How would you describe Cliff Richard’s accent?

Posted by Glass-Complaint3@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 26 comments

https://youtu.be/WS5A63_6CSM?si=xdOYlAG2j_K6fo9X

Would you say Sir Cliff sounds “posh”/Received Pronunciation?

I always thought his speaking voice sounded like Paul McCartney except without the hints of Scouse/Northern.

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jayakay20@reddit

Isn't he Indian? This would explain his public school accent

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Master_Swordfish_433@reddit

Posh, Polished Berk. As in, media trained, but talks absolute rubbish. Just to keep an ever declining fan base that doesn’t like change, happy.

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ProfessionalEven296@reddit

I’d call it RP. Paul McCartney is “posh scouse” (see also: Cilla Black)

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DizzyMine4964@reddit

Culla Black isn't scouse. God knows what her accent is. She had elecution lessons then had to re learn it.

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ProfessionalEven296@reddit

She stayed in Liverpool only until she could get out (same as me, to be honest), but she lived off the accent for the rest of her years.

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Glass-Complaint3@reddit (OP)

Posh Scouse! Best description of Paul’s accent I’ve ever heard.

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DizzyMine4964@reddit

Midatlantic it used to be called. English person doing a fake Yank.

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Interesting_Art9590@reddit

This makes me think it could be mid-Atlantic- they could both have come under similar influences in the 50s and 60s music business?

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ComeBackNeilLennon@reddit

Very much so actually, never twigged on the similarities before

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JJGOTHA@reddit

Kind of like the accent of someone who is guilty of something, but knows they will get away with it anyway.

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CaveJohnson82@reddit

He sounds like a well-spoken home counties resident. Not strictly RP as that's "posher" I think - but getting there!

Mid Atlantic has been floated as an accent and I really don't think that fits - he doesn't have any American inflection at all to my ear. Although admittedly I didn't listen to the whole clip.

And he might have been born in India but please, he does not have any sort of Indian accent.

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I don't hear any trace of American in his voice either. Even when he's singing, you can tell straight away he's a Brit. His family was British Indian, not Indian Indian. So, I don't think they wouldn't have had an Indian accent.

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CaveJohnson82@reddit

Yes I agree - another comment mentioned the Indian thing as a reason for his accent.

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Bunister@reddit

It sounds very neutral to my ear, almost like no accent. I don't know where Cliff is from but if I had to guess I'd say the Home Counties somewhere.

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FidelityBob@reddit

He was born in Lucknow, India and brought up in India until he was 8 and then in Cheshunt. So accent will be British Indian cum Home counties.

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Bunister@reddit

I'm not sure I hear much of the Lucknow twang in his voice.

I left Scotland when I was 8, and had absolutely no travel of a Scottish accent after a couple years. (Although I do say 'wee' instead of 'small' sometimes)

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FantasticWeasel@reddit

Cliff has talked about how difficult he found it fitting in when he moved to the UK, also around the age of 8, and I'm sure picking up the same accent as local kids would have helped a lot.

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No-Agent3916@reddit

Sounds like an evangelical Christian / salesman

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gilestowler@reddit

Cliff's accent is a kind of "mid atlantic". This is the scent that a lot of people on the radio and TV affected back in the old days. It's kind of inoffensive and bland enough for everyone. A more modern example of it would be the later episodes of Peep Show when Johnson's accent becomes more "mid atlantic."

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colmuacuinn@reddit

They both have a hint of mid Atlantic, but nowhere near as bad as some of their contemporaries.