One of the most weird and wonderful things about the UK is its ratio of accents-per-square-mile. No matter where you are, all you need to do is drive about 15 minutes in any given direction and you’ll find an entirely new dialect. Each major city has its own distinct identity and way of speaking, developed over centuries of shifting cultures and populations.
But all accents are not created equal. Some make for easy listening, others, well, don’t. We’ve all got our personal faves, but it turns out that there is actual data on which accents people do and don’t enjoy listening to.
Tinder, yes, the dating app, has pretty good insights into what’s hot and what’s not – literally. They’ve crunched some numbers and had a look at their immense pool of data, analysing people’s bios, swiping data, and other general techy magic, and have discovered what the most desirable accents are in the British Isles.
Coming first, unsurprisingly, was Irish. Although not from the UK at all, it comes up time and time again in conversations about which accents Brits find sexy, and Paul Mescal’s really been putting in the hours to maintain that reputation. Congrats, Ireland. You are officially a good-sounding bunch.
In second was Scotland, followed by Essex, Yorkshire, and Wales. Basically, if you pronounce the word ‘bath’ like a BBC presenter, you’re out of luck.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Brummies are apparently the runt of the litter, narrowly beating out the Cornish accent for dead last. Even the Peaky Blinders couldn’t save them from this fate, it seems.
Tinder also revealed the UK cities which most people ‘passport’ to, meaning where people set their location as when they weren’t actually in the area. At the top of that list was Manchester, so maybe there’s a real market of people looking to find a good Mancunian guy/girl/person.
Ultimately accents are, of course, a matter of taste – so don’t let it go to your head, Ireland. And Birmingham, don’t give up hope. There’s someone out there for everyone.
Time Out in Birmingham
Even if you’re not a fan of the dialect, Britain’s second biggest city is worth a visit. There’s plenty of great things to do, museums to visit, and things to eat, and, if you ask us, great people. We see you Brummies, even if Tinder users don’t.
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