How to sound posh - Part two

In Upper RP, the jaw barely moves, as expressed in these vowel sounds :

For example the vowel "o"

in normal RP would sound like /əʊ/

but in Upper RP, it's reduced to an almost /ɜ:/ sound

For example : Go /gəʊ/ becomes go /gɜ:/

No /nəʊ/

No /nɜ:/

Show /ʃəʊ/

Show /ʃɜ:/

Don't /dəʊnt/

Don't /dɜ:nt/

If you're interested in the phonetics,

This sound /əʊ/ becomes this sound /ɜ:/.. almost.

Other sounds which change are the /æ/ sound, to a slight /e/ sound :

For example, Cat /kæt/

Cat /ket/

Harry /hæri/

Harry /heri/

Carry /kæri/

Carry /keri/

If a word ends in an /i:/ sound, in Upper RP, it's reduced to a weaker /i/ sound.

For example, Pretty /preti:/

Pretty /preti/

Regular RP : Party /pɑ:ti:/

Party /pɑ:ti/

Really /rɪəli:/

Really /rɪəli/

Very /veri:/

Very /veri/

Which brings us to our next point : the R sound.

In words, when R separates two vowel sounds,

In normal RP, we would pronouce it.. normally.

For example : Very /veri/. But in Upper RP : /veɾi/

This is what's called an alveolar tap.

That's when the tongue very lightly taps the front roof of your mouth to create that R sound.

Again : Very /veri/

Very /veɾi/ (with alveolar tap)

Horror /hɒrə/

Horror /hɒɾə/ (with alveolar tap)

Mirror /mɪrə/

Mirror /mɪɾə/ (with alveolar tap)

In words with three vowel sounds together,

they're called triphtongs.

In words like "power",

/p/ + /aʊə/

The three vowel sounds are smoothed to an almost singular vowel sound :

in normal RP : Power /paʊə/

In upper RP : /pɑ:/

So, powerful /paʊəfʊl/

Powerful /pɑ:fʊl/

Shower /ʃaʊə/

Shower /ʃɑ:/

The triphtong /ɑɪə/

/ɑ/ + /ɪ/ + /ə/ like "Fire"

sounds like this :

Fire /fɑ:/

Hire /hɑɪə/

Hire /hɑ:/

Acquire /əkwɑɪə/

Acquire : /əkwɑ:/

Quiet /kwɑɪə/

Quiet : /kwɑ:t/

Empire : /empɑɪə/

Empire : /empɑ:/

Another triphtong : /eɪə/

like /e/ + /ɪ/ + /ə/

such as in Layer /leɪə/

Layer : /leə/

Mayonnaise /meɪəneɪz/

Mayonnaise : /meəneɪz/

Player /pleɪə/

Player /pleə/

Also, in Upper RP, you'd be expected to include certain words into your vocabulary,

for example, these :

"Jolly",

which essentially means "very"

"Chap" which means "man",

for example :

"Loo", a polite way of saying "toilet",

Use of the indefinite article "one" instead of the moderate "you", "he or "she",

is definitely advised in Upper RP,

for example :

And finally, when meeting someone for the first time, one should extend a hand and a hearty "how do you do?"

Would you like a test?

Would you like to see how posh you are?

How would you as a posh person with Upper RP say these sentences?

Well, thank you for watching,

I'm afraid we've run out of time for today and you've probably got to your --

I have, yes, I am in a bit of a hurry, must go...

What happens now?

Just tell them to subscribe and you can go!

Subscribe!

Thank you!

Bye!