This Southern drawl was just named America's most attractive accent

Time Out

6 days ago

You're in Ireland and you sink into rapture at the lilt of the person telling you where to find the best traditional Irish music. Or you're in India enjoying the melodic tones of someone talking to you about Apollo Bunder. Then you come stateside and "pahk your cah" in Boston, MA or indulge in some classic Californian vocal fry, and you wonder how American accent could possibly sound sexy to people outside the country.
But apparently some people do find our Yankee talk attractive, as evidenced by a recent survey from VegasSlotsOnline, which explores the regional accents that people find most appealing in celebrities and how that applies to how we feel about our accents in general.
The researchers listened to audio clips of 50 celebrities talking and compared that to what scientists say is the most attractive pitch (96 Hz for men and 260-280 Hz for women, levels at which we "hear" warmth, depth and openness to being approached). Additionally, they surveyed people about their personal level of liking or disliking how an accent sounds.
The report revealed that Americans in general prefer a British accent but when it comes to home territory, we prefer a Cajun accent from the South first, followed closely by a Long Island accent. The Cajun accent is what we often hear in Louisiana, an accent influenced by both French and Spanish speakers (think of New Orleans history), and if you're having trouble imagining what it sounds like, put on The Princess and the Frog movie and enjoy this smooth linguistic pattern.
For a Long Island accent, you'll want to put on The Sopranos and channel suburban New Yorkers arguing about jewelry and leopard print leggings. It's an unmistakeable accent that draws attention to itself and is inarguably New Yorkian.
The third most popular American accent is one from Mississippi. If you can create an auditory memory of the smooth, calm, deep tones of Morgan Freeman, you'll relax into the warmth of a Mississippi accent that feels like you can trust the person spinning the yarn. As the report points out, there is even an element of nostalgia for people listening to this accent.
These are the most attractive American accents:
1. Cajun accent
2. Long Island accent
3. Mississippi accent
4. Florida accent and Pacific Northwest accent, tie
5. Maine accent
6. Appalachian accent
7. Boston accent and High Tider (Outer Banks of North Carolina) accent, tie
8. Louisiana accent and New England accent, tie
9. Staten Island accent
10. Philadelphia accent