English language in southern England
South East England and the Home Counties (the counties bordering London) tend to reflect the interface between the London region and other regional accents. Affluent districts are associated with a modified Received Pronunciation (RP) accent, reflecting their traditional popularity with upper middle and upper-class residents which has spread throughout more social classes broadly in rural areas with commuting access to London. Less affluent areas have traditionally mainstream London accents (that is, variants of the Estuary English accent) that grade into southern rural outside urban areas.
Broad and general accents
Sometimes a third category is also distinguished: a "cultivated accent" that is considered particularly cultured, stylish, affluent, or even contrived, associated with the educated upper class of a given region. All three distinctions are well studied varieties within South African, New Zealand, and Australian English phonology. The capitalized term "broad" before a location is common in the United Kingdom, such as "Broad Lancashire" or "Broad Yorkshire". The alleged mainstream English accent of the United States has been called "General American" since the early-mid 20th century.