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?"
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