How to Speak in a British Accent

This article focuses on "Received Pronunciation" (RP), the stereotypical British accent mainly spoken in the south of England, and exaggerated by the upper classes, sometimes described as "the Queen's English". There are greatly differing accents across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and for a more regional or "authentic" accent, it's best to choose one particular area, and try to learn how to mimic that accent instead. Adopting British mannerisms while speaking will also help for authenticity. This study of RP is concerned largely with pronunciation, while study of the standard language is also concerned with matters such as correct grammar, more formal vocabulary and style.

People in the United Kingdom speak numerous regional accents, all of which might be called an "English" accent—although they can be very different. But when most people talk about a British accent or English accent, they're talking about Received Pronunciation (RP). While most letters of the alphabet are pronounced the same regardless of the accent you use, there are some distinct sounds that can make you sound particularly British. We've compiled tips to help you master some of those sounds here, as well as some general tips on how to polish your RP. With a little practice, you'll be sounding like a BBC newscaster in no time flat.

'Ah' Sound
More centralized, slightly flatter tongue.

TEST ON THESE: Cat, Attack, Trap.

Long 'Ah' Sound
Square-shaped lips, lowered tongue.

TEST ON THESE: Bath, Palm, Class.

'Oh' Sound
Circular-shaped lips, tongue pulled back.

TEST ON THESE: Hot, Cloth, Body.

'Or' Sound
Circular shape, tongue back, drop R's.

TEST ON THESE: Thought, North, Force.

'R' Sounds
Unless there's a vowel sound after, drop them.

TEST ON THESE: Car, Sparse, Aware.

Light 'L' Sounds
L's before vowels become light.

TEST ON THESE: Listen, Elegant, Jealous.

Flat 'Ah' Sound
The sad, fat cat attacked the mat.

Long 'Ah' Sound
Calm your father, the class is in the past.

'Oh' Sound
Stop the hot robots!

'Or' Sound
Chores caused poor Paul's sores.

'R' Sound
Uber: Where shared fares aren't fair.

Light 'L' Sound
Lovely Lily licked her lips totally listlessly.

'Ng' Sounds
I'm thinking about doing some singing.

'T' Sounds
I want a metal medal.

Listening and Copying
Listen to the "music" of the language. All accents and dialects have their own musicality. Pay attention to the tones and emphasis of British speakers. Sir Johnathan Ive is a good example, listen to his accent at Apple revealings. Do sentences generally end on a higher note, the same, or lower? How much variation is there in tone throughout a typical sentence? There is a huge variation between regions with tonality. British speech, especially RP, usually varies much less within a sentence than American English, and the general tendency is to go down slightly towards the end of a phrase. However, Liverpool and north-east England are notable exceptions!

Get a British person to say well known sentences: "How now brown cow" and "The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain" and pay close attention. Rounded mouth vowels in words such as "about" in London, are usually flattened in Northern Ireland. Immerse yourself in the British culture; this means surround yourself with individuals that speak, live, walk and talk British English. It's the surest way to learn a British accent quickly. Soon, you'll find yourself naturally able to speak with the variations above. Anything with a British speaker will work—try listening to the BBC (which provides free radio and television newscasts on the web), songs with British singers, or movies with British characters.
 * For example, instead of saying, "is he going to the STORE?" Say, "is he GOING to the store?" Have the question descending in tone as opposed to ascending in tone (going up in tone is more common in American or Australian English).

Q: Can you change your voice?
A: Yes, absolutely. It's not even about changing your voice, it is about growing your voice. So many people speak right from the throat, so their voices aren't really fully embodied. If you start to breathe and do exercises to open up your voice, you'll find out the full range of your voice.

Q: How do I learn to talk fast with the British accent?
A: Keep practicing to improve your accent, and try to think in a British accent so it comes more naturally.

Q: What would it take for me to master a British accent in 8 months?
A: Watch lots of British entertainment and listen closely. Practice everyday by reading aloud in a British accent. Also, record your voice to see how you're doing. You could easily have the accent down sooner than 8 months.

Q: What is the accent of "good morning"?
A: The word "good" sounds like the American way of saying it, with very little expression/emotion. "Morning" is pronounced as though you're saying "warning" in our accent.

Q: How do I write with an English accent?
A: If you wish to write in an English accent, you should write with English (and not US) spelling, grammar and word usage. Become familiar with slang and colloquialisms from different regions of Britain, and read British blogs, newspapers, and magazines to become more comfortable with the writing style.

Tips

 * Pronounce everything clearly and articulate every word properly, making sure there are spaces between your words.
 * As well as the accent, watch out for British slang words, such as "lads" or "blokes" for boys and men, "birds" or "lasses" (the latter particularly popular in the north of England and in Scotland) for women. The word "loo" means toilet, but "bathroom" is a room in which you would have a bath.
 * As with any accent, listening to and imitating a native speaker is the best and fastest way to learn. Remember that when you were little you learned a language by listening and then repeating the words while imitating the accent.
 * A formal British accent can be heard on BBC news. Formal British speech is more deliberate and articulated than American, but as with newsreaders everywhere, this effect is deliberately exaggerated for television and radio broadcast.
 * You can also watch British YouTubers. There are a lot to choose from: AmazingPhil, danisnotonfire, Zoella, The Sidemen, DanTDM, and many more.

Warnings

 * Don’t forget that some people might be offended by you imitating their accent. Even if you don’t mean to be rude, they could still take it the wrong way and think you’re mocking them.
 * Don't be overconfident that you do a good British accent. It is rare to find an imitation that sounds genuine to the native ear.
 * Don't think that you'll get it right quickly. It is likely that any true British person will know that you're faking it straight away, but it might pass for a real accent to non-Brits.