The way you speak reveals your social class.
And it's possible to tell whether you are working, middle or upper-class without even meeting you or hearing your accent.
The words we use for everyday objects are a key indicator of social class.
In 1954 Alan SC Ross, a linguistics academic, compiled a list of the words used by the upper-classes and those used by the rest of society. Ross divided the words into U (upper-class) and non-U (the rest of us).
Paradoxically, the words that sound posher were often those used by non-U people in an attempt to sound more refined.
As social classes have merged somewhat since then - and because present day people are largely less bothered about social class - the differences are not as defined as they were 60 years ago.
But today people still use different words for the same things which give some indication of their social background.
Try our quiz below to see what the words you use says about you.
Please note: we're not saying one social class is better than the other. Indeed some of the 'U' words you'll see might sound quite daft by today's standards.
Some more U and non-U words
U | non-U |
vegetables | green |
jam | preserve |
looking glass | mirror |
sick | ill |
scent | perfume |
wireless | radio |
spectacles | glasses |
dinner jacket | dress suit |