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This article focuses on "Received Pronunciation" (RP), the stereotypical British accent mainly spoken in the south of England, and exaggerated by the upper classes, sometimes described as "the King's English". [1] X Research source There are greatly differing accents across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and for a more regional or "authentic" accent, it's best to choose one particular area, and try to learn how to mimic that accent instead. Adopting British mannerisms while speaking will also help for authenticity. This study of RP is concerned largely with pronunciation, while study of the standard language is also concerned with matters such as correct grammar, more formal vocabulary and style.
Steps
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Observe that some words are pronounced as written. The word "herb" should be pronounced with an H sound. The word "been" is pronounced "bean", rather than "bin" or "ben". For RP, "Again" and "renaissance" are pronounced like "a gain" and "run nay seance", with the "ai" as in "pain", not "said." The words ending in "body" are pronounced as written, like "any body", not "any buddy." But use a British short O sound.
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Observe that H is not always pronounced. The "H" is pronounced in the word "herb," in contrast erb . However, in many British accents, the H at the beginning of a word is often omitted, such as in many Northern accents and the Cockney accent.
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Say "bean," not "bin" for the word been . In an American accent, this is often pronounced been . In an English accent, been is a common pronunciation, but "bin" is more often heard in casual speech where the word isn't particularly stressed.
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Notice that two or more vowels together may prompt an extra syllable. For example, the word "road" would usually be pronounced rohd , but in Wales and with some people in Northern Ireland it might be pronounced ro.ord . Some speakers may even say "reh-uud."
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Listen to the "music" of the language. All accents and dialects have their own musicality. [4] X Expert Source Patrick Muñoz
Voice & Speech Coach Expert Interview. 12 November 2019. Pay attention to the tones and emphasis of British speakers. Sir Johnathan Ive is a good example, listen to his accent at Apple revealings. Do sentences generally end on a higher note, the same, or lower? How much variation is there in tone throughout a typical sentence? There is a huge variation between regions with tonality. British speech, especially RP, usually varies much less within a sentence than American English, and the general tendency is to go down slightly towards the end of a phrase. However, Liverpool and north-east England are notable exceptions! [5] X Research source- For example, instead of saying, "is he going to the STORE?" Say, "is he GOING to the store?" Have the question descending in tone as opposed to ascending in tone (going up in tone is more common in American or Australian English).
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Get a British person to say well known sentences: "How now brown cow" and "The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain" and pay close attention. Rounded mouth vowels in words such as "about" in London, are usually flattened in Northern Ireland.
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Immerse yourself in the British culture; this means surround yourself with individuals that speak, live, walk and talk British English . It's the surest way to learn a British accent quickly. Soon, you'll find yourself naturally able to speak with the variations above. Anything with a British speaker will work—try listening to the BBC (which provides free radio and television newscasts on the web), songs with British singers, or movies with British characters.
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionCan you change your voice?Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association.Yes, absolutely. It's not even about changing your voice, it is about growing your voice. So many people speak right from the throat, so their voices aren't really fully embodied. If you start to breathe and do exercises to open up your voice, you'll find out the full range of your voice.
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QuestionHow do I learn to talk fast with the British accent?Community AnswerKeep practicing to improve your accent, and try to think in a British accent so it comes more naturally.
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QuestionWhat would it take for me to master a British accent in 8 months?Community AnswerWatch lots of British entertainment and listen closely. Practice everyday by reading aloud in a British accent. Also, record your voice to see how you're doing. You could easily have the accent down sooner than 8 months.
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Tips
- Pronounce everything clearly and articulate every word properly, making sure there are spaces between your words. [6] X Expert Source Patrick Muñoz
Voice & Speech Coach Expert Interview. 12 November 2019.Thanks - As well as the accent, watch out for British slang words , such as "lads" or "blokes" for boys and men, "birds" or "lasses" (the latter particularly popular in the north of England and in Scotland) for women. The word "loo" means toilet, but "bathroom" is a room in which you would have a bath.Thanks
- As with any accent, listening to and imitating a native speaker is the best and fastest way to learn. Remember that when you were little you learned a language by listening and then repeating the words while imitating the accent.
- A formal British accent can be heard on BBC news. Formal British speech is more deliberate and articulated than American, but as with newsreaders everywhere, this effect is deliberately exaggerated for television and radio broadcast.
- You can also watch British YouTubers. There are a lot to choose from: AmazingPhil, danisnotonfire, Zoella, The Sidemen, DanTDM, and many more.
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Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Listen to celebrities who are known for their British accent, like Joanne Lumley and Dame Judi Dench. Or, watch shows that showcase the British accent, like Downtown Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs.
- Practice speaking in a British accent whenever you can, whether you're talking to yourself at home or chatting with friends and family.
- One of the best ways to sound British and nail the accent is to pronounce every letter and speak clearly.
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Warnings
- Don’t forget that some people might be offended by you imitating their accent. Even if you don’t mean to be rude, they could still take it the wrong way and think you’re mocking them.Thanks
- Don't be overconfident that you do a good British accent . It is rare to find an imitation that sounds genuine to the native ear.Thanks
- Don't think that you'll get it right quickly. It is likely that any true British person will know that you're faking it straight away, but it might pass for a real accent to non-Brits.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- Television
- DVD player
References
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsTHaCz3Vow
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZhKhqj02ZQ
- ↑ Patrick Muñoz. Voice & Speech Coach. Expert Interview. 12 November 2019.
- ↑ Patrick Muñoz. Voice & Speech Coach. Expert Interview. 12 November 2019.
- ↑ https://www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com/blog/better-accent
- ↑ Patrick Muñoz. Voice & Speech Coach. Expert Interview. 12 November 2019.
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio
About This Article
Article Summary
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To speak in a British accent, try listening to British music and British radio stations to pick up on the way common words are pronounced. You can also watch British news channels, like the BBC, to get an idea of how British people speak. Also, try watching movies with British characters and repeating their lines out loud to practice your accent. If you know someone with a British accent, ask them to say different words out loud so you can learn how to pronounce them. To learn how to pronounce different words and letters using a British accent, read on!
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- "I was attracted to a British accent a lot and being an Indian I don't have a lot of British friends, or I should say not even a single one. But this article actually helped me with the tips and also clarified certain words and pronunciation, too. Thanks." ..." more
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"I was attracted to a British accent a lot and being an Indian I don't have a lot of British friends, or I should say not even a single one. But this article actually helped me with the tips and also clarified certain words and pronunciation, too. Thanks."
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