📝 Pay attention to word choice and vocabulary; use British English terms like 'rubbish' instead of 'trash' and 'trousers' instead of 'pants'.
• 🗣️ Focus on consonants, particularly the clear enunciation of 't' sounds in all positions and the dropping of 'r' sounds when not followed by a vowel.
• 👄 Practice the unique 'schwa' sound, which is the most common vowel in RP English and appears in words like 'teacher' and 'water'.
• 📚 Understand the difference in vowel sounds between British and American English, such as the short 'o' in 'hot' and the long 'a' in 'grass'.
• 🎶 Work on the rhythm and intonation of speech, which contributes to the musicality of the language and makes the accent more recognizable.
• 📽️ Watch and listen to British media like podcasts, radio shows, TV shows, and YouTube videos to immerse yourself in the accent.
• 🔁 Use the mirroring technique to practice by repeating phrases spoken by native speakers to imitate their accent closely.
• 🎯 Start by focusing on specific vowels or consonants to avoid feeling overwhelmed and gradually build up your accent skills.
• 🌟 The video is aimed at helping viewers sound more British, whether for acting or personal interest, by following simple rules and practicing diligently.
• 📖 There are many resources available online for more thorough learning of the accent, including tables of key vowel and consonant sounds.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to provide tips on how to sound more British when speaking, particularly focusing on the Received Pronunciation (RP) accent.

Who is the presenter of the video?

The presenter of the video is Izzy, a final year medical student at Cambridge University.

What are the five main points the video covers to help sound more British?

The five main points covered in the video are word choice, consonants, vowels, intonation, and practice techniques for perfecting the British accent.

What does RP stand for and what is its traditional name?

RP stands for Received Pronunciation, which is traditionally known as the standard accent for people in the south of England.

Why is word choice important when trying to sound British?

Word choice is important because using British vocabulary instead of American or other versions can significantly affect the authenticity of the British accent.

How should the 't' sounds be pronounced in British English, particularly in RP accent?

In British English, especially in the RP accent, 't' sounds should be clearly enunciated at the beginning, middle, and between words, but not as a hard 't' sound that is forcefully pronounced.

What is the difference between the American and British pronunciation of the word 'water'?

In American English, the 't' in 'water' might be pronounced more like a 'd' sound, whereas in British English, particularly RP, the 't' should be clearly pronounced as a 't'.

What is a common feature of British English that involves the 'r' sound?

A common feature of British English, especially in the RP accent, is the dropping of the 'r' sound when there is no vowel sound following the 'r', known as non-rhotic speech.

Why are vowel sounds important for nailing a British accent?

Vowel sounds are important for a British accent because they contribute to the unique phonetic characteristics of the accent and are essential for pronunciation clarity and authenticity.

What technique did Izzy use to learn Mandarin and how can it be applied to learning a British accent?

Izzy used the technique of mirroring when learning Mandarin, which involves listening to a phrase, pausing, and repeating it back to imitate the accent. This technique can also be applied to learning a British accent by focusing on specific vowels or consonants.

How can one practice to perfect their British accent according to the video?

One can practice by listening to podcasts, radio shows, TV shows, movies, or YouTube videos in the British accent and using the mirroring technique to imitate the accent, focusing on specific sounds and gradually building up.

Outlines

00:00

🇬🇧 Mastering the British Accent: Introduction and Tips

Izzy, a medical student at Cambridge University, introduces her video on mastering the British Received Pronunciation (RP) accent, often referred to as BBC English or Queen's English. She outlines the video's focus on word choice, consonants, vowels, intonation, and practice techniques to achieve a modern RP accent. Izzy emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between British and American vocabulary and provides examples of common British words and phrases.

05:01

🗣️ Fine-Tuning Consonants for a British Accent

The second paragraph delves into the nuances of British consonants, particularly the 't' and 'r' sounds. Izzy explains the importance of clearly enunciating 't' sounds in all positions within words, contrasting the RP accent with American English where 't' can be softened or replaced with a 'd' sound. She also addresses the non-rhotic feature of RP English, where 'r' sounds are dropped when not followed by a vowel, providing examples such as 'doctor' and 'water'. Additionally, Izzy touches on the use of glottal stops in some British dialects, but clarifies that it's not part of the RP accent.

10:03

📚 Understanding British Vowel Sounds and Accent Characteristics

In this paragraph, Izzy focuses on the crucial aspect of vowel sounds in the British accent, highlighting the schwa sound's prevalence in RP English. She describes how to produce this and other key vowel sounds, such as the short 'o' in 'hot' and the long 'a' in 'grass'. Izzy also explains the distinction between the RP 'a' sound and the variant found in other British dialects. She provides a detailed guide on the correct mouth and tongue positions for these sounds, emphasizing their impact on achieving an authentic British accent.

