A recent study has identified the Welsh accent as the most relaxing among 15 UK accents surveyed.
Conducted by Spa Seekers in collaboration with a dialectology expert from the University of Sheffield, the survey gathered responses from 1,502 nationally representative individuals. Participants were asked to rank UK accents based on their perceived relaxation levels.
The results revealed that the Welsh accent claimed the top spot for relaxation, with Yorkshire and Cornish accents tying for second place. Northern Irish and Received Pronunciation (RP) accents rounded out the top five.
Dr Chris Montgomery, a senior lecturer in dialectology at the University of Sheffield, explained to Sky News that the perceived relaxation associated with accents is not inherent but rather influenced by cultural connotations. “With the Welsh accent, people likely associate it with visiting Wales, possibly on holiday in the countryside or at the beach, perhaps in Snowdonia or other national parks,” Dr Montgomery elaborated.
The survey methodology involved presenting respondents with various accent labels and scales for rating. “Essentially, respondents rated accents on different scales, and we then analyzed the rank ordering,” Dr Montgomery clarified.
While acknowledging regional variations within nations, Dr Montgomery noted that the study used broad accent labels for convenience, such as “Welsh accent,” without detailed regional distinctions.
Interestingly, the survey also identified the Italian accent as the most relaxing accent globally, highlighting cross-cultural perceptions of relaxation associated with different linguistic patterns.
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