HONOLULU (KHON2) — There are more than 7,100 languages spoken around the world with a variety of dialects and accents that make each region unique. In America, there are more than 30 dialects.
From the “homey” Southern accent to the “sophisticated” British accent, a recent study reveals which accents Americans find most attractive. Yes, even Hawaii’s pidgin accent is ranked!
Preply, a language learning platform, surveyed 2,000 Americans to find out the most — and least — attractive accents around the globe. Accents were ranked by best, worst, sexiest, smartest sounding and most annoying.
WHERE THE PIDGIN ACCENT RANKS
#7 for the accent Americans like the most.
#7 for the most trustworthy.
#8 for the accent Americans find sexiest.
#9 for the most annoying accent.
#9 for the smartest sounding.
TOP 5 BEST ACCENTS IN THE WORLD
1. British
2. Australian
3. French
4. Canadian
5. Italian
According to Preply’s survey, 52% of respondents said they like the British accent, for both men and women. It was also the accent ranked among the sexiest, most trustworthy and most likely to make someone believe a person is more intelligent. It’s important to note that the United Kingdom has a diversity in accents, from Cockney and Queen’s English to newer ones like Estuary and General Northern.
TOP 5 WORST ACCENTS IN THE WORLD
1. Welsh
2. Korean
3. Swedish
4. South African
5. Greek
Just 5% of respondents said they enjoy the Welsh accent, according to Preply’s survey. The Welsh accent is often divided into two varieties: Northern and Southern Welsh English. Characteristics include shortening vowels of stressed syllables and lengthening the following consonant. Preply said Welsh words are also hard pronounce. There are towns with names like Llanddewi Brefi, Crymych and Plwmp. Can you say these?
FAVORITE AMERICAN ACCENTS
- Southern
- New York
- Midwestern
- Texas
- Chicago
LEAST FAVORITE AMERICAN ACCENTS
- Appalachian
- Pittsburgh
- Minnesota
To see the other rankings, click here.
“Our survey was clear that an accent plays a significant role for the vast majority of us, with 90% of respondents saying that it can impact how attractive they find someone,” Preply said. “Moreover, 83% said they have been more attracted to someone because of their accent.”
Preply reports surveying 1,755 people on Dec. 8, 2021, about the following accents: British, French, Canadian, German, Australian, Chinese, Dutch, Japanese, Indian, Italian, Greek, Irish, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, South African, Scottish and Welsh.
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Respondents lived in all 50 states, with 54% identifying as male, 45% identifying as female and 1% identifying as nonbinary. In addition, 76% of respondents were white, 12% were Black, 5% were Asian, 5% were Hispanic and 2% preferred not to answer.
