PERFECT YOUR RP ACCENT | Southern ENGLISH Accent Coach

Molly Parker | Voice & Accent Coach
21 Feb 202321:52

Summary

TLDRIn this informative video, voice and accent coach Molly dives into the intricacies of mastering the Received Pronunciation (RP) accent, also known as the Queen's English. She covers the nuances of oral posture, consonants, and vowel sounds, highlighting common mistakes and providing tips for a more natural RP sound. Molly also discusses the accent's musicality, including its smooth, slurred speech and pitch patterns. Aimed at helping learners achieve a modern RP accent, the video offers practical advice and encourages practice for a relaxed and authentic delivery.

Takeaways

  • πŸŽ™οΈ The video is about perfecting the Received Pronunciation (RP) accent, also known as the Queen's English, which is traditionally associated with the south of England, the BBC, and British media.
  • πŸ‘€ The speaker, Molly, is a voice and accent coach based in London, who grew up in Surrey and has a modern RP accent.
  • πŸ—£οΈ The script discusses the evolution of RP into 'modern RP' or 'SSB', which differs from the traditional RP or 'heightened RP' heard in historical media.
  • πŸ‘„ The importance of oral posture in accent training is highlighted, with the modern RP accent requiring a relaxed mouth setup for efficient sound production.
  • πŸ”Š The script emphasizes the non-rotic nature of the modern RP accent, where 'R' sounds are not always pronounced, especially after vowels, unless they are between two vowel sounds or at the beginning of a word.
  • πŸ‘… Different pronunciation techniques for 'R' sounds are presented, including a labiodental fricative 'R' using teeth and lips, and a tongue-based 'R' without lip involvement.
  • πŸ’¬ The script mentions the dropping of 'T' sounds in the middle of sentences in modern RP, which is more relaxed compared to the heightened RP.
  • 🦷 The 'TH' sound in modern RP is made by placing the tongue between the teeth, contrasting with some London accents that might replace it with an 'F' or 'V' sound.
  • πŸ‘… The difference between 'light L' and 'velarized L' is explained, with the former used at the start of words and the latter at the end.
  • 🎡 The schwa sound, a relaxed and neutral 'uh' sound, is a key component of the modern RP accent, often used in casual speech.
  • πŸ“ˆ The script touches on the musicality of the modern RP accent, characterized by a tendency to slur words together, a generally flat intonation, and a downward inflection at the end of sentences.

Q & A

  • What does RP stand for and what is its significance in the English language?

    -RP stands for Received Pronunciation, which is also known as the Queen's English. It is significant as it is traditionally associated with the south of England, the BBC, and has been a standard in media for many years.

  • What is the difference between modern RP and heightened RP?

    -Modern RP is a more relaxed and contemporary version of the Received Pronunciation, while heightened RP, sometimes referred to as period drama RP, is a more formal and exaggerated version that might be used in historical dramas or by the royal family.

  • Who is Molly and what is her background in relation to the RP accent?

    -Molly is a voice and accent coach based in London. She grew up in Surrey, outside of London, in a middle-class environment and naturally speaks with a modern RP accent.

  • What is oral posture and why is it important for mastering the RP accent?

    -Oral posture refers to the setup of the mouth when producing sounds within a particular accent. It is important for mastering the RP accent because it helps to manipulate the pharynx and articulators efficiently to produce the accent's characteristic sounds.

  • How does the speaker describe the ideal oral posture for the modern RP accent?

    -The ideal oral posture for the modern RP accent is described as relaxed, with the tongue positioned behind the bottom teeth and minimal movement of the jaw and lips.

  • What are the two main ways to pronounce the 'r' sound in the RP accent?

    -The two main ways to pronounce the 'r' sound in the RP accent are the labiodental fricative 'r', where the lips and teeth are involved, and the tongue 'r', where the tongue raises in the mouth without the involvement of the lips and teeth.

  • When is it appropriate to drop the 't' sound in the modern RP accent?

    -In the modern RP accent, the 't' sound can be dropped when it appears in the middle of a sentence and is not at the end of a word or followed by a pause.

  • What is the difference between a light 'l' and a velarized 'l' in the RP accent?

    -A light 'l' is produced with the tip of the tongue flicking behind the upper teeth and is used at the beginning of words, while a velarized 'l' is produced with the tongue raised towards the soft palate and is used at the end of words.

