Why William and Harry's accents are so different from King Charles's

A comparison of the accents of King Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry.
00:00 Introduction
00:15 RP and SSB
01:00 the PRICE vowel
01:34 the DRESS vowel
01:49 the FACE vowel
01:58 the CHOICE vowel
02:27 the SQUARE vowel
02:48 the happY vowel
03:06 dark L and L vocalization
03:59 t glottaling
04:48 t voicing
05:27 t affrication
06:29 'mumbling'
08:18 Uptalk
08:34 TH fronting
09:00 ejective k'
If you want to speak British English clearly and confidently, I recommend this course from accent coach Luke Nicholson:
info: improveyouraccent.co.uk/engli...
sign up: course.improveyouraccent.co.u...
Picture credits:
William in thumbnail, public domain, photo by Paul Townley:
www.flickr.com/photos/1363597...
William, Navy, Open Government Licence v3.0
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Young Charles:
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license
doormat available from:
www.zazzle.co.uk/dorrmat_live...

[@kosamndlovu2629]

Dr Lindsey thank you very much for your presentation. It's so meticulously nuanced and it really delves into the linguistic features at the same time offering a deep analysis of character. Linguistics has never been made this easy and practical!

[@edronc2007]

Well said!

[@rogerlephoque3661]

@@edronc2007 Well said...yourself!

[@RestWithin]

The common people had the contents of their gob on display when they pronounced vowels yuk! Whereas, the well bred sophisticates distinguished themselves from the lower classes by speaking with their oral cavity modestly closed so you couldn’t see their black sugar corroded teeth. They also pronounced their vowels in more of a smile shape which changes the way you pronounce them. Got it guvna! Quite! Now what about the glottal stop and the swapping of consonants…. arks me wo’(t) I mean if you don’(t) know wo’(t) I’m tawkin abou’(t). Inni’(t).

[@ajarnwordsmith628]

@@RestWithin Why haven't you launched a cascade of "awesomeness" and peppered your communication with the word "like"...er... question mark?. You obviously take pride in being wordy but we netizens must avoid idiomatic English like the plague. Why the faux-plebian lingo? Is you is a patrician or a pleb? I think we should be told. Mine's a pint of Krug, squire...

[@RestWithin]

@@ajarnwordsmith628 I will remain an enigma, since I don’t believe in judging people by anything that superficially speaking appears to distinguish them, (we are complex creatures after all is said and done), except to reveal that I prefer that the word “awesome” be reserved for our creator, Almighty God.

[@Kay-ly3hb]

I feel like King Charles’ accent is what people think we sound like and what is mostly used in TV shows and films when in fact William and Harry is more typical of well spoken English people. Then Harry has a slight American accent on some words

[@faeriefire99]

As an American, I think more Love Actually Aoan Rickman, Emma Thompson, or hiw the Harry Potter kids sounded in the movies. Maybe because I live in an area with a distinct accent, even for America, I always assumed the Queen, other Royals, and Lord's and Ladies had a more...it sounds awful but stuck up accent. Not that ARE stuck up. Just sound it

[@Kay-ly3hb]

@@faeriefire99 oh they do sound more stuck up than the majority of us but I still feel like people think we all sound posher than we do! Or maybe it’s the lack of regional accents? I didn’t mean to generalise

[@karenhayman3848]

WHAAAAT? I CAN'T HEAR ANY DIFFERENCE AT ALL!!!! YOU'RE ALL WET.....

[@Kay-ly3hb]

@@karenhayman3848 massive differences I their dialects. Different levels of posh but still different

[@faeriefire99]

@@Kay-ly3hb I'm sorry if I seemed cranky! And you very well may ne right. I guess I can really only speak for me 😁

[@fighterwho]

Crazy that you are able to verbalise these differences...like we all knew they existed, but could not describe it xD

[@MarilinPattz]

Linguists

[@tarapauls6812]

As a Canadian with a linguistics background I found this fascinating! I'm not sure how this found its way onto my feed but I certainly appreciated the thoroughness with which you presented the different sounds which differed between King Charles and Princes William and Harry. Looking forward to more! Thanks!

[@QueeneAllie]

I would LOVE to hear/see a video about Canadian accents!

[@nicolamclain7465]

Hello Tara how’re you doing and your family hope they’re all doing great

[@nicolamclain7465]

Where’re it from

[@DeniseEggertwaterlily]

I actually live in Rochester, New York on Lake Ontario. I have taken both French and German for years and I am fluent in both of these languages, as well as English, although I have actually been employed as an emergency department R.N. for 20 plus years, and as a critical care R.N. before then.. It is interesting noting the Rochester R and the Rochester accent on some Rochesterians, but not on others. When I used to travel down to visit the New York City Guardian Angels with other Rochesterians., I was told that I "sounded nothing like the other Rochesterians" . whom I had traveled with. . They told me that I sounded more like a Canadian. Both The English Guardian Angels and Canadian Guardian Angels agreed that I sounded like a Canadian.

[@nicolamclain7465]

Where’re you from ?

[@davidwarburton2915]

As an American, I’m always amazed at how the Brits manage to form way more accents in their little country than we formed in ours. It seems like the Brits have a different accent every few miles.

[@UnlimitedProduction1]

I don't know if that's particularly true. I live in Texas and I took a vacation to California where everyone knew I wasn't from there based off my accent alone. I remember seeing people from NYC and Philly knowing each other wasn't from their respective cities just by how each pronounced "water". Don't sleep on how varied US accents are either. I would bet almost each state would have some differences and we know for certain different regions do

[@ChnChn-in5kf]

You haven’t seen all the accents in America I’m guessing because it can shock you and make you say wow 50 states and 2 cities in each states over 100 cities in 1 country

[@ChnChn-in5kf]

@@UnlimitedProduction1 Yup from east to west to north to south in America it’s quite unique from 1-2 states away drastically different or one of a kind I will admit.

[@denisecaringer4726]

With all the different accents in America, I'm not sure your premise is correct.

[@katharineharrison9091]

Accents are formed Historically when a group of people are isolated from others geographically. Add to that that the United Kingdom is composed of 4 countries and has been conquered by Romans, Anglo Saxons, Vikings and more it’s easy to see why they have not only different languages historically but accents too.

