Received Pronunciation
vs
Upper Received Pronunciation
RP & URP (PRP)
Presentation based mainly on PronunciationStudio.com1
Bc. Zuzana Jelinkova for AJL52066, MUNI
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Defining RP & URP (PRP)
•Neither RP nor URP are regional or geographically distinguishable.
•Indicative of social class or educational institutions.
•RP: Conservative & Contemporary (Traditional vs Modern, Collins &Mees2)    (Historical)
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•
•HMQ (URP) & Emma Watson3 (RP)
•Freddie Mercury4 (RP)
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Bc. Zuzana Jelinkova for AJL52066, MUNI
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Differences RP & URP
SEGMENTALS ASPECTS
•CONSONANTS pronounced more clearly, but no real difference
•
•HMQ pronouncing her ”r” (very)5
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•
Bc. Zuzana Jelinkova for AJL52066, MUNI
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British English Accents | The Queen's English Part 1
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VOWELS
Bc. Zuzana Jelinkova for AJL52066, MUNI
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Sound Medium with solid fill Sound Medium with solid fill Sound Medium with solid fill Sound Medium
with solid fill Sound Medium with solid fill Sound Medium with solid fill Sound Medium with solid
fill Sound Medium with solid fill

VOWELS
Bc. Zuzana Jelinkova for AJL52066, MUNI
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Sound Medium with solid fill

SUPRASEGMENTAL ASPECTS
•Tone. Intonation - rising, falling. Stress. Pitch. Length. Word accent.
•
•URP
•high falling patterns
•creaky voice towards ends of sentences       (E.W.6)
•RP
•Uptalk7
Bc. Zuzana Jelinkova for AJL52066, MUNI
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Sound Medium with solid fill Sound Medium with solid fill
Endings (segmental) interfering with (suprasegmental) as in ‘happy’ realized by Emma or HMQ? (ZJ)8

Learn Emma Watson's British Accent (HERMIONE) | Received Pronunciation
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Learn Emma Watson's British Accent (HERMIONE) | Received Pronunciation
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Complaints & Weaknesses, Strengths
•Unfair! - Emma Watson (modern) Americanized /t/, mixture of RP and URP.
•Plenty of resources, not contradictory, but possibly inconsistent.
•Strengths
•Possible to learn (Freddie Mercury, Elisa Doolittle9 - historical)
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•Highly recommend the www.PronunciationStudio.com free package
Bc. Zuzana Jelinkova for AJL52066, MUNI
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Ascot horse race ~ Audrey Hepburn & Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady, 1964)
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Resources
1.https://pronunciationstudio.com/upper-received-pronunciation/
2.Tomkova, K. Materials in AJL52066
3.https://youtu.be/xrWXsoXuuKs?t=66
4.https://youtu.be/g0qShxkuS7Q?t=760
5.https://youtu.be/DPZkrRpJ4Zc?t=463
6.https://youtu.be/xrWXsoXuuKs?t=282
7.EatSleepDream English YT. https://youtu.be/xrWXsoXuuKs?t=173
8.EatSleepDream English YT. https://youtu.be/xrWXsoXuuKs?t=396
9.Doolitle, E. in My Fair Lady. https://youtu.be/P_5RyXYhdP8?t=67
Bc. Zuzana Jelinkova for AJL52066, MUNI
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