  • Why is the schwa sound important in the modern RP accent?

    -The schwa sound is important in the modern RP accent because it represents a relaxed and neutral sound that is often used in casual speech, making it easier to transition between words.

  • How does the speaker describe the musicality or prosody of the modern RP accent?

    -The speaker describes the musicality of the modern RP accent as having a smooth and slurred quality, with words often running together and a tendency to go down at the end of sentences unless emphasizing or asking a question.

  • What advice does Molly give for those who might be overdoing the RP accent?

    -Molly advises to keep the accent relaxed and to avoid over-egging it, as doing so can make the accent feel caricatured or pantomime-like. She emphasizes that 'less is more' when mastering the RP accent.

Outlines

00:00

πŸŽ™οΈ Introduction to Perfecting the RP Accent

The speaker, Molly, a voice and accent coach based in London, introduces the topic of the video: perfecting the Received Pronunciation (RP) accent, also known as the Queen's English. Molly explains that while RP is traditionally associated with the south of England and the BBC, there are variations such as modern RP and neutral General Southern British English. She mentions that her own accent is close to modern RP, which she grew up with in Surrey. The video aims to guide viewers on how to perfect this accent by addressing common mistakes and key components such as oral posture, consonants, vowel sounds, and prosody.

05:03

πŸ—£οΈ Understanding Oral Posture for RP Accent

Molly discusses the concept of oral posture, which refers to the positioning of the mouth for accent pronunciation. She explains that each accent has a unique way of using the pharynx and articulators. For the RP accent, she emphasizes the importance of a relaxed mouth, with the tongue placed behind the bottom teeth and minimal movement of the jaw and lips. Molly suggests practicing the schwa sound and the 'uh-oh' sound to achieve the correct posture. She also provides an exercise to practice days of the week with the new posture.

10:03

πŸ“š Mastering Consonant Pronunciation in RP

In this section, Molly covers the pronunciation of consonants in the RP accent, focusing on the 'r' sound. She explains the difference between a non-rotic accent, where 'r' is not always pronounced, and situations where 'r' should be pronounced, such as at the beginning of a word or between two vowel sounds. Molly also describes two ways to pronounce 'r': labiodental fricative, using teeth and lips, and a tongue-based 'r' sound. Additionally, she touches on the dropping of 't' sounds in the middle of sentences and the pronunciation of 'th' and 'l' sounds.

15:05

🎼 Vowel Sounds and the Schwa in Modern RP

Molly delves into the vowel sounds characteristic of the modern RP accent, highlighting the schwa sound, which is a relaxed and neutral 'uh' sound. She points out that the schwa is frequently used inRP, making words like 'for' and 'Gump' sound similar. Molly also discusses other vowel sounds, such as 'strut', 'trap', 'bath', and 'palm', noting the differences betweenRPand other accents. She advises on the subtlety of diphthongs inRPand the importance of relaxation in pronouncing vowel sounds.

20:06

🎡 The Musicality and Prosody of the RP Accent

Molly talks about the musicality and prosody of the modern RP accent, which involves the resonance and intonation patterns. She suggests that modern RP tends to have a more chesty or throat resonance compared to other accents. Molly demonstrates the natural slurring of words inRPand the tendency to go down at the end of sentences unless there is a continuing thought. She also mentions the use of an intrusive 'r' to help with word transitions and emphasizes the smooth and flat nature of the accent, with minimal pitch variation.

πŸ“˜ Final Tips and Conclusion on the RP Accent

In the final paragraph, Molly wraps up the video by summarizing the key points for perfecting the modern RP accent. She reiterates the importance of relaxation, minimal movement, and the smooth, slurred quality of speech. Molly offers additional resources for those interested in learning more about accents, including a free consultation and PDF guides. She encourages viewers to practice and listen to native speakers, emphasizing that 'less is more' when it comes to theRPaccent, and advises against overdoing it to avoid a caricatured impression.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Received Pronunciation (RP)

Received Pronunciation, often abbreviated as RP, refers to a standard accent of English that is traditionally associated with the educated classes in England, particularly in the South. It is also known as the Queen's English. In the video, RP is the main focus, with the speaker aiming to teach viewers how to perfect this accent, which is characterized by its distinct vowel and consonant sounds.