[@LysanderLH]

When Tony Bliar’s speaking voice was being retrained away from RP to SSB, it was done because he essentially did not represent British people but needed to sound as if he did. After Camero, this stance softened and reverted back to a more ‘natural’ RP because they didnt care whether or not anyone thought they represented British people.

[@kjh23gk]

And absolutely no-one would have guessed he was actually Scottish. 😂

[@faithlesshound5621]

@@kjh23gk Tony Blair had the chameleon quality that is taught in NeuroLinguistic Programming of adjusting his speech to his surroundings. You can se this on old news clips. Among Londoners he sounded Sarf Lunn'n, in his constituency he was almost Geordie and campaigning in Scotland he said "Aye" a lot.

[@marnieholdsworthgreen8449]

A video on the ‘L’ vocalisation would be cool! My accent is northern and I notice where in that clip William says ‘child’ with one syllable I would put two, sort of like “chai-yuld”. Would be interesting to hear how it differs across different regional accents!

[@bananamilk2605]

Would love to watch it as well. If possible, seeing it also contextualized for other languages (especially Asian languages)

[@tantuce]

2? I always thought it's one syllable [č∆ild] with emphasis on the wide [∆]

[@jeanettegant75]

Regional accents are fabulous. There's a British telly chef called James Martin and I love the way he pronounces veg-it-abulls, when people from the south say vejtubls. One of my friends likes to read a book by the faaar, but my other friend pronounces fire as fai-uh, as in flamin ell faiuh.

[@marnieholdsworthgreen8449]

@@jeanettegant75 Hahaaa! My dad says veg-it-abulls just like that, and I like reading by the fai-uh. Coincidentally, the phrase bloody hell faiuh indeed crops up often...!

[@Ionabrodie69]

Not everyone in the north speaks like that..I certainly don’t..😊🇬🇧

[@bigol7169]

I can’t believe I’ve only JUST found your channel… what a GOLDMINE it is!! So educational, thank you!

[@truepenny2514]

I’m American and I think RP is way easier to understand…I really hope RP isn’t dying. It’s just a gorgeously clear accent.

[@kennethbraun1568]

BBC English is the most euphonious and easily understood dialect in the UK, IMO as an east coast American.

[@tinzka]

I don't like it. Honestly, I don't wanna learn an accent that ESL materials inculcate in us to pronounce like a British speaker from 1940/1950, while consuming music, series, films from your country. If I take a TOEFL (English language certification from your country) and make a merger between TRAP and DRESS (knowing that TRAP in RP used to be close to the vowel of DRESS), I probably won't pass or it'll be a defect of a non-native. Sincerely, a non-native speaker who had prescriptivist native teachers.

[@kina7128]

Totally agree!

[@Braun30]

@@kennethbraun1568 before being defined BBC English it was called RAF English. As my mother lived through the war she always called it RAF English.

[@frankteunissen6118]

In fact Americans often use British RP speakers for “canned messages” such as in lifts (elevators) and shuttle trains because they are so much more easily intelligible.

[@felawes]

As a man in his early 60s, I speak an almost perfect RP from another age, most of the voices I heard as a child were formed in the 20s and 30s from a very rarified circle. Whilst William and Harry have what my uncle would have described as quite slovenly accents, the difference between Charles and his two brothers is also quite marked. That being said BBC broadcasts from the 30s sound far more clipped than the King.

[@ObviousSchism]

Can you expand on this rarified circle? It sounds fascinating.

[@zacmumblethunder7466]

Recordings of Cockney music hall stars from the late 1890s to the 1910s show them to have very clipped accents, while definitely being Eastenders. Het instead of the modern Cockney 'airt, raight instead of roight etc

[@lulumoon6942]

I'm old enough to already miss it as the norm, rather than the exception. 👀

[@markpalmer8083]

Rarified circle is why it's so elitist and condescending. It's fortunate that it has died such a death that's it's almost died out. Even the younger Royals don't speak it.

[@whitherandthither]

@@markpalmer8083 disagree completely

[@caterinazanetti4320]

As an Italian listener, I very much prefer King Charles's pronunciation, as it's clearer. I perfectly comprehend every single word He pronounces, while I often don't catch what the Princes say.

[@timbredan3476]

And of course the queen’s English was even better

[@joannesmith2484]

I wonder if that may also be due to the speed of Charles' speech. The sons seem to talk at a much faster speed.

[@renaudfabre4791]

So do I.

[@knoplef]

It's okay though. The more you get exposed to different accents, the better you understand them. There's no standard, language evolves and adapts.

[@KoreanSeaman]

​@@knoplef Yes, But well..I think it is different story between accent and mumbling which depends on speaker's style. what do you think what's the best way to comprehend mumbling?

[@_Delphi]

been watching videos about phonetics for a while now but this is the first channel where I saw this little trick with looping of vowels/consonants a few times to demonstrate their quality. works really well. great content. thanks for your work

[@AlphaGeekgirl]

Yes, the looping makes it so much easier to catch.

[@cheninblanc]

The dedication of people like you to analyse such small differences in speech.. And I mean, the dedication in editing this video... Also, I'm glad you said why the kings's sons sound less posh.

[@a24-45]

Ive also noticed that the late queens accent was markedly different from that of her 4 children. I'm a native speaker of Australian English. I've always found Charle sand his siblings easy to understand but the Queens' accent has always required a bit of effort on my part. hre modulation also was different form that of her children. I guess the Queen's style of speaking is becoming quite rare as her generation passes on.

[@happylifeSteph]

Charle ( as written 😊) or Charles? 😅

[@jayhill2193]

@@happylifeSteph look again, the s wandered off to make out with the and. But don't look to close, you might make it blush.

[@marioluigi9599]

@@jayhill2193 It's a "linking" s lool. A glide

[@supertuesday600]

What!? Prince William's accent is horrible. He skips pronunciations on certain parts of words too much! Bad habit

[@jomc7425]

@@ebrucelik9689 Queen Elizabeth II was not Scottish. She was born in London and spent most of her childhood in England QEII's mother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (yes, her mother's name was Elizabeth) was Scottish.

