What's your favourite accent?
Maybe you like the dulcet tones of a Bristolian pirate. Maybe you like a classic, sultry southern received pronunciation. Maybe you’re still obsessed with the way that Nadine Coyle pronounces words like ‘flour’ and ‘gerl’.
Whatever your tastes, it turns out that there is a statistically correct answer to the question of Britain's most relaxing accent. In a survey conducted by Spa Seekers, more than 1500 people from across the UK were asked which of our accents they find the most calming, and according to them, the answer is Welsh!
Who’d have thought after all this time that watching Fireman Sam or Gavin and Stacey could be the answer to the high-stress of modern day life. Unfortunately though, it might have little to do with the accent itself.
One lecturer from Sheffield University, who helped gather data for the poll, told Sky News that ‘people probably go to Wales, they might go on holiday. They come to Wales to the countryside, associate [the accent] with being in that place’. Basically, people associate Wales and Welshness with good things, so they find the accent comforting.
In joint second place were Yorkshire and Cornish accents, with Northern Irish coming in third. In last place was the Essex accent. Sorry, east Englanders.
If your accent didn’t make it into the top 3, don’t worry. Just reread this article, but this time imagine it being read aloud by Tom Jones. Soothes the soul, doesn’t it?
What’s going on in the UK?
We at Time Out like to keep you updated on the stories that will really pique your interest. For instance, did you see that Edinburgh’s legendary Jazz Bar is set to reopen? Or maybe you’d like learn about there's set to be two meteor showers flying across our skies this month. We've also got a guide on how to watch Netherlands vs England at Euro 2024.
Did you see that the UK's pub of the year for 2024 has been named?
Plus: This northern city has been named the best in the UK for food and drink.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.