πŸ’‘Oral Posture

Oral posture in the context of the video refers to the physical positioning of the mouth, including the tongue, lips, and jaw, to produce specific sounds of an accent. The video emphasizes the importance of achieving the correct oral posture for the RP accent, suggesting that it should be relaxed, with the tongue positioned behind the bottom teeth, to facilitate accurate pronunciation.

πŸ’‘Schwa

The schwa is a mid-central vowel sound, represented by the symbol /Ι™/ in the International Phonetic Alphabet. It is often described as a relaxed or neutral vowel sound, like the 'uh' sound in hesitation. The video script uses the schwa as an example of a sound that is common in the RP accent, particularly in unstressed syllables.

πŸ’‘Consonants

Consonants are speech sounds produced with a complete or partial closure of the vocal tract, which prevents the air from passing freely. The script discusses the pronunciation of consonants in the RP accent, including the specific articulation of 'r' sounds and the distinction between 't' sounds in different positions within words.

πŸ’‘Prosody

Prosody refers to the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech. In the video, the speaker talks about the musicality of the RP accent, including the use of prosody to create a smooth, slurred quality in speech. The script provides examples of how to use prosody to achieve the characteristic sound of the RP accent.

πŸ’‘Non-Rhotic

A non-rhotic accent is one in which the 'r' sound is not pronounced when it follows a vowel and precedes a consonant or at the end of a word. The video explains that the RP accent is non-rhotic, meaning that 'r' sounds are often dropped in certain contexts, except when they are between vowels or at the beginning of a word.

πŸ’‘Labiodental Fricative

A labiodental fricative is a type of consonant sound produced by placing the lower lip against the upper teeth and allowing air to pass between them, creating a 'fricative' sound. The script mentions the labiodental fricative 'r' sound as one way to articulate the 'r' in the RP accent, particularly when it is pronounced.

πŸ’‘Villarized L

A villarized 'L' is an 'L' sound produced with the tip of the tongue raised towards the back of the upper front teeth (the alveolar ridge) or further back towards the soft palate (velum). The video distinguishes between the light 'L' used at the beginning of words and the villarized 'L' used at the end of words in the RP accent.

πŸ’‘Diphthong

A diphthong is a complex vowel sound that begins with one vowel quality and glides into another within the same syllable. The script discusses the subtlety of diphthongs in the RP accent, such as 'near' and 'goat', which are pronounced with less distinction between the two vowel sounds than in some other accents.

πŸ’‘Intrusive R

An intrusive 'R' is a non-standard 'r' sound that is added in speech when it is not present in the standard pronunciation of a word. The video mentions the use of an intrusive 'R' in the RP accent to help with the transition between words, particularly when connecting words that end in 'w' and begin with a vowel.

πŸ’‘Accent Coach

An accent coach is a professional who specializes in teaching and correcting accents for individuals who wish to improve their pronunciation or adopt a different accent for acting or other purposes. The speaker in the video identifies herself as a voice and accent coach, offering guidance on perfecting the RP accent.

Highlights

Introduction to Received Pronunciation (RP) and its association with the Queen's English and the south of England.

Explanation of the evolution of RP into modern RP and its variations like heightened RP and period drama RP.

Introduction of the speaker, Molly, a voice and accent coach based in London with a natural modern RP accent.

Discussion on the importance of oral posture in achieving the RP accent and its impact on sound production.

Demonstration of how to achieve a relaxed oral posture for the RP accent, including the position of the tongue and lips.

Practice tips for the schwa sound, a key component of the RP accent, and its role in sentence flow.

Explanation of the non-rotic nature of the RP accent and its implications for R pronunciation.

Clarification on when to pronounce R sounds in RP, such as at the beginning of words or between vowels.

Description of the two types of R sounds in RP: labiodental fricative and tongue-based R.

Advice on the pronunciation of T sounds in RP, including when to drop T sounds in the middle of sentences.

Guidance on TH sounds in RP and the distinction between RP and other accents like London or General Southern English.

Discussion on the pronunciation of L sounds in RP, distinguishing between light L and velarized L.

Emphasis on the schwa sound in RP and its prevalence in everyday speech.

Analysis of vowel sounds in RP, including the importance of the schwa and its variations.

Explanation of the musicality of the RP accent, focusing on intonation and sentence rhythm.

Tips for achieving the smooth and slurred quality of the RP accent through sentence intonation and word blending.

Final summary of the key elements for perfecting the RP accent, including oral posture, consonant and vowel sounds, and musicality.

