How do I get a Received Pronunciation accent?

Olga Smith, Publisher (2006-present)

Hello,

This is what I can recommend:

1. Get your speech analysis done. When students come to us for the first time we record their speech and tell them which English sounds and speech patterns, such as intonation, liaisons, articulation, etc. they need to work on.

2. Work on your RP daily, 20-45 minutes a day. Regularity is the key. People have accents because their speech organs are not trained for English sounds. Accent reduction is similar to your gym sessions principles.

3. Use the mirror to check your speech organs positions. In our books and apps we explain where to put your tongue, lips and jaw for a particular English sound. If you have an accent your speech organs will automatically shape in a way you used to. Once you know how you should shape them, check in the mirror to make sure your jaw and lips placements are correct. See how we explain it our video on YouTube.

4. Repeat the same word, phrase, sentence or verse at least 3 times with the clear pronunciation. In our books we teach RP (Received Pronunciation) RP is also sometimes called the Queen’s English, Oxford English or BBC English. The more you repeat, the quicker RP will become your second nature.

5. Record your speech regularly to check your progress.