[@RaymondCore]

I'm a rhotic English native speaker from the US Deep South and was taught to enunciate every sylable and not be lazy in my speech like many of my peers. Since I been on the internets, I've come to realize that not only do many/most Brits not verbalize 'r's but they drop a whole variety of consonants. I had not noticed turning 't's into 's's. At least it's not Australian. Highly educational video; thank you.

[@momkatmax]

I have sung in church choirs for many years and it was emphasized to enunciate and never drop that T on the end of a word. Not to make it heavy, but not drop it. So it's carried over to my regular accent so this Indiana born and raised girl is often asked where in Massachusetts she was born!

[@polljones8921]

I'm Australian. What's your problem with Australians? Have you been here? Ever listened to the diverse variety of Australian voices or realised what a beautiful rich country it is? Or are you happy supporting the old American cliché of an ignorant American southern hick with a voice like a melon going through a mechanical cheese grater?

[@lekoman]

This is such a magnificent channel. Thanks Dr. Lindsey! Your understanding of the subject matter is clearly deep, but it's always most impressive when that's married with a really delightful ability to present and teach.

[@christinah.1915]

As an American, I didn't know anything about this. That being said, I strongly prefer the King's accent 👑

[@trawlins396]

Same

[@makifoden6757]

What a stereotypical first sentence.

[@annalee939]

Great Britain's English pronunciation as well as American English pronunciation have deteriorated over recent History. People are less articulate

[@markpalmer8083]

You prefer RP? How strange. It's so unnatural and cold.

[@trickygoose2]

@@markpalmer8083 I can understand someone saying that they prefer to listen to the King speaking. However, I would feel more comfortable having a conversation with someone who speaks like his sons.

[@andromacha83]

Wow! I loved this content. I am Italian, but have a master degree in English and post-colonial literatures. What an impressive analysis you did here. It is so incredibly interesting, and absolutely on point. I am now sadly starting to get more used to King Charles' accent, and while I do miss the Queen's English a lot, I have to say that his pronunciation is quite unique and interesting. I am really looking forward to listening to his Christmas speech, and I am sure I will be enjoying it... I am finding it hard to getting used to this change; afterall her majesty was omnipresent in every single English book I've been studying English on since my childhood.

[@lizi.2503]

You're Italian and you are more eloquent than most Americans who learned English as a first language.

[@andromacha83]

@@lizi.2503 Thank you, what a nice compliment! However, I suppose I can almost say that I learned English as a first language. I've been studying it since I was 5. I am 39 now, and I think you never stop learning afterall. I am married to an American, I have to admit, and we live in Italy. He moved here 16 years ago when we got married. I may be skilled grammatically, but unfortunately I pretty much lost my cute British accent due to him 😉 Fun fact: when I was discussing my master degree dissertation (of course it was in English), I started to speak with a British accent. My husband later said that he started to panick because he didn't think I could pull it off, as he rarely heard me speak like that. Pheew, it went well 😂 but yeah, I don't know how long I would have been able to keep it up.

[@ThereIsTooMuchButter]

Ooh, that masters degree sounds very interesting!

[@bendonaldson9026]

Hello Elena

[@Uetti]

Ciao Elena

[@bachelorj15]

These have been my favorite videos! You mentioned how the queen’s vowels changed overtime. Can we get a video overview of her accent and its changes?

[@AlphaGeekgirl]

Ditto!

[@mothball5425]

🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@gihanzohdy3284]

King's English sounds the best aesthetically and I wouldn't replace it with anything. I thoroughly enjoy listening to both Queen Elisabeth and King Charles.

[@ziggystardust3060]

I found this so interesting! As a child I attended preparatory school, and went on to attend a church school. In senior school I was always considered 'the posh girl' as the students were from very different backgrounds, and I was often bullied as a result. Throughout my adult life I've noticed that I have developed some accents and different ways of expressing language, often because people have given me a second glance when I'm speaking properly. It instinctively reverts back to my earlier pronunciation when I'm on the phone. Now I'm in my 60's I've noticed also that if I have a glass of wine my speech unconsciously reverts to its former style. I only know this because my close friends might occasionally comment and ask 'where that came from'. 😄 I believe there is a direct link between the Princes William and Harry's evolution in speech patterns and the common parlance of the British military. The Princes' speech directly reflects the hurried, slurred speech of British military personnel, particularly in Officers' Ranks. It is, perhaps a kind of shorthand. 🧐

[@DrGeoffLindsey]

People can't help their backgrounds, 'posh', 'common' or whatever. All bullying is awful. Thanks for commenting.

[@ziggystardust3060]

@@DrGeoffLindsey That's so true. It took me a while to realise it's ok to just 'be me'. Blessings! 😊

[@clovermark39]

Youngsters can be very cruel about any little differences. I put it down to jealousy. Yes it take time to realise it’s their fault not yours. All the best.

[@lulumoon6942]

Code switching happens in all walks of life. I find it absolutely intriguing.

[@julianmorrisco]

@@clovermark39 I wish it were true, my mother used to always say the bullies were jealous. Now, I’m sure that in many cases there’s an element of truth to that but in my mature wisdom years (right) I’ve come to believe that bullying is more a way to hammer out non-conformity and for insecure people to feel higher up the social scale. It’s a byproduct of us being social animals and, in particular, the ham-fisted way children negotiate this social battleground. Regardless, it’s awful and should be stopped by adults. Even though many bullied people went on to make that bullying into a motivator and strength many more don’t and even the successful bully victims would prefer to not have been bullied, I’d wager.

[@catshez]

This was great !My name is Catherine but for years here in the UK people have called me Cafrin 🤷🏽‍♀️ hehe, trying to explain this one phenomenon to my friends who are only learning English was a task in itself !

[@jdlc903]

Cafrin 😂

[@catshez]

@@jdlc903 yes... or even worse " Youwite Caffeh?" 😩 (Translation - Are you alright, Cathy?") 🧐🤨 Haha

[@AlphaGeekgirl]

I here this so much when watching British television! To me it's like the total opposite of hearing RP (where I assume they are well educated and rich), versus those who pronounce th as f (or v, as in Bruvva), where I assume they are uneducated and working class. Is there any connection?