Encouragement for viewers to engage with the content, ask questions, and provide feedback on accents they would like to learn next.

Transcripts

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hello everyone and welcome back to my

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channel I hope you are doing well

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[Music]

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I am very excited for today's video

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because we are going to be talking about

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how you can perfect your RP accent now

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in case you did not know RP stands for

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received pronunciation this is otherwise

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known as the queen's English it is what

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you would have heard in the south of

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England in the BBC and on lots of media

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for years and years and years it sounds

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a little something like this of the

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guest is my last News Bulletin of the

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year and the decade tonight also marks

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the end of the international year of the

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child and today children marched through

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London to attend a Thanksgiving service

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however as the generations have moved on

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we now have these sort of different

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tiers for what RP really means so in

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that last extract that is technically RP

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English however nowadays it might be

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known as something such as heightened RP

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or periodrama RP instead in fact what I

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want to focus on today is what's now

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known as modern RP or what Jeff Lindsay

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would call SSB and there's also like

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neutral General Southern British English

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there are lots and lots of different uh

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things that are all talking about the

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same accent and that accent happens to

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be one that I Am Naturally very close to

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and I haven't introduced myself so if

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you are new here my name is Molly I am a

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voice and accent coach based in London

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but I grew up in Surrey which is just

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outside London in the south of England I

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grew up in a middle class environment

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and I would say I pretty much have what

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a lot of people would term as modern RP

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or when the usual people who maybe

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aren't acting coaches and aren't working

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in the industry would just call an RP

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accent of today

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so I'm going to be running you down how

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to perfect your RP accent some of the

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key mistakes that people make along the

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way as well as the key components

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including the Orville posture the

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consonants the vowel sounds as well as

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the prosody or musicality of how you can

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perfect this accent so with all of that

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let's crack on so the first thing I'm

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going to address in this video is what

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we call the oral posture now oral

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posture is just referring to the setup

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of your mouth in order to make the

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sounds within this accent every single

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accent has a slightly different way of

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manipulating your pharynx and the

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articulators in order to help make those

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sounds as safely and as efficiently and

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as truthfully as possible think of your

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whole being as almost like a car and

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it's just about adjusting that gear

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stick to see how you can get in the oh I

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mean I'm in the American vowel sound and

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then oh I'm in the British vowel sound

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and then and then you can just find the

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right gear and hopefully when you get

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that oral posture right it's just going

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to be a lot easier to go into the right

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direction in which you want to go with

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the modern RP accent

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mostly people like to overdo it so if I

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was to go into a heightened RP accent

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I'm almost imagining my mouth is like a

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funnel so I'm thinking very very tight

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in the front of my mouth and very large

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in lots of space in the back of my mouth

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like a yawn however in my accent

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everything is a lot more relaxed you can

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notice that as I'm speaking to you right

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now my jaw and my lips are barely moving

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I can really often feel my tongue is

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right behind my bottom teeth so for a

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lot of you you might have to really

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think about your tongue moving quite far

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forward in order to feel behind your

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bottom teeth and everything just stays

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really relaxed a good way we can get

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into this relaxed posture is practicing

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the schwa sound or the hesitation sound

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in this accent uh

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uh uh and just practicing that making

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sure that your tongue is behind your

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bottom teeth your lips are nice and

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relaxed uh uh and you can also give her

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uh-oh uh-oh uh-oh which is just quite a

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nice way of balancing out and thickening

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out the vocal folds to get you also into

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this gear uh-oh uh oh

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so once you think you've found that oral

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posture Everything feels relaxed and the

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tongue feels like it's at the front why

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don't you try saying for me uh-oh Monday

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uh oh Tuesday uh oh Wednesday

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uh-oh Thursday

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uh-oh Friday

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uh-oh Saturday

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uh-oh Sunday and you should notice that

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you hardly have to move anything at all

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in order to make those sounds the next

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thing I want to touch on is consonants

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now if you have seen this video that I

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will put up somewhere here you will hear

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me talking about lots of jargon

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including rotissity an accent is either

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rotic or non-rotic this accent is an

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example of a non-rotic accent meaning I

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don't always pronounce the R's sometimes

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they'll be on the page and I will choose

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to avoid them especially if they follow

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a vowel sound such as start car park

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lark

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remark

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charts

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restart oh all the words have gone from

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my head but you get the gist any of

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those types of words or these that I'm

