A Case Study in RP – Variation and Change in the Pronunciation of King Charles and Prince William

Abstract

Received Pronunciation (RP) is the accent traditionally regarded as the model for correct pronunciation in Great Britain. Largely based on the transcriptions set out in Jones’ English Pronouncing Dictionary of 1917, it appears in most current learners’ dictionaries of British English and thus continues to influence EFL teaching. However, RP is not simply a codified standard found in dictionaries but a living variety that exhibits variation and change. A few recent studies have suggested significant changes in the accent, which begs the question of whether the model accent in our dictionaries represents the speech of modern educated British society, or whether it needs updating. This article presents a detailed case study of vocalic and consonantal variation in the speech of two native RP speakers (King Charles and Prince William) from two generations of the same family over a number of years and in a variety of speech situations. Using both real-time and apparent-time constructs within the variationist framework, data is analysed to determine whether variation signals changes that are complete or in progress. The study confirms patterns of change in RP usage identified in other studies, with a distinct shift towards non-standard features found in regional Southern British English. A discussion concludes that dictionaries should reflect this trend but that any updating should be based on descriptive data rather than prescriptive social ideals. The study should help EFL teachers to acknowledge that norms for British English are evolving and that teaching practices should be adapted to reflect contemporary language use.