What is Queen's English?
Do we still say Queen’s English and does it really exist?
Learners of English often say they would like to speak the Queen’s English. Over the years, the Queen’s English accent has topped numerous surveys, surpassing other regional accents from around the UK as the preferred accent. It comes as no surprise, therefore that learners of English often say they would like to speak like the Queen or with an ‘Oxford English’ accent.
But what does the term ‘Queen’s English’ actually mean?
What is Queen’s English?
Briefly speaking, the Queen’s English is associated with a particular accent and pronunciation that is considered the standard for educated and formal communication in the UK.
Queen’s English definitions
Below are three definitions of the Queen’s English as provided by Macmillan, Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries online respectively.
‘The form of spoken and written British English that is considered correct by most people.’
‘The English language as written and spoken correctly by educated people in Britain.’
‘The English language as it is spoken in the south of England, considered by some people as a standard of good English.’
While Macmillan’s definition simply focuses on the form of English spoken and written, Oxford and Cambridge associate it with the level of education and geographical location due to its regal title and national perceptions. There is a sociolinguistic view that those who speak in Queen’s English are ‘posh’ and have a superior education and an elevated social standing in society. It is widely regarded as the accent of the upper classes and who received education from Oxford and Cambridge (Oxbridge).
BBC English vs Queen’s English
The term ‘Queen’s English’ is often used interchangeably with BBC English or Received Pronunciation (RP). However, the latter concerns itself exclusively with pronunciation whilst the Queen’s English or BBC English also look at grammar, vocabulary and style. In recent years, RP has been perceived more negatively for its exclusivity to the aforementioned demographic and institutions such as the BBC have actively employed reporters with regionally varied accents.
How Queen’s Engish changed over time
Over the years, even the Queen has changed her accent in an attempt to sound less ‘posh’. We can hear how the Queen’s accent has evolved by listening to her annual Christmas messages, the first of which was broadcast on the radio in 1952.
Below are the first televised Christmas broadcast of ‘Queen’s Speech’ from 1957 and her Christmas message from 2010. There are some marked differences in the way the Queen pronounces certain words.
In the 1957 address, the Queen pronounces the words ‘often’ and ‘lost’ with the letter ‘o’ pronounced as /ɔ:/, so ‘often’ sounds as /ɔ:fən/ (this sounds like the word ‘orphan’). She also pronounces the /æ/ in happy as an /e/ (heppy). In the 2010 address, however, these sounds are softened and ‘normalised’.
Listen again to see the difference!
Queen’s English or King’s English?
The term Queen’s English is used when the United Kingdom has a queen, and the King’s English when it has a king.
How many people speak Queen’s English?
Actually, not many people speak the Queen’s English. except for a very small minority of about 3%. It’s more common to hear those speaking BBC English or Standard British Southern English. In fact, the UK has a huge ascent diversity, which makes learning listening skills quite challenging, but also interesting!
Summary
The Queen’s English is a prestigious form of spoken and written British English considered correct and in a good style. It is associated with a specific accent and pronunciation, representing educated and formal communication in the UK. Definitions vary, but it generally implies correct English spoken by educated individuals in the south of England, often associated with the upper classes and Oxbridge education.