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going to put on the screen now

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I'm not gonna bother pronouncing the r

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sound for so rather than saying start or

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start or start I'm gonna say start

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so I'm just saying that s t art

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sounds start car now this exception does

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happen when an R is sandwiched between

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two vowel sounds such as hero or carrots

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I am then going to pronounce my R's hero

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carrot and obviously when an R is at the

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beginning of a word such as Roger Rabbit

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ran then I'm also going to pronounce my

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R's so make sure you do pronounce some

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R's especially of the beginning of the

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word or if they're sandwiched between

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two vowel sounds but usually if you get

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a vowel then an R we're going to ignore

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it so when I do pronounce those R sounds

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how am I doing so there are two

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different ways you've got here first way

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is what would be called a labiodental

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fricative r and for that I mean that I

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am using my teeth and my lips so labio

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dental and fricative I mean like the

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articulators are coming together but

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leaving a slight Gap meaning that

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there's quite a lot of breath and air

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that can vibrate through them so I'm

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literally going

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I'm pouting my lips and I can feel my

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top teeth on my lip on the inside ra

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[Music]

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that's maybe me picking up more of

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London sounds but I would actually

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highly argue that a lot of people will

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say there are when living in the south

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of England which is really what people

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mean by this RP accent we'll say it like

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that

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however there may also be times when I'm

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actually just using an R by using my

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tongue and it's slightly raising in my

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mouth so my lips are staying neutral my

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tips my tips my teeth aren't getting

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involved at all

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Roger ran rabbit ER Roger ran rabbits so

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your two options again are using your

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teeth and your lips Roger or just using

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your tongue Roger

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usually it's a little bit of a mix

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sometimes it depends who you're talking

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to how comfortable you feel talking to

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someone for me I associate those two

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sounds just using the tongue as

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something that feels a little bit more

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formal and the lips are something that

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feels a little bit more relaxed but play

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with whatever feels the most natural to

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you and whatever is suitable for why you

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want to learn this accent another thing

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I will mention are teas now if you gave

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me a word on its own such as right

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right notice I'm using a labio dental R

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there right I am pronouncing that t

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sound and I'm pronouncing that t Sound

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by bringing my tongue behind my top

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teeth on the alveolar Ridge

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however if I then have that word in a

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whole sentence and it's somewhere in the

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middle of that sentence so I've got

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somewhere to go on to such as am I right

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in thinking that

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am I right in thinking that am I right

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in thinking that am I right in thinking

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that you'll notice that I'm dropping

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that t altogether again this may depend

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so usually I would say when you have a

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word on its own or a word finishes and a

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sentence finishes with a word that ends

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in a t then I would say pronounce it

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however if you feel like it feels

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unnatural to do that and going through a

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whole sentence you'd actually rather

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drop that t such as am I right in

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thinking that then that wouldn't be

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unusual to find in the modern RP accent

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it's something that you wouldn't find in

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heightened RP such as the crown or the

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queen's English but nowadays it feels a

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little bit more common and it's a little

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bit more usual again I associate more

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formality with pronouncing all of my T's

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but more relaxed when I drop them

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so that's up to you to play with let's

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now talk about THS so to make a th sound

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I'm going to bring my tongue in between

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my teeth like so

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I think that's the case

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I think that's the case

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I think that's the case now if you're

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familiar or more usual with more London

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sounds you might think I'd say I think

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that's the case or all together let's

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think about that and I probably would

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say that to be honest

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um quite a lot of times but that's

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because I've lived in London for quite a

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few years however before I moved to

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London I don't think that was part of my

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vocabulary so I wouldn't say it's part

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of RP but you wouldn't be looked down on

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I don't think if you were doing some

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sort of General Southern English accent

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and you added an f and a v rather than

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the th but if you are going for strictly

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RP modern RP sounds I'd only say bring

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the tongue in between the teeth and

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think of a

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sound instead and then let's touch on

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L's so there are two ways I can say an L

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that is what we call a light L where the

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tongue and tip of the tongue is flicking

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behind my teeth

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I use this L at the start of words such

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as Larry lazy and lamb however there's

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also a villarized out which is more of

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an American L and Northerners always use

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this L where I'm bringing my whole

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tongue upwards towards my soft palate or

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my Velar and it sounds something like

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this oh oh

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[Music]

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I used this L if an L is nearing the end

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of a word such as cool or cool or film