🎶 Capturing the Rhythm and Intonation of British English

The final paragraph discusses the rhythm and intonation of British English, which Izzy describes as challenging to teach but essential for sounding British. She suggests listening to podcasts, radio shows, TV shows, movies, or YouTube videos in the RP accent and practicing mirroring, a technique where one repeats phrases to imitate the accent. Izzy recommends focusing on specific vowels or consonants to make the learning process manageable. She concludes by encouraging viewers to persevere with accent practice and offers additional resources for those interested in language learning.

Keywords

💡British Accent

The British accent, particularly the Received Pronunciation (RP), is the focus of the video. It's described as a distinct way of speaking that is traditionally associated with the south of England and is often referred to as the 'standard' accent. The video aims to provide tips for adopting this accent, making it relevant to the theme of mastering British English pronunciation.

💡Received Pronunciation (RP)

Received Pronunciation, or RP, is a term used to describe a standard accent in British English. It is traditionally associated with the upper class and the educated elite. The script mentions RP as the accent that the video will focus on, and it's likened to the accent used by BBC broadcasters, indicating its prestige and recognizability.

💡Word Choice

Word choice is emphasized as an important aspect of sounding British. The script provides examples of British and American vocabulary differences, such as 'rubbish' instead of 'trash' and 'trousers' instead of 'pants'. This concept is integral to the video's theme as it helps in adopting the British accent by using British English vocabulary.

💡Consonants

The pronunciation of consonants is highlighted as a key differentiator between British and other English accents. The script specifically mentions the clear enunciation of 't' sounds and the dropping of 'r' sounds in certain contexts. Understanding and practicing these consonant sounds is crucial for achieving a British accent.

💡Vowels

Vowel sounds are critical to the British accent, with the script detailing the importance of the schwa sound, short 'o', long 'a', and the big round 'o'. These vowel sounds are quintessential to the RP accent and are used to illustrate how to pronounce words in a more British manner.

💡Intonation

Intonation refers to the rise and fall of pitch in speech and is highlighted as an important aspect of the British accent. The script mentions that it contributes to the 'musicality' of the language, affecting how British one sounds and how understandable they are. It's part of the overall accent learning process.

💡Glottal Stop

A glottal stop is a type of consonant sound that replaces a 't' in some forms of British English. The script explains that while it's widespread, it's not part of the RP accent being taught. Understanding the use and non-use of the glottal stop helps distinguish between different British accents.

💡Mirroring

Mirroring is a technique recommended in the script for practicing the British accent. It involves listening to native speakers and repeating their phrases to imitate their accent. This method is crucial for learning and perfecting the accent, as it allows for direct comparison and correction of one's own speech.

💡Diphthong

A diphthong is a complex vowel sound that begins with one vowel quality and glides into another within the same syllable. The script mentions the big round 'o' sound as an example of a diphthong in British English, which is important for achieving the characteristic sound of words like 'hello'.

💡Accent Learning

Accent learning is the overarching theme of the video, with the script providing specific techniques and examples for adopting a British accent. It encompasses vocabulary, consonant and vowel pronunciation, and intonation, all of which are essential for sounding more British.

Highlights

The video provides essential tips to help viewers sound more British when speaking English.

The presenter, Izzy, is a final year medical student at Cambridge University and has been asked to make this video.

The focus is on the Received Pronunciation (RP) accent, traditionally known as the standard accent for people in the south of England.

RP is also known as BBC English or Queen's English, due to its prevalence among broadcasters and the royal family.

Word choice and vocabulary are crucial for sounding British, with British terms replacing American ones.

Examples of British vocabulary include 'rubbish' instead of 'trash' and 'trousers' instead of 'pants'.

Quintessentially British expressions like 'knackered' for being tired are highlighted.

Consonants are key to distinguishing British English, especially the clear enunciation of 't' sounds.

The 't' sound should be pronounced clearly even between words, unlike in some American accents.

The glottal stop, where 't' is replaced by a stop in the throat, is not part of RP English.

The 'r' sound in British English is often dropped when not followed by a vowel, unlike in American English.

Vowel sounds are critical for a British accent, with the schwa sound being the most common.

The short 'o' sound in words like 'hot' is very British and differs from the American pronunciation.

The long 'a' sound, as in 'grass' and 'father', is another distinctive feature of British English.

The big round 'o' sound in words like 'hello' is a diphthong that changes as it's pronounced.

