Received Pronunciation (RP) and Estuary English

Traditional RP remains Britain's prestigious standard accent, though its modern manifestations show significant evolution. The accent spectrum ranges from Conservative RP, associated with aristocracy and older generations, to Contemporary RP, which shows increasing convergence with Estuary English features.

Definition: Estuary English represents a accent continuum in southeast England, bridging the gap between RP and Cockney speech patterns.

Example: Celebrity speakers demonstrate the Estuary English spectrum - Russell Brand represents the RP-influenced end, while David Beckham exemplifies Cockney-influenced features.

Highlight: Multicultural London English (MLE) has largely replaced traditional Cockney in East London, particularly among younger speakers from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

Quote: "The key determinant appears to be people who have multiethnic friendship groups, and so come into contact with many different languages and ethnic varieties of English."