The U vs Non-U Words, the Queen's English
- Jacky Ziki
- Oct 11, 2023
- 1 min read
Updated: Nov 18, 2025
Do you speak elegant English? No matter if you are upper class or not, it is whether people use the language of speaking and writing correctly and elegantly. The Queen's English is elegant. Some might say that Her Majesty was a person of a certain age and a certain level of class, but in fact, nowadays, this is less important than it used to be. She was more of a linguistic snob. For example, she did not say 'Posh' because it is not an elegant word. (Posh is an acronym: P.O.S.H. - port out, starboard home.)
A good resource is the classic film My Fair Lady, adapted from George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion. In 1912, he wrote this in the preface: An Englishman can't open his mouth without making some other Englishmen hate or despise him.
Later, Professor Alan S.C. Ross published his famous U(upper-class) and non-U: an essay on sociological linguistics. This was a 40-year gap, but it seemed not much had changed. He said: It is solely by its language that the English upper class is clearly marked off from the others.
However, language and class distinctions have evolved and changed over the last 50 years. Below are some interesting examples of word use.
U Words Non-U Words
Bike or bicycle Cycle
Dinner jacket Dress suit
Vegetable Greens
Ice Ice cream
Scent Perfume
Ill (in bed) Sick (in bed)
Graveyard Cemetery
Spectacles Glasses
False teeth Dentures
Mad Mental
Jam Preserve
Napkin Serviette
Sofa Settee or couch
Lavatory or loo Toilet
Good health Cheers
Pudding Sweet
Drawing-room Lounge
looking-glass Mirror
Writing-paper Note-paper
How d'you do? Pleased to meet you
Wireless Radio
What a fascinating post! The U vs Non-U distinction is something many of us encounter without even realising it. Growing up, I always said "lounge" and "toilet" without a second thought, and reading this made me smile at how deeply ingrained these habits are. It's interesting how language still quietly signals so much about background and upbringing, even in today's more egalitarian world. The My Fair Lady reference is perfect — it shows just how long this linguistic class divide has existed. Funnily enough, word choice matters just as much in academic writing. Students using Assignment Services for Students often learn that formal, precise language — much like U-speech — carries far more credibility than casual phrasing in essays and…
I found the post really interesting because it shows how simple word choices like “napkin” or “serviette” once reflected social class, which feels strange today. It reminded me of a time in college when I became more aware of how I speak in presentations, and I once used cheap assignment writing service uk to manage my workload while improving my writing. It made me realize language is not just words but also identity and confidence.
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