The English Pronouncing Dictionary: Shaping the Standard of English Speech
For over a century, the English Pronouncing Dictionary (EPD) has served as a cornerstone for linguists, educators, and students of the English language. First published in 1917 by the British phonetician Daniel Jones, the EPD provides a standardized guide to how words are spoken, using a system of phonemic symbols—the smallest units of sound that distinguish one word from another. With 18 editions to its name, it has been described by linguist John C. Wells as the standard against which all other pronunciation dictionaries are judged.
The Origins and Early History
Before the EPD became a household name in linguistics, it had a precursor. In 1913, Daniel Jones and Hermann Michaelis published A Phonetic Dictionary of the English Language in Germany. This early work featured a unique and challenging format: headwords were listed by their phonemic transcription first, followed by their spelling. This meant users had to recognize the sound sequence of a word before they could find its written form.
This approach proved unpopular, and the geopolitical tensions of the First World War further hindered the success of a German-British collaboration. Consequently, when Jones launched the EPD in 1917 through the publishing house Dent, he shifted the format to list words by their spelling, making the dictionary far more accessible to the general public.
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A Century of Evolution: From Jones to Cambridge
The EPD has undergone significant editorial and structural changes across its 18 editions to keep pace with the evolving nature of the English language.
The Early Editions (1–13)
From 1917 until 1989, Dent published the first 13 editions. During this period, some versions were released under the title Everyman's English Pronouncing Dictionary. These editions established the foundation of the dictionary's authority on British pronunciation.
The Gimson Era (Edition 14)
Following Daniel Jones's death in 1967, his pupil Alfred C. Gimson took over as editor. In 1977, Gimson introduced a new style of phonemic transcription for the 14th edition. Because traditional typesetting made major revisions expensive, a supplementary annexe of 1,000 words was added in 1988. This final update to the 14th edition was completed by assistant editor Susan Ramsaran after Gimson's death in 1985.
The Modern Era (Editions 15–18)
The rights to the dictionary were eventually acquired by Cambridge University Press. Under the leadership of principal editor Peter Roach, the 15th edition (1997) marked a major technological and linguistic shift. The production moved to a digital database using optical scanning and character recognition. Crucially, the dictionary expanded its scope to include General American (GA) pronunciations, with James Hartman serving as the American editor.
Subsequent updates followed in 2003 (16th), 2006 (17th), and 2011 (18th). In the most recent edition, Jane Setter served as an editor, and John Esling took over as the American editor.
Defining the Model Accents
The EPD is based on a single standard accent for each region. While the American standard has consistently been General American (GA), the British standard has been renamed over time to reflect changing social and linguistic perspectives:
- SSE (Standard Southern English): Used in the 1913 precursor; described as the pronunciation used by "persons of culture in the South of England."
- PSP (Public School Pronunciation): Used in editions 1 and 2; associated with families whose men were educated at great public boarding schools.
- RP (Received Pronunciation): The standard used from editions 3 through 14.
- BBC (BBC Pronunciation): The standard adopted for editions 15 through 18.
The Science of Transcription
The EPD uses phonemic transcription to represent sounds. The symbols used have evolved to provide greater clarity for the user.
Evolution of Symbols
In the first 13 editions, Daniel Jones used a length mark (ː) as the only way to distinguish between long and short vowels (for example, distinguishing feet from fit). Alfred Gimson improved this in the 14th edition by changing both the symbol shape and the length mark, providing a clearer demonstration of phonetic quality.
Modern and American Conventions
The 15th through 18th editions retained Gimson's symbols but added /i/ for the "happY" vowel and /u/ for unstressed close back rounded vowels. For General American (GA) transcription, the editors introduced specific symbols:
- The GOAT vowel is transcribed as /oʊ/.
- Rhotic symbols (indicating the pronunciation of the 'r' sound) are used in words like survive /sɚˈvaɪv/ and bird /bɝ:d/.
- A diacritic ⟨ ̬ ⟩ is used to indicate "tapping" or "flapping" of the /t/ sound, such as in the word better /ˈbet̬ɚ/.
Digital Transformation and Audio Integration
To move beyond the printed page, the EPD integrated audio materials starting with the 16th edition. A CD-ROM was released featuring recordings of every headword in both British and American pronunciations, voiced by actors and editorial staff. This version included a "sound search" feature to find specific phoneme sequences.
The dictionary further modernized in 2015 with the release of an app for iPhone and iPad via the Apple iStore, followed by an Android version in 2017. These digital versions are based on the 18th edition.
EPD Quick Reference Summary
| Edition Era | Principal Editor(s) | Key Changes/Features | Model British Accent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–13 | Daniel Jones | Established the standard spelling-to-phoneme format | PSP / RP |
| 14 | Alfred C. Gimson | Introduced new phonemic transcription style (1977) | RP |
| 15–18 | Peter Roach | Added General American (GA); digital production | BBC |