A few weeks ago, CNN reported the results of an interesting survey carried out through Facebook in which users voted for what was, in their own opinion, the sexiest accent. While it is not the first time that this survey has been done, it can be argued that it is the one with the largest amount of global respondents, as in earlier versions they tended to be led only by different varieties of English.
It is no surprise that the list is leaded by Italian, but one can appreciate some accents that do not enjoy the “popularity” that some European languages have. Meanwhile, the three most widely spoken languages in the Americas are present. Argentine Spanish is the representative of Latin Americans, ranked at number 13. The article mentions that the particularity of this accent is due to European migrations to the country, the use of voseo as commonplace (i.e. using “vos” instead of the more commonplace “tú”) and the particular pronunciation of the double L.
It is followed by a surprise within the continent: Trinidadian English Creole. According to the note, the attractive accent you hear in these Caribbean islands is the result of blending different dialects like French, Spanish, and Hindi, which, when expressed in English (the official language of Trinidad and Tobago) gives birth to this Creole language and its sexy pronunciation.
Three spots higher is Brazilian Portuguese. The article classifies it as more colorful and puerile than its European counterpart. According to respondents of the survey, the manner in which they pronounce vowels conveys “a flirty freedom of spirit that suggests a permanent vacation.”
Just above it, in ninth place, is Southern American English, as spoken by award-winning film figures that are currently all the rage, such as Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Lawrence. It is the only American accent on the list.
For their part, Europeans monopolize the ranking by hogging the top five spots. Among them is Spanish from Spain, whose charm, according to the popular opinion of voters, lies mostly in its lisp.
Asia is represented by Thailand and Africa with Nigeria, while Oceania is the only continent whose accents did not make the list.
The full list is as follows:
13. Argentine
12. Thai
11. Trinidadian
10. Brazilian Portuguese
9. U.S. Southern
8. Scottish
7. Irish
6. Nigerian
5. Queen’s English
4. Czech
3. Spanish (Spain)
2. French (France)
1. Italian
If you need to translate or interpret any of these languages or dialects, don’t hesitate to contact us.
