Abstract. Native English speakers from different countries and regions use a variety of accents and dialects. English accents are part of English dialects. Any dialect of English has unique features in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. The term accent describes only the first of these, namely, pronunciation. In the UK, accents and dialects vary widely across its different regions. The aim of this paper is to explore phonological differences between Received Pronunciation and Standard Scottish English. Based on some collected speech data and application of speech analysis software Praat, their phonological distinctions are mainly discussed in vowels, consonants and prosody. The research on accents and dialects across the UK plays a critical role in the study of English Phonetics and Phonology. Investigating phonological differences between Received Pronunciation and Standard Scottish English is of great significance in English pronunciation education.
IntroductionThe Received Pronunciation has been given particular prestige by sociolinguistic factors in parts of Britain [4]. It has been seen as the accent of those with power, wealth, and influence [5]. In Scotland, Standard Scottish English may be defined as the characteristic speech of the professional class and the accepted norm in schools [6]. With both Received Pronunciation and Standard Scottish English being given particular prestige in England and Scotland respectively, it is proper and necessary to explore distinctions between them. These two dialects differ in many aspects such as pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary as well as expressions, with their phonological distinctions being the most obvious. In this paper, their phonological differences are mainly discussed in vowels, consonants and prosody. Phonological study of English dialects and accents is of great significance in helping English learners especially foreign ones become more sensitive to different English varieties and acquire English speech better.