Rhythm and intonation are important for sounding British, contributing to the language's musicality.

Mirroring is a recommended technique for practicing the accent by imitating phrases heard in media.

Focusing on specific vowels or consonants at a time can make learning the accent feel less overwhelming.

The video concludes with a suggestion to watch other videos on accents and language learning for further insights.

Transcripts

today i'll take you through some

essential top tips to help you sound

more british when you speak so if you

want to learn a british accent then this

is the video for you some people think

that the british rp accent is quite hard

to pull off but actually if you follow a

couple of simple rules then it becomes a

lot easier if you're new here my name's

izzy i'm a final year medical student at

cambridge university this video has been

very highly requested in my comments and

dms in this video i'm going to be

talking about some key points where you

can really make your accent sound a lot

more british i'll go over five main

points today which will be word choice

consonants vowels intonation and finally

how to practice to perfect your british

accent whether this is for acting or if

you just want to learn how to speak with

more of an rp accent then hopefully this

video can help you out i'll particularly

focus on the vowels and the consonants

as these are the areas where you can

really make the most immediate impact

and immediate difference to the way that

your accent sounds today we'll only be

going through tips to speak with a

modern or modified rp accent which is

just my accent this is how i speak rp

stands for received pronunciation

and is sort of traditionally known as

the standard accent for people in the

south of england this standard southern

british english is sort of a bit like

the accent that bbc broadcasters speak

with so sometimes it's also known as bbc

english or queen's english it is

predominantly spoken in the south of

england but obviously it's not confined

to this geographical area and there are

so many different varieties

of british english even within the south

so if you're interested in learning an

accent that sounds a bit like mine then

keep watching this video so the first

thing that you want to pay attention to

when you're trying to sound more british

is actually word choice and vocabulary

i'm not going to go into this in too

much detail but it's really important to

make sure the words you're choosing are

the british version rather than let's

say the american version so just some

examples here would be for example trash

in american english is known as rubbish

in the uk some other examples include

pants versus trousers which is what we

would say in britain there are also

certain words or expressions that just

sound quintessentially british such as

the adjective knackered to describe when

you're really tired i'm absolutely

knackered or phrases like that's a good

shout when speaking to an american

friend of mine i sometimes use this

phrase and

he's a bit baffled like oh what does

that mean what does good shout mean it

just means that's a good idea

essentially so by choosing your words

and phrases carefully you can sound more

british in this way the second thing to

really pay attention to is your

consonants so consonants are an area

where british english particularly rp

really distinguishes itself from other

forms of english accents there are two

key points that i want to address here

firstly is these t sounds make sure that

you enunciate all of your t's this t

sound should be clearly enunciated at

the beginning in the middle and also

between words

so

examples of this would be the word to or

teacher you want to really like make

sure that that t sound is there but it's

not a very hard tea that you spit out

it's like a sort of

light tea so it's not like teacher it's

just teacher and you can clearly hear

that t sound a huge difference between

american and british sounding english is

the t in the middle of words such as

words like water so the word water in rp

the t in the middle is clearly a t

apologies in advance for my american

accent i

can't really do an american accent but

i'll try to just give you an example in

american english they might say it more

like a d like water other examples of

this include the word better versus

better

or city versus city

so make sure that those are really

coming out clearly next is tease between

words so for example

the phrase let it be the t isn't a d

sound again it's this making sure that

it's clearly a t sound and not a d sound

so i feel like sometimes in american

english people say let it be almost like

a d but this is let it be

or another example it is what it is so

i'm just going to put a phrase on screen

now and i'd like you to read it out in a

british accent including all the teas

so that would be pronounced it is what

it is one thing you may be wondering

about is something known as the glossal

stop

so in some variations of british english

the glottal stop is used in place of a t

so for example the word water with a

glottal t would sound like water

so it's where the t

isn't just fully removed it's like for

example

what and you're about to put the t in

but then you kind of there's a tension

in your throat that just cuts off the

sound i would say that this isn't really

part of rp english so if that's the

accent you're aiming for then glottal

stops are not something that you need to

worry about but i thought i'd just

address them as they are a very

widespread part of other forms of

british english a very commonly cited

example of this is i want a bottle of

water which with glottal stop teas

instead of normal teas would sound like

a bottle of water a bottle of water

i can't do it the second point in

consonants is the r sound so often the r

sound is actually dropped in british

english while the ts are always

pronounced

the r's are sometimes dropped this is

known as a non-rhotic essentially in rp

you only pronounce the r sound when