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and I'm using this more swallowed-like

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way of pronouncing my L's so if you had

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the sentence I need to call Larry the

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lazy lamb I'm using that velarized owl

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on cool but Larry lazy lamb I'm keeping

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really light now if we put the

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consonants to one side and move on to

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the vowel sounds vowel sounds meaning

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any sounds where your articulators are

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not getting involved there is one sound

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in particular that we have already

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covered but I would like to bring your

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attention to which is the schwa now the

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schwa is that uh uh uh sound that we

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looked at earlier it's where everything

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is really relaxed really neutral uh uh

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uh and the reason I want to draw your

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attention to that is because we will use

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that all of the time when it comes to

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the modern RP sound for example let's

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take the sentence will you come back

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here please Forrest Gump

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will you come back here please for a

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scump

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I will probably say that in my most

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relaxed fashion will you come back here

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please for a scump

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will you come back here please for a

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scump as you can definitely hear in a

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bit of you in uh come and Gump I'm

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definitely using it so that uh sound

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happens all the time let's take another

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sentence let's say when I go to the

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shops when I go to the shops you'll

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notice that I'm not saying when I go to

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the shops I'm saying when I go to the

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shops that's because when you're

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thinking about this accent in whole

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sentences quite a lot of the time

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because we're moving on to another word

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just like how we drop the T in write in

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the previous example I'm almost going to

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replace certain vowel sounds such as two

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with this uh sound so that it just feels

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a little bit easier to roll off of the

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tongue

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other vowel sounds that might be quite

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key to this accent and are quite similar

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to the schwa include strut strut strut

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and this sound my tongue is quite far

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forward I'm relaxing my jaw a little bit

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but not quite as much as I think a lot

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of people will usually want to when they

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do the British accent for example you

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can say the sentence the dull young

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monks the dull young monks that is

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really similar to the schwa sound in

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fact I would probably argue that it is

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the schwa sound sometimes it can differ

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slightly and Michael Jordan open a

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little bit more you may also notice a

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difference when I say trap bath and palm

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so bath and palm in this instance of the

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same sound r r is opening whereas trap

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is nice and wide whereas if you're from

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the north of England you probably say

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trap and bath as the same vowel sound

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whereas I say trap bath and palm you

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also have a sound such as nurse which is

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a really good word to practice if you

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naturally have a rotic accent and how to

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get into a non-rotic accent for example

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let's take the sentence the bird fed the

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worm on the church the bird fed the worm

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on the church bird worm church I'm

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saying that all the same so I'm not

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saying warm or warm I'm saying worm it's

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almost like a u sound in that another

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lexical set that might be interesting

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for you to practice could be Fort North

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fours again I'm saying the same sound in

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that or thought North Force I'm not

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pronouncing those R sounds but I am

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elongating that sound and I'm slightly

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rounding my lips thought North fours for

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all of those sounds as well similarly

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one that a lot of people struggle with

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is foot and goat they're two different

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sounds but I really want you to think

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about just relaxing everything here foot

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foot foot

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I am literally not moving my lips at all

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foot foot foot foot

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quite similar for the diphthong goat I'm

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hardly making it a diphthong goat goat

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goat oh look at the goat's foot over

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there oh look at the goat's foot over

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there

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when you get to a word like Goose you

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can again afford to round your lips and

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elongate it but most of our diphthongs

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really are very very subtle such as near

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in height and RP would have been

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something like near near near

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whereas I would just say near near near

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and it's more as if there's an r

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colorization in there that affects that

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diphthong rather than a whole new vowel

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sound of course those are just some of

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the general vowel sounds that you would

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need to practice but as long as you get

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those ones down and you think about that

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oral posture hopefully you're in that

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gear to just start the force in driving

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obviously I don't know what accent you

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have who is watching this thank you for

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watching this by the way if you've got

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this far please press a thumbs up and

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don't forget to comment letting me know

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what accent you'd like to perfect next

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but because I don't know where you are

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coming from it makes it quite tricky to

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pick these vowel sounds so do leave me a

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message if there are some words that

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you're just not quite getting and I'll

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try to reply with the right sentences to

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help you out the last thing I want I

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want to talk a little bit about is

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porosity or the musicality of the modern

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RP accent so we were practicing with the

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sensation of uh-oh uh-oh before and

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that's because I think a lot of modern

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RP speakers kind of transition from

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either a head resonance or a bit of a

