Colin Firth speaks with a polished, fairly traditional Standard British accent. His pronunciation is very clear, although some features can sound more conservative than those typically heard in younger speakers today.
FIRST LISTEN
Watch the clip without analysing everything. You can watch it 2–3 times.
What did he say?
Yes, it’s, um, well, you’re in a minority suddenly as a winner cause I, I’d been there the year before as a loser and, um, it’s a it’s a much bigger party because you’re among the 80 per cent.
Source: Colin Firth On Being A Sex Symbol, The Jonathan Ross Show
Watch full video here: https://youtu.be/Wu1CixIngcc?si=n3AmcnTGZUtrpWIf
NOW LISTEN TO MY EXPLANATION
Watch the clip once again paying attention to the features listed below. I will explain them for you ⬇️
“I’d been there the year before…” can be surprisingly difficult to catch. The /d/ in I’d is tiny and blends straight into the /b/ of been.
Listen to “I’d been there the year before as a loser” and “you’re in a minority suddenly as a winner.” The R in before and you’re is pronounced because the next word begins with a vowel, while the R at the end of loser and winner is silent here.
In “It’s a much bigger party”, notice which words Colin makes stand out. English rhythm is built around prominent words, while the words between them are compressed. Then listen to party: the word begins with a noticeable puff of air after /p/. That’s aspiration.
CAN YOU HEAR IT?
Listen again. This time, focus on the pronunciation features from the list above.