[@catshez]

@@AlphaGeekgirl Haha dangerous territory... At one point the thought was that there was a class difference, and a difference in Education. The North/South divide regarding class, education and accents has always been very obvious.. perhaps until now though? 🤷🏽‍♀️ Personally as a native speaker, but also speak other languages and have lived in other countries that speak English, it is all down to habit, how our parents talk and where we live mainly. My accent has changed so much over the years, I am a mimmick and I have just picked up different ways of speaking over the years. It was mainly to "fit in" in all honesty. Having an Australian/type accent in the Midlands meant I had to answer questions I didn't want to so I dropped it very quickly as a young person and started to speak like the other people around me. Well at least I thought I had done a good job but in my late teens , every now and then someone would ask if I was Australian and just explained that I was born in PNG and lived there until I was nearly 9. My telephone voice is articulate and to some sounds "posh".. I lived in Plymouth for four years and I picked up the long "aa" as in paaasty haha. And the over-pronounced R of the South-West, it gets strong whenever I am back down there, but mainly to take the micky out of my friends 😋😉😁😆 "ERE Bey ! Yerr but no but!" To them I will always be a "Northerner".. Leicestershire (where I have lived for at least half my life now) is different to Burton upon Trent (where I have also lived) and I picked that up too from living there and from my Dad. My mum is French /Italian and has no regional accent (and she does not speek zi Eengleeesh lak ziz " 🤣) Her accent is a Standard English and only the odd word she might say differently , or her lack of any regional inflections would make anyone think she be a Native. She says anyone who speaks English for decades like Jean Paul Gautier or Gerard Derpardieu should have better accents and they are just lazy 😂 On the same vein, if I want to wind my mum up, I just "parlay Fransay com saaah" Hehe My sister lives in Australia now and it doesn't take long for my "drawl" to return when I speak to her boyfriend.. Again though, I have to really concentrate, lest I drop back to generic Midlands, with a touch of South-West haha! I also love playing with as many accents as I can, Black Country and Brummie, Scouse, Geordie, Scots , Ireland and N.Ireland (the hardest of all !!!) Cultural changes have meant that we can accept that an accent and education aren't always connected perhaps?... Just my interpretation anyway !

[@catshez]

@@AlphaGeekgirl The short answer to your question is that once upon a time there was a difference in class and education. The Investment Banker in London would not speak the same as a Coal Miner in Newcastle.. However, times change !

[@Lisa-pq1lm]

I just discovered your videos and I can’t stop watching them! I majored in linguistics in university and my favorite subjects were phonology and phonetics. I’ve always had a huge interest in accents and speech so your videos are right up my alley.

[@turkeysamwich00]

I love your analysis of mumbling. It's recently become a pet peeve of mine and I always feel like I can visually see the letters and syllables that they're not pronouncing

[@user-ly4yp8ml2i]

Megan Fox the English anthropologist says 'upper class' speakers traditionally swallow their vowels like this (hard to understand; goes with a 'plummy' rich voice. 'Lower class' speakers, she says, pronounce their vowels clearly instead (much easier to understand) and Received Pronunciation is 'middle class'. Of course I believe 'class' is a purely man-made invention and does not exist unless people make it and believe in it. But you know what I mean.

[@user-ajp-4891]

Your editing is superb. Wow. I can only guess why the algorithm suggested your video (increased obsession with the Royal Family and a constant obsession with language learning) and I’m so glad it did.

[@heperile]

I get why perhaps William would want not to speak RP so as to seem a little "less stuffy" and "relatable" to the masses but I actually wish he spoke it.

[@trawlins396]

Exactly!! They have no idea how beautiful, classy and melodic that accent is. They see it as "stuffy" but it's not. I'm in the US and imo Charles has a beautiful accent. Wish I had it!! 😭😭 That darn Revolution! 😡

[@bcfriardoyle7697]

Hopefully they know it for State Events

[@Lindalindali]

I doubt it was a conscious choice. Probably William was just influenced by his classmates.

[@thehousespouse]

It is better particularly for non English speakers

[@KaliKali-hv9bt]

@@trawlins396same

[@nkm6789]

So glad the algorithm brought me to this stellar channel. Thanks for the fascinating lessons, Dr. Lindsey, and congratulations on your newfound virality!

[@luminyam6145]

Wow, this is so fascinating. Canadian here, I could tell there were differences but I didn't know why or what exactly they were saying differently. Thank you so much, that was wonderful. 💖

[@ophereon]

I'd love to hear more about the background of L vocalisation! It's something I picked up even all the way over here in New Zealand, along with th-fronting, and I've been mocked, albeit in good humour, about these features by those that "properly" articulate these sounds. But I'd love to hear more about the context of these sound changes in the UK and where they're used!

[@DutchieBuilds]

I adore your videos, Dr. Lindsey. Extremele educative, and it's a joy to watch you explain things.

[@robinhahnsopran]

Oh my goodness, I would LOVE to hear more about L vocalization! Been wondering about this :) Wonderful video, as always!

[@tigrafale4610]

Recently found your channel and loving your videos! I would love a video on TH fronting and on L vocalisation. I do both of these in natural speech. In fact, up until a few years ago I didn't even know there was a separate /θ/ sound that was different from /f/.

[@dexgenius]

Dr. Lindsey, finding your KZbin Channel has been one of the best things in life. Thank you for the time and effort you put in to make such informative content. As always, I look forward to your videos.

[@DrGeoffLindsey]

Thank you, very flattering!

[@john_cockpit]

Ooh it's not for free, not a charity channel😂 every vlogger gets paid based on the amounts of clicks.

[@stephanieyee9784]

King Charles has a calm, melodious tone of voice and, once you understand his vocal quirks, easy to understand. His diction is not as clipped as the late Queen's, but that may be a result of her home schooling.

[@katherinewilson1853]

I like Charles' manner of addressing others. He does have a unique, mellifluous tone and even when upset, he sounds serene.

[@joannesmith2484]

He always sounds like he has a bad cold to me. He talks through his nose mumbles a lot.

[@Ionabrodie69]

@@joannesmith2484Green.. not a colour that suits you..!!🤢👍🇬🇧

[@arlenehiles2689]

I like King Charles way of speaking. I could listen to his voice for hours. Articulate, yet melodious and soothing. There is a regality about his speech with a soft common touch.

