REVEALED: The most annoying accents in the world
The results you didn’t know you needed are in, with a global survey revealing which accents are considered the most appealing and most annoying to men and women.
300 men and women were asked by The Knowledge Academy to listen to five minutes of the same script recorded by English-speakers.
The researchers were able to determine which accents were preferred or disliked based off how long each participant were able to listen to the audio before they turned it off.
Whether it comes as a surprise to you or not, American accents were deemed the most annoying by men and women with men turning the recording off after just one minute and 26 seconds and women choosing to switch off after one minute and 17 seconds.
Irish accents were interestingly enough voted the most appealing among women, with the female participants choosing to listen for four minutes and 30 seconds.
Men however preferred a Scottish accent by choosing to listen for around four minutes and 35 seconds.
Women ruled South African accents as the second most annoying, with an average of one minute and 44 seconds listening time.
Canadian accents among men came second with a listening time of one minute and 42 seconds.
Women seemed to find Kiwi accents annoying as well, landing third with a listening time of two minutes and seven seconds.
Wales come in at second place on the most annoying.
Unfortunately, it seems the world does not deem Australian accents as appealing as we may have though, coming fourth on the women's list.
The results are as follows:
Most Annoying Women's English Accents
- USA – one minute and 26 seconds
- South Africa –one minute and 44 seconds
- New Zealand – two minutes and seven seconds
- Australia – two minutes and 29 seconds
- Wales – two minutes and 44 seconds
- England – two minutes and 56 seconds
- Canada – three minutes and 12 seconds
- Scotland – three minutes and 38 seconds
- Northern Ireland – four minutes and two seconds
- Ireland – four minutes, 32 seconds
Most Annoying Men's English Accents
- USA – one minute and 17 seconds
- Canada – one minute and 42 seconds
- Wales – two minutes and 11 seconds
- South Africa – two minutes and 27 seconds
- Northern Ireland – two minutes and 43 seconds
- England – two minutes and 51 seconds
- New Zealand – three minutes and 15 seconds
- Australia – three minutes and 34 seconds
- Ireland – four minutes and 27 seconds
- Scotland – 4 minutes, 35 seconds