America's most and least attractive accents revealed in 'uncomfortable truth' poll

Americans have voted on what they find the most and least attractive accents to be across the nation.

In a new poll conducted by OnePoll for Babbel, 2,000 US adults were asked which accents they found most attractive and which they found least attractive.

Babbel has said that the findings reveal that accents can 'make or break romance' with over a quarter of participants admitting that an accent they find unattractive can be an 'instant dealbreaker', while two thirds said an accent would 'influence whether they swipe right (like) or left (pass)' on an app.

Meanwhile, just under a quarter said that an attractive accent is more important than appearance, while 45 percent said they would agree to a second date solely because they liked someone’s accent.

Esteban Touma, Cultural and Linguistic Expert at Babbel, said: “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."

Americans have voted on what they find the most and least attractive accents (Getty Stock Photo)

American Accents ranked most to least attractive

1. Southern American English (Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Arkansas)
2. Louisiana/Cajun English (Southern Louisiana/Acadiana)
3. New York City English (New York City and surrounding metro area)
4. Miami English/Latino-influenced American English (South Florida)
5. General American/Neutral Accent (Midwest, Mountain States, Pacific Northwest, parts of the West Coast)
6. California English (California, especially Southern California)
7. Boston/New England Accent (Boston and parts of Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire)
8. Inland Northern/Great Lakes Accent (Chicago, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Milwaukee)
9. Philadelphia English Accent (Philadelphia and surrounding areas)
10. Appalachian English (Appalachian region from Pennsylvania to northern Alabama)

European accents ranked most to least attractive

1. Italian
2. French
3. Spanish
4. British
5. Netherlands
6. Romanian
7. Belgian
8. Ukrainian
9. German
10. Polish

Southern American English, for example in Texas, has been voted most attractive (Getty Stock Photo)

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.”