Received Pronunciation

"The Queen's English" redirects here. For the LGBTQ dictionary, see The Queens' English.

Received Pronunciation (RP) is an accent of British English regarded as the standard accent of England, carrying high social prestige since the late 19th and especially early 20th century. It is recognised and influential throughout the whole English-speaking world. The study of RP is concerned only with matters of pronunciation, while other features of standard British English, such as vocabulary, grammar, and style, are not considered.

Linguists have long disagreed on RP's exact definition, geographic neutrality, number of speakers, nature and classification of sub-varieties, appropriateness as a standard, origins, and even its name. Furthermore, RP has changed to such a degree over the last century that many of its early 20th-century traditions of transcription and analysis have become outdated or are no longer considered evidence-based by scholars. Still, the older traditions of RP analysis continue to be commonly taught and used, for instance in language education and comparative linguistics, and RP remains a popular umbrella term in British society.

Standard Southern British English (SSBE) is a label some linguists prefer for the more recent variety that, since the late 20th century, has gradually evolved and diverged from earlier 20th-century RP or that is a newer standard accent of Southern England. While this new variant has risen in prestige, the early 20th-century variety of RP, also commonly referred to as the Queen's English or King's English, has diminished. There is no academic consensus about the terminology for these concepts; thus, some authors regard SSBE (or other terms) as entirely distinct from RP, while others use RP in a way that encompasses 21st-century SSBE. This article covers both topics.