Americans from Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Arkansas have a head start in the dating game — because their accent, Southern American English, is the sexiest in the U.S., according to a new poll.
Rounding out the top five was Miami English (Latino-influenced American English), followed by “General American” (as spoken by those in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest and parts of the West Coast).
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The least attractive accents, in ninth and 10th place, are those from Philadelphia and the Appalachian region from Pennsylvania to northern Alabama.
Those polled were also asked which European accents they thought were the most attractive, and despite the cultural cachet of the British accent in the U.S., it only managed fourth in the ranking, behind Spanish (No.3), French (No.2), and Italian (No.1).
The least attractive European accents, according to the study, are German (No.9) and Polish (No.10).
Babbel said in a statement that behind these rankings “lies an uncomfortable truth — that accents can make or break romance.”
Over a quarter of those polled said a “bad accent” is an “instant dating dealbreaker,” and 60 percent of Americans said that in theory, an accent would “influence whether they swipe right (like) or left (pass)” on a dating app.
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Almost one in four admitted to feeling embarrassed or judged because of how they speak, and this insecurity leads nearly a quarter (24 percent) to consciously soften or change their accents on dates to improve their chances of attraction, the study revealed.
And one in six (16 percent) revealed that they’ve overstated or fabricated their foreign language skills in a bid to impress.
Esteban Touma, Cultural and Linguistic Expert at Babbel, commented: “These findings show just how powerful the human voice has become in modern dating. Accents don’t just shape first impressions — they influence who we swipe on, who we meet again, and even how confident we feel showing up as ourselves.
“The findings underline just how layered and personal accents are. They carry history, identity and emotion — and it is precisely this distinctness that gives them meaning. Rather than something to smooth out or hide, our accents deserve to be embraced and celebrated. Everyone should feel free to speak in a way that reflects who they are and where they come from, without fear that it makes them less attractive or less worthy of connection.”
The most attractive American accents
- Southern American English (Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Arkansas)
- Louisiana /Cajun English (Southern Louisiana / Acadiana)
- New York City English (New York City and surrounding metro area)
- Miami English/Latino-influenced American English (South Florida)
- General American/Neutral Accent (Midwest, Mountain States, Pacific Northwest, parts of the West Coast)
- California English (California, especially Southern California)
- Boston/New England Accent (Boston and parts of Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire)
- Inland Northern/Great Lakes Accent (Chicago, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Milwaukee)
- Philadelphia English Accent (Philadelphia and surrounding areas)
- Appalachian English (Appalachian region from Pennsylvania to northern Alabama)
The most attractive European accents
- Italian
- French
- Spanish
- British
- Netherlands
- Romanian
- Belgian
- Ukrainian
- German
- Polish