[@joannesmith2484]

@@Ionabrodie69 I have no idea what your issue is. He does sound like he has a stuffy nose. Always has IMO. Why that sets you off is a mystery.🤔

[@mrjpd303]

I’ve never been into linguistics, accents or the physiology of speaking until I found this channel. This is fascinating stuff!

[@katec9893]

The bit about chard is really making me laugh 😂😂😂 I grow a lot of chard and I was really confused when I saw that picture, wondering why William was talking about a very easy to grow and nutritious vegetable 🤣

[@janegardener1662]

The KIng speaks the Queen's English, but Harry and William sound like regular Londoners.

[@johnson2joy]

English is always changing, I was amazed when studying Chaucer how alien English appeared and even Modern English from the Tudor times requires great effort to read and understand.

[@EmilyTienne]

I love Charles’ sonorous voice and RP accent. Anything else just sounds everyday.

[@heimerblaster976]

Well said.

[@VidIan262009]

Agreed.

[@GreenEyedLady]

I never really heard him until the PJ, and of course, the events around the death of the legend, QEII. I LOVE listening to KCIII speak!

[@Oohmyymiaa]

Indeed.

[@SanzL1]

Yes. Me, too!

[@MrTalkingzero]

What a nice and thorough breakdown of language use with actual vidoe examples! Nicely done.

[@caroleminvielle9554]

Hi, my first video on your channel. How refreshing to hear critical analysis of a subject without judgement.

[@rayankhan12]

Thanks for another brilliant video! And Yesss, would love a separate video on L-vocalisation! That's an interesting topic. I had some phonetics/phonology books that discussed it but I'd like You to explain it :)

[@RoomboxLife]

You put so much work (and time, I'm sure) into your videos. Thank you! I always learn something from each one.

[@nicolamclain7465]

Hi Melissa how’re you doing and your family hope they’re all doing Great

[@ker3917]

@@nicolamclain7465 TROLL

[@sutash9043]

Wow, you've blown my mind!!!! As a linguist and ESL teacher I've found a gold mine here. 🤩🤩🤩

[@antons5302]

3:55 I'd love to hear more about the L vocalization. As far as I know, it presence at different points of history got reflected in spelling in many Romance languages, and is a regular phenomenon in most Slavic languages (reflected in spelling only in some of them). It's fascinating how common it is

[@wtc5198]

interestingly most slavic languages vocalize it to a [w~u] but shtokavian serbo-croatian vocalizes it to [o] (in codae only like most slavic languages that do it, not universally like polish or some bulgarian varieties) like many english dialects

[@WreckItRolfe]

I actually really like the King's RP accent. It's softer than "SSP". It's a real shame all the old accents a dying out.

[@jamesmcinnis208]

"actually"

[@piffpaff9674]

I totally agree! It is not just a pity it is a shame and a terrible cultural loss with regards to the historically high standard of British English. Everything seems to get swallowed by the omnipresent pop culture: language and manners… it makes me sad and angry

[@lvmpie]

@@piffpaff9674 same here... from the other side of the Atlantic.

[@tinzka]

Thanks to RP several UK accents were dying

[@de5072]

@@piffpaff9674 it's normally though. As "pop culture" and day to day interactions change and evolve so does our language. As someone else mentioned one day our (wherever you may be) accents will be seen as archaic. It's part of life unfortunately. Nothing we can really do and there's no point in being upset about something we can't change.

[@patriciasalas4210]

I loved the Queen accent, it sounded the clearest for people around the World to understand.

[@MsBETTINA2000]

I think they should bear that in mind since they are speaking not only to Britain but also to the world, especially the Commonwealth

[@avalerie4467]

English is my second language and I agree. The Queen was just about the only posh accent I could understand until I became fluent in the language. There are still many accents I just can't understand at all. I smile and nod like an idiot hoping the whole time i should be nodding and smiling ! 😂

[@PutinsMommyNeverHuggedHim]

for me Charles’s is the easiest. but i’m a Yankee, so there’s that

[@yvonnemason9137]

A fascinating video which is very clearly explained and illustrated. It's 30 years since I did my linguistics degree and so I hadn't heard of SSB. That's a new one! Thanks for a great introduction to it!

[@OmnipotentPotato]

Hello, Dr Lindsey. I have a video recommendation. Though I do not listen to her songs very often, I think Aurora's accent is particularly fascinating, especially the way she pronounces the vowels. Could you do a video about her accent, or Nordic accents in general (I think that's her accent?)?

[@tastx3142]

As an American who hears many different accents, I find that people who speak quickly are often difficult to understand. Your brief video explains why the different pronunciations occur and should be an example of why not speaking rapidly would increase comprehension. People especially speak their name extremely quickly and with an accent it becomes intelligible so I adapted a slower speech when introducing myself even though people never get my name correctly. Apparently the initial ‘t’ sounds like several other letters.

[@DrGeoffLindsey]

Names are a huge problem as they're so unpredictable. If you say "I went swimming in the...", the next word has to come from a small set of possibilities: pool, sea, river, ocean etc. But if you "my name is...", the next word can be practically anything, and we have only the sounds to go on. It shows how much we use context in understanding speech.

[@Cricket2731]

"T" can sound a lot like D. It also rhymes with V, B, P, C, E, G.

[@tastx3142]

@@Cricket2731 Many repeat my name starting with K or a hard C, sometimes an SH, I suppose turning it into a name that they are familiar with. I don’t have people not understanding me, so I think names are just hard for everyone, especially with the unusual names.

[@wendygerrish4964]

@@tastx3142 I would keep your original name both spelling and pronounciation.