there is a vowel sound after the r in

examples such as the word british you do

pronounce the r sound because there's an

i sound right after it a vowel sound but

in other examples such as the word

teacher has an r on the end of it but

there's no vowel sound after the r so we

don't actually enunciate the r sound

itself so for example in american

english sometimes you'll hear something

more like teacher

what

obviously my american accent's terrible

so please forgive me for that so some

examples of where this r is dropped off

and replaced with the diphthong vowel

essentially a kind of longer version of

the vowel are words like doctor

teacher

water

better

learn

work

party

cart

bird

so dropping off the r sounds where

there's no vowel sound after the r

is really important to developing that

rp sounding accent next coming to vowel

sounds vowel sounds are so important to

nailing a british accent or any accent

for that matter so i'll be going over a

couple of sounds that are

quintessentially british that you can

incorporate into your own speaking there

are a set number of key vowels including

diphthongs that are important to learn

and there's a table of them i'll include

one over here that you can just use for

reference there are so many more

thorough accent learning reasons online

if you're interested in that so the

first vowel sound that is super

important to british english is the

schwa sound this is the most common

vowel in british rp english so it's

super important to nail this as it's

absolutely everywhere and examples that

include it include similar words that

we've used before actually things like

teacher that uh at the end

water

doctor even the word the itself

has that sound and to make this vowel

sound you essentially want to

have a fairly relaxed mouth with your

tongue just resting in your mouth and

you just want to

go ah

the next vowel is the short o sound this

sound is very british and is included in

words such as hot stop slot

got

all of these sorts of words with this o

sound in for example american english

the word stop might be

more pronounced as stop

rather than stop so this is a very round

shape with the mouth with the lips

slightly pushing out and the tongue just

slightly relaxed and flattened in the

mouth the next vowel is the long a sound

this is like an r sound which is present

in words such as grass

bath

father rather fast last to make the

sound open your mouth quite wide like

almost like you're going to the dentist

flatten your tongue and slide it back a

little bit and make this r sound ah that

kind of sound and just practice

last

past

bath

grass and this is in contrast to an

almost hard a where in some areas of

britain in british english instead of

having this long a sound which is

present in rp english there's an almost

like an a sound instead so instead of

bath it'll be bath the next vowel is a

big round o sound so this is present in

words such as hello

no

slow

low

go

halo zero and this is actually a

diphthong where there's actually almost

two sounds within the vowel and the

vowel changes over time that's what a

diphthong is essentially it is sometimes

known as a gliding vowel so the sound

goes from oh

it's like your mouth closes down as you

go through the vowel o to make the sound

your tongue starts off nice and relaxed

with your mouth slightly open in a round

shape and then as you progress through

the vowel

you kind of imagine it kind of closing

down

oh

[Music]

that kind of thing

and i think this one's quite important

to nail because it's in the word hello

and i feel like

sometimes people try to mimic the

british english accent the rp accent

with the word hello and the really

key thing that distinguishes whether

they've nailed it or not is this o sound

at the end so some people almost

overemphasize and they go hello

but that's almost closing it down too

fast it needs to be a very gradual o

quite relaxed o and it's also not a

single sound it's not ah some people say

hello or hello

hello it's not that it's hello

finally the fourth thing to pay

attention to is the rhythm and

intonation this is so important but it's

really hard to teach in a few quick tips

it's something that you need to really

absorb over time and this includes all

the stresses and emphasis on the word

and essentially the musicality of the

language and this really contributes to

making you sound

more british and also making you sound

more understandable as well so how can

you practice all of this i would

recommend listening to plenty of

podcasts or radio shows and also

watching tv shows movies or youtube

videos

with people speaking in this accent and

what you can do is a technique called

mirroring which is essentially where you

play or listen to

them say a phrase and then you pause

whatever it is and then you say it back

you repeat this process a few times to

try to imitate their accent as closely

as possible and one thing that can help

and lots of students that i've had have

found helpful is if you focus

specifically on a few vowels or a few

consonants at a time so for example if

you start with a sentence and you

specifically

focus on making sure you nail all the

t's or making sure that you nail all the

o sounds and then you can kind of build

up from there so it doesn't feel too

overwhelming or paralyzing because it's

a lot to try to change an accent and it

does take a lot of work this technique

called mirroring is actually something i

used extensively when i was trying to

learn mandarin i'll link a video over

here somewhere about my experience of

learning mandarin and how i did that but

otherwise i hope this video has been

helpful or interesting in some way and i

really hope it helps you to get closer

to your goal of maybe sounding more

british

if you enjoyed this video you might like

this one over here where i talk a bit

more about accents and language learning

thank you so much for watching take care

of yourself and i will see you in the

next video

bye