You can tell which class people belong to by the way they speak, way they dress, their interests, how educated their children are, or even the words they use.

Traditionally a person’s class was defined by their job, but some scientists argue that a person’s social class has thee parts: economic, social, and cultural. To measure an individual’s ‘resources’ sociologists look at economic capital (income, savings, house value, etc.), social capital (the number and the status of people one knows), and cultural capital (cultural interests and activities). According to some scientists, there are certain words which can indicate social status of person in England: Let’s look at one of the most common word ‘Pardon/Sorry/What?’

Pardon: is a good class-test: when talking to an English person, deliberately say something too quietly for them to hear you properly. A lower-middle or middle-middle person will say, ‘Pardon?’ 
An upper-middle will say ‘Sorry?’ (or perhaps ‘Sorry — what?’ or ‘What — sorry?’). But an upper-class and a working-class person will both say, ‘What?’ (The working-class person may drop the t — ‘Wha’?’ — but this will be the only difference.)  

Autor: Natalia Kubašová/blog.cjo.pl