[@tahlia__nerds_out]

I’m also an American, but have lived in several places during formative times in my life, most significantly England and Northern Virginia. I find that I switch between a crisp sound where I tend to be very literal phonetically or a more Southern drawl, which can get quite thick at times. These are not “put on” accents, but I’ve noticed that where I am affects how I talk. I used to “speak Southern” more at when I worked at hospitals in Northern Virginia, where I had quite a few patients and coworkers with Southern accents. Now my “accent” is a mixture of everything I’ve picked up over the years. I don’t think I’m terribly hard to understand, but I’ve noticed that I have to slow down and spell the word when I am giving the name “Fernandez” to people, especially on the phone. 9 out of 10 of people think I’m saying “Hernandez”. I never would have thought “F” and “H” would sound so similar, even with the same vowel afterwards. And my first name “Tahlia”… even spelling it out doesn’t help me. I’ve become “Polly”, “Natalia”, “Tanya”… And it’s even worse if people only see it spelled out on paper! When people do get my name right, I find it interesting that 9 out of 10 people pronounce it so that the “Tahl” part of my name sounds like “talisman”. It’s actually pronounced “Tahl”, like in how “tall” a person is. And I have no idea why people pronounce my name that way so consistently, whether they only hear my name or they see it written. I don’t remember how the British pronounced my name when I lived in England as a young child, so these are the trends I notice in the US.

[@awbinn3377]

Hi. I love your videos and am always happy to see new ones. I would love to hear your thoughs on R's in RP - the way it transformed. I mean, in the past decades it sounded so much different; "trilled".. - even the late Queen would pronounce it that way when she was young. Other posh people, BBC journalists or actors from before, say, the 1980s would too - especially when Rs were followed by vowels - i.e. AmeRica, veRy tec. Nowadays, this seems to be gone almost entirely. I wonder what happened? Was that because of American English? Interesting...

[@DrGeoffLindsey]

Tapped R's are alive and well and living in Liverpool.

[@eileenmccormack6279]

England v Germany (3-3) | Three Lions Finally Bite Back | Match Highlights | UEFA Nations League / Channel 4 Sport kzbin.info/www/bejne/jl7QdZapq6h6q68 England v Germany (3-3) | Three Lions Finally Bite Back | Match Highlights | UEFA Nations League / Channel 4 Sport kzbin.info/www/bejne/jl7QdZapq6h6q68 I Scored IN FRONT of 2.5 MILLION in The SIDEMEN Charity Match! / Theo Baker kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4S6aGiDfq-Gm5I England v Germany (3-3) | Three Lions Finally Bite Back | Match Highlights | UEFA Nations League / Channel 4 Sport kzbin.info/www/bejne/jl7QdZapq6h6q68 Lewis Capaldi - Everytime (Britney Spears cover) in the Live Lounge / BBCRadio1VEVO kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHyTeKVrm5xnb9k Lewis Capaldi - Everytime (Britney Spears cover) in the Live Lounge / BBCRadio1VEVO kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHyTeKVrm5xnbw I Scored IN FRONT of 2.5 MILLION in The SIDEMEN Charity Match! / Theo Baker kzbin.info/www/bejne/e4S6aGiDfq-Gm5I A Statement of Intent / Jonathan Pie kzbin.info/www/bejne/rV65ZnmModqXfM0 EATING LIKE KENDAL JENNER FOR 24 HOURS!!! / Kaci-Jay kzbin.info/www/bejne/qILbnHunatiniMU MANAGING SIDEMEN FC Vs YT ALLSTARS | BEHIND THE SCENES 🎥 🔥🏆 / The Wingrove Family kzbin.info/www/bejne/d6S5lWp7YpuMipo Why Thor Love And Thunder Sucked - A Scene Comparison / The Critical Drinker kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnKai6N-bselqtU

[@ardenr317]

I love the sound of the letter R. It fascinates me that different nationalities have SO many different ways of pronouncing it.

[@Vovvilina]

I appreciate the content but moresol the clean production design: succinct video editing, sufficiently large, easy-to-read font (can be discerned even when cast to my TV), and narration featuring you with a blank background to emphasize what's being said and the words on the screen (black on light grey is perfect). Thank you for this attention to the details, including the title image, which is what drew me to your channel today.

[@sembercarlson5999]

Your videos are so well done. They make me wish I was taking one of your classes. Thanks for presenting this

[@girlfromthedwarf]

I've just discovered your channel and I love what I've seen so far. I'd be interested to see a video about the way King George VI spoke purely because of the difficulties he had. I'd love to see how he formed his words and if there was a difference from others in the same time period.

[@ardenr317]

I’d love to know more about how he learned to speak more fluently as well.

[@thecuriousone1790]

Hello, what an interesting video! Yes, we do want you to talk about L vocalization more! Here's one more thing : SSBE speakers often omit the L sound altogether in the words like, always, almost, etc. I hope I'm not imagining it

[@HannahRoot55]

Curious 🧐

[@sylversyrfer6894]

Whew! Excellent - detailed and nuanced. A little overwhelming, TBH trying to discern all the subtleties, but certainly fascinating. Thank you, Dr. Lindsey!

[@gracielou4075]

I struggled with many of the examples and understood a few. Thank you for your very instrstng presentation.

[@RamseyDewey]

My grandad spoke the Geordie dialect and I could barely understand a word he said. My mother was from County Durham and sounded like you would expect someone from that part of Northern England to speak. I grew up in rural America, and talk like a hybrid mutant, my children were born and raised in China and speak Mandarin with Shanghainese accents half the time, so at this point there’s no sense at all in linguistic continuity in the family.

[@fvnt0miix953]

Interesting. As a non-Brit who randomly looked into the Royal family’s videos since the Queen’s passing, I prefer Charles’s accent and speeches. I recently listened to a speech by William and I was surprised how fast he talks and how he jumps/hurries thru syllables and words. I thought he was nervous, but I guess that’s just how he talks!

[@manuellubian5709]

The real difference is in Charles 'everyday' speaking when he's not doing prepared speeches. His 'regular' speaking is quite atrocious and at times sound very slurred. Almost like listening to someone with a 'lazy' tongue.

[@kcsupermom51]

Thanks for the oh so interesting breakdown of speech patterns. I'm from a US western state and enjoy hearing and comparing the differences and similarities in our speech. Your mention of 'UpTalk" brought to mind the Australian accent and I would like to hear your analysis of it.

[@ryangibson7126]

Great presentation- and thanks for prompting this veritable treasure trove of commentary from folk on the aesthetics of RP/SSB. It's fascinating how passionate people are about what they perceive as positive/negative in the speech styles of Charles/Harry/William. I personally relate to Harry's style most, but I'm a big fan of alveolar flaps (don't ask), so that might be contributing.

[@HannahRoot55]

Ryan

[@ryangibson7126]

@@HannahRoot55 Hello?

