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Crikey! Welcome to this frightfully jolly translator. Jiggle in your phrase and Bob's your uncle - this strapping site will translate it into proper speak. Please enter your phrase into the box to the left!

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'Posh' Dialect Frequently Asked Questions

This is the stereotypical dialect of the nobility and royalty, sometimes called Queen's English.

How would you describe the posh dialect?

As said in the the Dialect Guide: "This dialect is very refined. It conveys the impression that the speaker not only is better than most people, but that he or she is keenly aware of this fact."

Can you offer a mini pronounciation guide to help us speak with an upper-class accent?

The following pointers might help you hone down your Posh accent - MP3 files with examples of these phrases can be found at The Dialect Guide, an excellent source to help you with your pronounciation.

• The 'o' sound in words like 'hot' darkens to the 'ough' sound in words like 'ought.'
  - You've got a lot of pots.
  
  
• This one is tricky to someone who doesn't naturally speak with this accent. There are actually two different sounds involved, but you'll have to practice a bit to learn to hear them.
  • The first is the 'a' sound in words like 'master' and 'demand', which uses an 'aah' sound.
  • The second is the 'a' sound in words like 'map' and 'hand', which uses an 'a' as in 'apple'.
    
  So which is which? To most people, the two sounds seem alike in their native dialect. There is a general rule, but it's pretty complicated: make the first change (as in 'master'), when the 'a' comes before 'f,' 's,' 'th,' and 'n,' unless the 'n' is followed by a 'd,' as in 'hand.' To make things worse, there are a few exceptions, such as 'command.' This rule is only designed to get you through until your ear gets used to hearing these sounds.
  
  
• We now come to one for Americans, the "j-u glide." The gist of this is to insert a 'y' sound before a long 'u' sound, unless doing so would change the meaning of the word.
  - Do tell the Duke's student what a fool is due.
  Notice the difference between 'do' and 'due.'
  
  

• In any word that is written with a 'wh-,' swap the two sounds to 'hw.'
  I know not the why's and wherefores of his wandering.

• The vowels in this dialect are, as a rule, quite rounded.
  A - E - I - O - OO.
  
  
• The 'r' sound is dropped, unless followed by a vowel, in which case it is tapped. What does 'tapped' mean? Imagine that you are rolling the 'r.' Now do it only once. You may fake it if you must by doing a very light 'd' sound.
  - The terrible work goes on.
  
  
• Take the 'a' sound in words like 'fall' as far as possible. You cannot overdo this one!
  - He called at the hall every fall.
  
  
• Whenever you encounter the sounds 't' and 'l' together, as in 'rattle,' pronounce them both at once, producing a crisp, clear sound.
  - Little bottle.
  
  
• Both the long 'oo' sound (as in 'fool') and the short 'oo' sound (as in 'book') are stretched out.
  - Fool, you play by the book.

Why not translate your phrase into a different dialect? Click on one of the other options on the left!

If there is a word or phrase that you think is omitted, then please Add a Word or Phrase to the Translators