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Summary

'Oh, bugger orf!' We all know Received Pronunciation when we hear it. But what makes this accent distinctive? Why do people still pay to learn how to speak RP – and does it really bring the advantages it used to? Ros Taylor talks to voice coach and actor Alix Dunmore and Professor of Phonetics Jane Setter about how to spot an RP speaker – and how the accent has changed over the past century. Speeches by Lord Brabazon of Tara and Lord Wedgwood are taken from a <a href= "https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/1943-01-19/debates/aa081774-20de-47b5-8b4a-e7c13b93092e/EducationImportanceOfPhonetics"> Lords debate in 1943</a> and are voiced by historian <a href= "https://www.sethalexanderthevoz.com/">Seth Thévoz</a>. Alix Dunmore runs <a href= "https://www.alixdunmoreaccentcoaching.com/">Alix Dunmore Accent Coaching</a>. <a href= "https://www.reading.ac.uk/elal/staff/professor-jane-setter">Jane Setter</a> is Professor of Phonetics at the University of Reading. She is the author of <a href= "https://global.oup.com/academic/product/your-voice-speaks-volumes-9780192843029?lang=en&cc=gb"> Your Voice Speaks Volumes: It's not what you say but how you say it</a>, the Cambridge Handbook of Phonetics and the Oxford Handbook of Language and Prejudice, as well as co-editor of the Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary. <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBRP-o6Q85s">Queen Elizabeth II's 1957 Christmas speech</a> is available at the Royal Family YouTube channel. Prince William' interview is <a href= "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2r3k0d2e5o">here</a>. 1943 BBC Archive audio is on <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/BBCArchive/videos/1943-bbc-newsreaders-accents/424843444759346/"> Facebook</a>, as is <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/suleman.modan.355/videos/daniel-craig-speaking-in-his-scouse-accent-bond-the-liverpool-fan-epl-ynwa-lfc-%EF%B8%8F/8802639616524537/"> Daniel Craig reverting to Scouse</a>. The BBC has <a href= "https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20220915-what-the-queens-english-told-us-about-a-changing-world"> investigated</a> how Queen Elizabeth's accent changed during her reign. Stephen Fry, an RP speaker, hosted an entertaining <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozbwlh2ULnM">episode</a> of Fry's English Delight about spoken English.