[@HannahRoot55]

@@ryangibson7126 Where ya from ? Howdy 👋 from Texas ! What social media you got. ? 😎

[@sm-bu9dp]

Thanks very much for your videos that I enjoy thoroughly. I’d love it if you please made a video on the new Princess of Wales’ accent and speech, which I believe has changed over time quite a bit.

[@lesleyhubble2976]

Glad this came up, I’ve always wondered why the younger royals don’t talk old fashioned posh and even the late Queen toned down. Brilliant

[@HannahRoot55]

Lesley 👋

[@afriendlyfaceinthecrowd]

Thank you for this fascinating video, especially breaking out the specific phonemes. I would very much like to see and hear a video about the l->r changes in so many languages.

[@jhwheeler7]

I love how you threw in the alveolar flap in "quite a bit more" at 5:04! 😂

[@daisy-thuha8891]

such a great analysis, thanks for your sharing, hoping to see more of your professional study

[@priyadharshinimahalingam9540]

Am actually fan of The King Charles pronunciation

[@ABC_DEF]

The King speaks beautifully, as a King should. William and Harry have moved downmarket and it's shocking.

[@huascar66]

This was actually quite interesting and very informative. Thank you, Dr. Lindsey.

[@manello1848]

Am intrigued by this explanation, now understand these differences in pronunciations. Thank u Doc.

[@morgantempleton2085]

Amazing video! Thank you for mentioning the different pronunciation of the o diphthong before l, I've never seen anyone mention it before. We do that in Australia to. The vowels in food and fool are different in Australia, and it seems for most people in England too. Do you know if there is a name for that or could you do a video about it?

[@Sergio-hn9vr]

It’s called ‘GOAT allophony’.

[@laurafodorpapp7837]

Thank You for all your work Dr. Lindsey! I was wondering if you could possibly do a video about the collection of books that you would recommend, including the introduction of your own. I would also be interested to hear more about all the different accent that are in England. I’m from Hungary but I used to live in London for 5 years. I was lucky enough to be surrounded by British people most of the time (at work etc) so not only my knowledge but my accent improved a good amount as well. Since I moved back home (2019), I’ve been very much interested in learning different accent but it can be a struggle especially because my mother language is hungarian. Do you think that foreigners have a good possibility of mastering an accent? I appreciate your answer, Laura

[@DrGeoffLindsey]

Mastering accents depends so much on the individual, but it's never easy. Motivation is key. I sometimes say it's a bit like losing weight -- someone might feel they really want to do it, but to succeed you have to really *really* want to do it!

[@elisaastorino2881]

I have Italian relatives and friends and the first thing I noticed is that they were clearly taught English by British teachers. Therefore I'd say that you could learn an accent with enough practice.

[@laurafodorpapp7837]

@@DrGeoffLindsey Thank You for your answer! Watching your videos have definitely taken me to a much higher level.

[@laurafodorpapp7837]

@@elisaastorino2881 Thank you Elisa! It is very good to hear!

[@trickygoose2]

I have encountered non-native English speakers who speak English with an accent that is partly or almost wholly influenced by where they learnt or most regularly speak the language. For example, I once met a Finnish man who spent a lot of time in Ireland and spoke English with an accent that was as much Irish as it was Finnish. I have seen interviews with footballers who have played for an English club for a few years, and have picked up some of the accent of the area local to the club. For instance, a Spanish-speaking player at a Manchester club who has a strong hint of a Manchester accent when saying certain words.

[@msnewbootylicious]

Amazing content!! Thanks for taking the time to make this❤

[@evabee0911]

Don't know how this video has come to be on my feed, but I'm hooked.🙂 Liked, and subscribed!

[@szendrich]

This was extremely interesting, Many thanks. I'm Maltese, fluent in the English language, but often get trapped by the wrong pronunciation, which may be typical of speakers of English as a second language. I am now newly subscribed and would love to hear more.

[@daisyflower22]

My best friend is Maltese 🙂

[@szendrich]

@@daisyflower22 And now you have another Maltese friend. ☺

[@xopi2521]

I always wondered why Charles had what I thought was an upper class British accent and his sons sound very different. Now I understand. I like the way Charles and the queen speak (or spoke.)

[@tsbonner]

Agreed.

[@thomasreedy4751]

He didn’t explain why. I don’t think the average person works on their accent it’s typically learned from peers.

[@jlpack62]

As an American English speaker, I find your video incredibly fascinating and informative. since watching your videos, I find myself paying more attention to how people speak. On another British KZbin channel I follow, one of the two hosts often replaces an r sound with a w sound, and I am curious how common that is, and how it may be described.

[@karol.gorski99]

Dr Lindsey, could you make a video in which you would enumarate and discuss all the differences between vowel sounds of RP and those of SSB as you do in your book. I find the book really interesting and informative but bacause it lacks audio resources I still struggle to understand how the "new" vowels should be pronounced.

[@sirwelch9991]

I always knew it was more than just the schools they went to that influenced their language. I always did enjoy both versions of the accents.

[@mothball5425]

Eg Hugh Grant went to Latymer, which many would say is less posh than Eton, where the princes studied. Yet he sounds posher, probably because he came from a military family.

[@helenamcginty4920]

I was brought up by a Southern mother in Northern Lancashire. She made us use RP but we heard a Lancashire accent daily. I found that as a student in the south my accent was unplaceable but after working for years in Lancashire I now find my accent becoming more and more close to the more northern accent I heard daily. I do revert with little effort to something closer to RP if I am speaking to someone with that accent.

[@robadr13]

The concept of an ‘unplaceable’ accent is an interesting phenomenon in Britain. I’m Canadian, born to RP speaking English parents, and would say that my accent is slightly more transatlantic than the typical North American. I’m sometimes aware of a curiosity in UK RP speakers, as if they are trying to place me but can’t quite do it - not in terms of origin (I’m obviously North American) but possibly in terms of class. Not being ‘placeable’ I think can be an advantage in Britain, where accents perhaps still matter more than in some countries.

[@greyt1]

Another very interesting video. Wonderful to hear an educational, evidence based perspective, without biased. Kudos to you.

