Received Pronunciation
British pronunciation exercises
Choose a sound, listen to the example and try the exercise aloud. These lessons use Received Pronunciation (RP) as a reference. These 8 free website lessons introduce selected features; the iPhone app covers 16 pronunciation features, including sounds, linking and intonation. If you are new to pronunciation practice, start with the learning guide.
The dropped R
In RP, R is usually silent before a pause or consonant, but can link into a following vowel.
The long BATH
In RP, bath and grass use the long vowel heard in father.
The rounded LOT
In RP, hot, dog and off have a short, rounded vowel.
The GOAT glide
The RP vowel in go and home moves towards a rounded ending.
The crisp T
Practise a clear T in water and better as a starting point for careful speech.
The retained Y
New and news include a Y sound before OO in the RP model.
The open STRUT
Practise the short RP vowel in cup, love and money.
The melody
Use stress and pitch to show which word carries your meaning.
Choose where to start.
Try a free browser assessment to get a starting point, or use BritSpeech on iPhone for guided practice.
Try the free accent test