Southern England, broadcasting and higher education
The Modern RP accent
Received Pronunciation is the reference accent of southern England, and Modern RP is the version people actually speak today rather than the clipped 1950s broadcast variety. It is non-rhotic, has the trap–bath split, and keeps “Mary”, “marry” and “merry” all distinct. Modern RP has absorbed several features that older RP rejected, notably the glottal stop between vowels.
Take the quiz and see how close your accent is →
How to recognise a Modern RP accent
- Non-rhotic: “car” and “card” have no R sound.
- The broad “bath” vowel: “bath”, “grass” and “dance” pattern with “father”.
- Distinct “Mary”, “marry” and “merry”.
- Modern speakers use glottal stops in “bottle” far more than 1960s RP did.
Also known as Received Pronunciation, RP accent, BBC English, Queen's English, Standard Southern British English. Spoken in Southern England, broadcasting and higher education, England.
The Modern RP pronunciation fingerprint
These are the answers the quiz expects from a Modern RP speaker on its 14 pronunciation questions. Where a feature varies within the region, more than one answer counts as a match.
“bath” takes the broad vowel of “father” — the trap–bath split
The Trap–Bath Split: Does “Bath” Rhyme With “Cat” or “Father”?
non-rhotic — “car” ends in a vowel, with no R sound
“put” and “putt” have different vowels — the foot–strut split
a clear T in the middle of “bottle”
“cot” and “caught” stay distinct
The Cot–Caught Merger: Do “Cot” and “Caught” Sound the Same?
“Mary”, “marry” and “merry” all sound different
the vowel in “day” glides
the vowel in “go” glides
a true TH at the start of “three”
the H in “house” is pronounced
“tune” keeps its Y — “tyoon”, or yod-coalescence — “tune” sounds like “choon”
“fur” and “fair” stay distinct
“beer” and “bear” stay distinct
“happy” ends on a long “-ee” — happy-tensing
Everyday words in Southern England, broadcasting and higher education
| Question | Usual answer |
|---|---|
| What do you usually call a sweet carbonated drink? | Fizzy drink |
| What do you call shoes worn for sport or exercise? | Trainers |
| What do you usually call the main evening meal? | Tea |
| What do you call a small, round piece of bread for one person? | Bap |
| What do you call thin strips of potato served hot and fried? | Chips |
| What is your general word for small sugary treats? | Sweets |
| What do you call the wheeled basket used in a supermarket? | Trolley |
| What do you call restaurant food collected to eat elsewhere? | Takeaway |
| What do you call a public fixture you drink water from? | Water fountain |
| What do you call a small neighbourhood shop selling everyday items? | Corner shop |
| How do you usually address a group of people informally? | Just “you” |
| What do you call the household container for unwanted rubbish? | Rubbish bin |
Speakers with a Modern RP accent
Simon Pegg
Brockworth, Gloucestershire, England
A Gloucestershire reference profile; Pegg was born in Brockworth and went to school in Gloucester.
Olivia Colman
Norwich, Norfolk, England
An East Anglia reference profile; Colman was born and raised in Norwich.
Accent profiles are anchored to primary-source regional recordings from the International Dialects of English Archive, not to any individual performance.
Is my accent Modern RP?
The only way to answer that against real data is to compare your own speech to the profile. The quiz takes about four minutes: answer 26 questions, pin the town where you grew up, and see your closest accent matches ranked by how well they fit — plus where people who answer like you actually live.