[@timflatus]

I live close to the hypercorrected city of Bristol, so please talk more about L-vocalisation :) I just leaned a massive amount from this - although I don't know everything about linguistics by a long chalk, I wasn't expecting to find anything as good as this on KZbin. Thank you so much!

[@HannahRoot55]

Tim Flatus

[@mothball5425]

Did you buy your furniture at IKEAL ? 😅

[@MarvinClarence]

Hi, Dr Lindsey, I hope you haven’t got bored covering the King! I should like to suggest a video covering the King’s predecessors: Queen Victoria (a very short recording exists of her voice, even though some argue it isn’t hers,) King George V (the first British Sovereign to broadcast through the wireless,) King Edward VIII, and King George VI. Perhaps one peculiarity of King George V’s accent I find interesting was his use of ɞʊ instead of ɘʊ generally found in RP.

[@shaunrutherford7764]

I secons this. I found myself thinking about the "r" sound George vi used in his victory speech in the word "cruel," as if skipping over it.

[@DrGeoffLindsey]

I could have a go, but Simon Roper has already done this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hX6ol2x3pq5gmJI

[@johannpeters1954]

@@DrGeoffLindsey Oh I'd love to see it done by you!

[@alainlavigne3339]

@@DrGeoffLindsey Please do it, sir!

[@john_cockpit]

That would be interesting! with an added value. A gap of only one generation,uhm🤔,😂

[@ruslyoliveira2177]

I prefer Kate’s accent over William’s. I think her accent sounds more like Princess Diana’s accent, which I found beautiful.

[@Thibster]

I utterly love your videos. Bit of a challenge for you: if you could come up with only one sentence in English that would cover every single vowel sound, what would it be? I am a native French-Canadian living in Scotland. As an autistic person I find speaking quite difficult anyway. But I'm also trying to correct my vowels to be less nasally, and more RP. I'm not trying to sound English, but I'm trying to correct the sounds of my vowels. Having one sentence that I can repeat while on a walk that covers all the sounds of English would be incredibly helpful. I hope this is possible. Thank you very very much in advance, whatever the outcome. : )

[@susannabonke8552]

You put so much work into it, thank you!

[@MrChippinator]

I actually find the King has a very relaxing way of speaking and never understood why. Thanks for sharing Dr Lindsey.

[@geckoman1011]

It is amazing how fluid language is. There's a lot of vocalization left out, yet we still fill in the blanks and follow along.

[@alonsoACR]

It's mostly just the English language, I think.

[@NataliePowellAGreytLife]

This was a random video on my feed but I found it fascinating! Subscribed 😊

[@chrisjillings]

Great vid. Just subscribed! I am a Canadian who spent 6 years in California. They always said I softened my "t" sounds or turned them into "d". (Like, I count be tens as "ten twenny thirdy fordy fifdy ...") What you attribute to Harry's Americanism, was in my experience, more a Canadian thing. Also, the New York Yankee radio crew much pointed out that they learned to pronounce "Toronto" the Canadian way, as "Torono". Would love to hear more about dropped "t" and "t" -> "d".

[@vanessagregory8835]

The Queen’s voice changed over the years as I noticed. My mother spoke what we called the Queen’s English and hated my accent soften when I moved to Australia where I am asked if I am English or educated Australian. I am told I speak French with a Parisian accent by French speaking friends which is a surprise. My English school friends now talk about Estuary English which was totally new to me. Linguistics are a fascinating topic. I love how Prince William sounds and Prince Catherine is soft spoken. Sadly Liz Truss sounds what I was brought up to call common which is sad as I know it can attract prejudice! I found your post fascinating. Diolch, to throw in some Welsh. At least the King can speak that and Prince William will have to learn it fast! Wonder if that will change his voice tone and tempo.

[@bendonaldson9026]

Hello Vanessa

[@ker3917]

@@bendonaldson9026 TROLL

[@mothball5425]

Liz Truss is common 😂

[@sugarplumk2381]

Fascinating. I actually noticed some of those things, especially from William and I also noticed that (you explain linguistically, so much better than I can) a bit of a slur in the King’s speech. It had me a bit worried. Queen Elizabeth never did that. Thank you.

[@katherinewilson1853]

I've always found that slight slur charming.

[@1brianm7]

These videos are so fascinating, it’s like a deep dive into something Tom Scott talks about for 10 minutes.

[@stellievision]

Sir, bravo. Beautiful work. 👏🏻

[@thomasz4668]

What do you think of Josh O"Connor's accent in " The Crown". To me it doesn't sound like Charles' at all. would be nice if you could give your expert opinion on this.

[@mathieujvc]

I was born in a bilingual family and grew up in France. My mum, who's British, has an RP accent and so have I, as I learnt English speaking with her. Since she has lived in France for more than 30 years now, her accent hasn't evolved, to the point that she sounds posher than Prince William haha. She never does that glottal stop, for instance

[@piffpaff9674]

Please keep your good accents that way!

[@jchow5966]

It all sounds beautiful!!! I would love to see more of these royal family speaking examples!

[@creative45630]

Just stumbled across your channel - fascinating videos, thanks! And great shirts 😊👔

[@vintage0x]

Is it right to say that the affrication of the T sound is quite common among public school types (Harrow/Eton etc.)? I've noticed this in my friends who went to posh schools; even those who grew up in London end up doing the T affrication. In comparison, someone who went to a comprehensive school in London is far more likely to do the harder T.

[@DrGeoffLindsey]

I think there's a lot of variation. When I was a student, I was taught that t-affrication was characteristic of Cockney. Cuppa tsea etc. Conversely, Noel Coward had very clipped, unaffricated t's. Terribly, terribly, etc.

[@seriousbutfun1624]

@@DrGeoffLindsey Am from Ghana I think both pronouncation are cool.

[@electronblue8334]

I'm German and I always used to think that in older clips, the English upperclass sounded like they had German accents. It always sounded jarring to me. I'm glad that RP sounds much less clipped, but I'm also of the opinion that the royal family shouldn't sound like the lads next door (hiding their privilege is futile anyway).

[@vasilisakrasa]

I wish resources like your videos existed when we were studying linguistics at the university. Thank you very much for bringing to light the fascinating study of phonetics.

[@rosemmason2543]

Yes. Please talk more about the L vocalization. This is so interesting!