Spoken English in London

Old RP - Received Pronunciation

Old Received Pronunciation (Old RP), often associated with the early to mid-20th century, reflects the prestigious British accent of that era, traditionally considered the standard form of British English. Old RP is characterized by its non-rhotic nature, precise diction, and the use of certain vowel sounds that have since evolved or changed in Modern RP. Here are 50 examples of words and phrases that were commonly pronounced in Old RP, presented in an unordered list within an HTML document:

  • `Bath (with a long "a" sound, as in "father")
  • Class (also with a long "a")
  • Grass (with a long "a")
  • Dance (with a long "a")
  • Chance (with a long "a")
  • Pass (with a long "a")
  • Can't (with a long "a", distinct from "can")
  • Schedule (pronounced with a "sh" sound at the start)
  • Garage (with the first syllable rhyming with "car")
  • Neither (typically pronounced with the first syllable rhyming with "nee")
  • Leisure (with the first syllable pronounced as "lee")
  • Issue (with the "s" pronounced as "sh")
  • Often (with the "t" pronounced)
  • R (at the end of words is not pronounced, e.g., "car" sounds like "cah")
  • Zebra (first syllable rhymes with "debt")
  • Tomato (the second "a" pronounced as in "father")
  • Advertisement (emphasis on the second syllable)
  • Controversy (emphasis on the first syllable)
  • Envelope (with the "e" in the second syllable pronounced as "eh")
  • Figure (with the "g" pronounced as in "go")
  • Leisure (pronounced "lee-zure")
  • Niche (pronounced "nitch")
  • Privacy (the first syllable rhymes with "pry")
  • Research (emphasis on the first syllable)
  • Secretary (emphasis on the first syllable)
  • Television (with the second syllable pronounced as "le")
  • Weekend (with equal emphasis on both syllables)
  • Wind (as in wind the clock, with a short "i")
  • Z (pronounced "zed")
  • Air (pronounced "eh")
  • Derby (pronounced "darby")
  • Laboratory (with the second "o" pronounced as in "or")
  • Leisure (pronounced "lee-zhure")
  • Mobile (emphasis on the first syllable)
  • Pasta (the "a" as in "cat")
  • Patent (the first "a" as in "cat")
  • Process (the first "o" as in "pot")
  • Research (emphasis on the first syllable)
  • Schedule (pronounced "shed-yool")
  • Advertisement (the emphasis on the penultimate syllable)
  • Controversy (emphasis on the first syllable)
  • Leisure (pronounced "lee-zhure")
  • Privacy (pronounced with the first syllable rhyming with "pry")
  • Secretary (with emphasis on the first syllable)
  • Vitamin (with the first "i" pronounced as "eye")

    • More on www.englishinlondon.uk - Old RP (Received Pronunciation)