By Olga Smith
Top 5 tips to master British accent
Hello,
First of all, I want to mention that there are many accents and dialects in Britain: Northern, Scottish, Cockney, RP and many others. RP or Received Pronunciation is taught to foreigners because it is understood around the world and is called Standard English. RP is also a compulsory accent to learn for actors in British drama schools. RP is associated with high class and good education, and many learn RP to blend in with upper classes. Personally, I love RP, because to me it sounds clear and precise.
Tip N1: Get rid of Americanisms
Many learn English watching American films and programs. The most important thing to know about the American pronunciation is that letter "r" is always pronounced. In British English it is not always pronounced. In order to get rid of American pronunciation, we recommend that you first practice:
Three long vowels, [ɜː] – third – [θɜːd], [ɑː] – bark – [bɑːk], [ɔː] – fort – [fɔːt]
Four diphthongs, [ɪə] – hear – [hɪə], [eə] – pair – [peə], [əʊ] – boat – [bəʊt, [ʊə] – sewer – [sʊə]
Schwa, or neutral vowel, [ə] – the – [ðə]
You can master these sounds with our books and apps in series Get Rid of your Accent.
Tip N2: Master pure English vowels
There are five long and seven short pure English vowels. Each vowel has a specific speech organs position. It's important to mention that long vowels do not exist in all languages, and there is a tendency to shorten them. The thing is the meaning of the word may change if you shorten a long vowel. Here is a funny example: if you don't pronounce long [i:] in the word "sheet" people will hear another word, "shit". Spend extra time to make sure your vowels are precise, otherwise you might end up like this Italian man who went to Malta.
Tip N3: Watch your [t] and [d] sounds
In my opinion, mastering English [t] and [d] sounds is extremely important. The thing is that in RP, [t] and [d] as well as [l] and [n] are pronounced with tip of the tongue touching the teeth or alveolar ridge. It helps to train your tongue. In Russian, for example, the tongue is much lower which creates a harsh "dental" sound. English [t] and [d] sounds are also used to create past tense of verbs and 3rd person singular. For example, Spanish speakers find it hard to pronounce [t] and [d] sounds at the end of the word, and that might create an impact that they don't know basic grammar, but it could be just a pronunciation mistake.
Tip N4: Record your speech
I have noticed that some people are under the illusion that listening to RP will help. In order to speak with RP, we recommend that you speak and then record yourself. Speak for a minute and when you play back your recording pay attention to how you pronounce the English vowels. Check your speech organ positions in the mirror at all time. In order to make sure your speech organs are in the correct position, you can also download our video courses from Udemy, Get Rid of your Accent Part One and Part Two.
Tip N5: Find a role model
When mastering your British Accent, we recommend that you find a role model, perhaps, a British actor or an actress with good RP. Listen to their speech a small section at a time, then repeat and record yourself. Copy their sounds and intonation. Many of our students who followed this recommendation were very pleased with their results.