I know what an accent is. My question was, how do *you* define "well spoken".

Pronunciation and vocabulary are inextricably linked. Heavily regional dialects included an accent component AND a vocabulary component. In my experience, whilst people often may have a softer, mixed, or more neutral accent, they usually retain their own vocabulary. I'm not aware of having met or heard anyone who had a full and varied vocabulary, but spoke in a regional accent. THat might sound ridiculous to you, but that's my experience.

My American accent (unless deliberately put on) does not appear over night when I go to the States. However, my vocabulary does change. Natives understand me and never question my accent or country of origin. I have to actually concentrate to sound British. To me, that says that the words we use are more important than how we say them, which agrees with your point about having an accent whilst speaking the Queen's English. But I contest that fact with the point that to most people the "Queen's English" means received pronunciation, which is an accent (or lack thereof, depending on your perspective/education) probably more so than a vocabulary set.

Rubbish.
Just because someone can pronounce correctly doesn't automatically mean they have a greater vocabulary than someone who doesn't pronounce correctly.

Mark

My accent used to be RP, but since I left school, it's softened a bit and got a bit more Dorset. Not much though.

What's "RP"?

Mark

Received Pronunciation. It's what was "preferred" by the BBC until quite recently. It's a mode of speech which apes that of the royal family and other types.

I just made the association and came here to say I now realise what it is. (8+)
I think that Received Pronunciation is such an outdated mode of speech.
When I hear it on the radio/TV/Internet I immediately want to close my ears, it seems so false/forced to me.

Mark

Not when you're speaking it, but when I see/hear old recordings of myself as a kid, I do cringe a bit.

I met up with some school friends not long ago and they said my accent had gone all west country. Speak to my father-in-law and he would say I had a posh accent. You can't win!

Blackburn! with a twinge of liverpuldian cheerfulness !

It's the corn stalk and flagon on zider that gives it away nowadays though.

I have a jetsetter accent

Sarah's banned me from the zoider for a bit because it's too fattening.

Aww, you're so nice to me.

Mark

... and most definitely not a hint of posh.

Agreed, it doesn't automatically mean it. But it IS an indicator, whether you like it or not. At least it is in my limited backwater of a county.

I read something by Stuart Maconie recently where he described the Northampton accent as "a sort of yokel Cockney", so I suppose how I must sound (at least to someone from Wigan).

Of course, in reality, I don't have an accent and it's the rest of the world that speaks in a funny way.