We are currently learning the British RP dialect in my dialects class. I must say that you all have a rather difficult dialect to learn. However, I do appreciate how you pronounce words such as "vitamin", "laboratory", and "schedule."

(although I'm assuming I'm making a generalization here, as I know there are many different dialects throughout England)

MK wrote:We are currently learning the British RP dialect in my dialects class. I must say that you all have a rather difficult dialect to learn. However, I do appreciate how you pronounce words such as "vitamin", "laboratory", and "schedule."

(although I'm assuming I'm making a generalization here, as I know there are many different dialects throughout England)

Vit a min
La bo ra tory
sche dule

ShowStealer wrote:

MK wrote:We are currently learning the British RP dialect in my dialects class. I must say that you all have a rather difficult dialect to learn. However, I do appreciate how you pronounce words such as "vitamin", "laboratory", and "schedule."

(although I'm assuming I'm making a generalization here, as I know there are many different dialects throughout England)

Vit a min
La bo ra tory
sche dule

So you say "vi", as the "i" vowel is in the word "it". Whereas we say the "i" vowel like it is in the word "eye"?

And put the emphasis on "bor" in laboratory?

And you say "schedule" using the "sh" sound at the beginning of the word?

Yup.

RP is like "Queen's English" - academically it's the accepted "correct" version, but it's most commonly used in the South East these days whilst other area use variations.

And Laboratory - you can also leave ot the second "o" - la bo rat tree

It certainly was an interesting couple days of class. One class we learned midwestern-American (if you've seen Fargo or Drop Dead Gorgeous, think that) and then went straight to British RP. Next we go to Cockney, then to Irish and Scottish.

If American actors have told me anything, its that the Irish (and Scottish) accent is damn hard to nail. Nothing annoys me more than a bad Irish accent, see Gerard Butler.


If you are trying to nail the Scottish dialect, I recommend reading Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh, by the time I finished it I could do a flawless accent.

The Scottish dialect is actually the correct way to speak English. Inverness, not Glasgow or Dundee or places like that.

And it's Ske - dyool is it not? I have never said sheh - dyool.

Hector_Nicols_Accordian wrote:The Scottish dialect is actually the correct way to speak English. Inverness, not Glasgow or Dundee or places like that.

And it's Ske - dyool is it not? I have never said sheh - dyool.

sheh - dyool is actually the correct way of saying it, but most people say Ske, so it has become right to say either.