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chesty resonance not a lot is happening

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in The Mask especially if you compare

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our accent to uh more American or

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Australian or even Northern a lot of it

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sits a little bit further back in the

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body and the throat and in terms of the

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musicality I want you to have a think

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about this so I'm going to speak a

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little bit of an extract I'm just going

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to tell you about what I am up to for

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the rest of today and as I'm speaking

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can you pretend your hand is a little

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bit of a I don't know conductor and

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you're going to go up when I go up down

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when I go down and I'm going to try and

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not think about it whatsoever so see if

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you can follow along and you can tell me

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about what you notice about the

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musicality so for the rest of today I am

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going to finish this video and then I

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think I have two more clients today

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actually I have three more clients uh

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two of which are returning one is a new

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client which I'm really excited to talk

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about they want to do accent work and

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then I've got two people on for audition

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prep I've just kind of got to catch up

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on lots of things this is the first

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chance I've had to sit down and actually

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film a YouTube video because I've been

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dashing about on Tech rehearsals and

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things like that so I'm just catching up

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on all of my social medias I have a

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YouTube video going up tonight and I've

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also written my newsletter for next week

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so it's really like an ad mini clienty

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day which is nice it's good to have that

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once in a while rather than leading

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group scenarios

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so what did you notice some things you

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may have seen is that I tend to go down

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at the end of my sentences unless I've

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got a continuing thought another thing

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that is very common in the RP accent is

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we like to slur all of our words into

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one quite often I will not take a breath

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until the very end of a sentence so for

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example if I had a sentence such as

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let's talk it through or let's draw it

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out I would say let's talk it through

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let's talk it through let's draw it out

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let's draw it out and you'll notice in

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that second sentence I'm actually adding

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what we call an intrusive R in order to

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help me transfer my lips and my

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articulators from that W to the eye draw

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it out because it's like I'm slurring

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all of my words together which give the

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accents some sort of smooth quality if I

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was coaching this with a lab and effort

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I'd probably give it something like a

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wave where it's going in and out but

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it's not quite as light as what we

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associate the heightened RP accent to be

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it's a little bit heavier it sits a

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little bit lower in the body however it

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keeps that slurriness and smoothness and

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goes down at the end

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I would also say there is some

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inflection in the accent but remember

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I'm also a vocal coach so I think I have

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a tendency to intonate myself a lot more

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than most people with this accent I

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think it's actually quite a flat accent

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um and when you do emphasize something I

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think you can do it with pitch but I

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think in the general scheme of things

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I'm probably some who's a little bit

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more animated than your general person

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especially because I'm literally

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speaking to a camera and so that always

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can affect your accent as well so to sum

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up the musicality some big tips you want

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to take away are slur all of your words

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together go down at the end of sentence

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unless you're emphasizing something or

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asking a question but in general it's

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fairly flat and fairly smooth almost

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like you're gliding on something

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and that just about sums up all of the

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tips and tricks I have in order to

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perfect your modern RP or just RP accent

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I really hope this has been helpful and

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don't worry if you haven't got your head

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around all of the tips and tricks just

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listening to my accent if you are trying

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to learn this accent is probably going

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to be a really good place to start for

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you and if you aren't quite sure of some

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of the terminology I've used please do

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refer to one of the videos I will link

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up here as I have gone into far more

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depth about all of the terminology I

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have used in the past or you could also

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sign up to a 30 minute completely free

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consultation link using the link in my

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bio all of my social media links will

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also be down there as well as my PDFs

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and I may have a PDF coming out very

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very soon all about accents which you

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should absolutely check out if you have

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found this video useful like I said

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please press a like And subscribe leave

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a comment of any accents that you would

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like to know in the future and more than

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anything just in enjoy if there's one

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thing I can give you advice on when it's

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doing this accent is less is more we're

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very relaxed in this accent everything

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is really really chill and if you feel

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like you're over egging it that's cool

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that's a good place to go to but just

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make sure you start to strip it back

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otherwise it can start to feel a little

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bit caricature and a little bit

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pantomime-ish thank you so much again

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everyone leave me a comment with what

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you'd like to see next and I will see

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you in the next video bye

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Related Tags
Accent TrainingVoice CoachReceived PronunciationRP EnglishOral PostureConsonant ClarityVowel SoundsAccent PerfectionAccent CoachBritish EnglishPronunciation Guide