If you’re single and looking to date, it’s a good time to be an Australian in New York.
The 2023 Highlands Titles Study surveyed 1,000 Americans about their perceptions of different accents; finding an Aussie one was deemed the most attractive in both females and males.
However, having a New York twang may set you back when trying to secure a romantic partner, with it found to be the least appealing.
The study found after an Australian accent, in terms of attractiveness, was having a Scottish, London, Irish, French, Italian, Welsh and Brummie voice.
The least attractive accents was New Yorker, followed by a Boston drawl, American midwestern, Canadian, American Southern, Spanish, German and Yorkshire.
Survey respondents were also asked to determine what stereotypes are usually associated with particular accents.
The most boring accents were Canadian, American Mid-Atlantic and New York and the most calming were Canadian, Scottish and Australian.
Those who sound confident may have a Boston, New Zealand or German accent, and the most intelligent accents reign from London, Germany and Birmingham.
The most sophisticated of people are likely to be found in London, Germany or Birmingham, as per the study.
Among the study respondents, 52 per cent were men, and 48 per cent were women. Additionally, 47 per cent were attracted to men, and 62 per cent were attracted to women.
Generationally, 15 per cent were baby boomers, 25 per cent were Gen X, 50 per cent were millennials, and 10 per cent were Gen Z.
According to the Highlands Titles Study, those single, having an accent may be an advantage if looking to secure a date, with 71 per cent of survey participants responding that they’re interested in dating someone with an accent.
The study surveyed 1,000 Americans, asking what they thought about particular accents. They were also quizzed about actors’ accents
There are some evolutionary theories that suggests people find foreign accents attractive because they suggest a more exotic gene pool
The study also surveyed participants on celebrity accents, asking who they thought had hardest accents to understand and who had the most enjoyable.
Over three-quarters of people attracted to women wanted to date someone with an accent, and in those attracted to men, 67 per cent did.
The audio samples used to survey respondents were taken from the Speech Accent Archive, created by George Mason University.
The draw to particular accents is not a new concept, with studies showing attractiveness is linked to voices.
There are some evolutionary theories that suggests people find foreign accents attractive because they suggest a more exotic gene pool.
Australian accents like Hugh Jackman’s (pictured) were deemed the most popular in males and females
The love of an Aussie accent could come from the association with famous Australian actors, such as Margot Robbie (left) and Chris Hemsworth (right)
Survey respondents said the most intelligent accents come from London, Germany and Birmingham. Pictured is British actress Keira Knightley
But others say it comes down to cultural bias.
So the love of an Aussie accent could come from the association with famous Australian actors like Chris Hemsworth and Hugh Jackman — who have both been named People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive on separate occasions — as well as popular actress Margot Robbie.
‘It all has to do with aesthetics,’ Susan Tamasi, a sociolinguist at Emory University, told Your Tango.
‘There is nothing linguistically sound about saying one accent is more pleasing than another.’
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