Received Pronunciation

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/received-pronunciation

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the historical designation?Often colloquially referred to as the 'Queen's English' or 'King's English'
2. Why is Received Pronunciation called "non-rhotic"?In this accent the /r/ sound is usually not spoken after a vowel, so words like "car" sound like "cah".
3. How did Received Pronunciation become popular?It grew in the 18th and 19th centuries and was used by schools, the civil service, and the BBC, so many people heard it as the correct way to speak.

Sociolinguistics: The study of the relationship between language and society, including how social factors influence language use.
Phonetics: The branch of linguistics that studies the sounds of human speech, their production, and perception.
Social Capital: The networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively.