The UK’s richest-sounding accent – full list of 10 stereotypes

Hidden bias based on people’s accents has been around since the dawn of time.

New research published in the journal Frontiers in Communication has taken this one step further after analysing certain UK accents and the behaviours often associated with them.

The results indicate that the way a person talks may have others believing they’re inclined to certain behaviours and characteristics.

From the approachable Northern English accent often being associated with openness, to the Glaswegian accent which can be synonymous to kindness, the UK is filled with a number of distinctive accents with a touch of bias following suit.

According to the research, led by Alice Paver of the University of Cambridge, Liverpool and Bradford accents are more likely to be associated to criminal behaviours.

Other accents associated with less than savoury behaviour include Merseyside accents, which have a higher likelihood of people believing that you are unfaithful or have committed assault, the Times reports.

The Glaswegian accent is perceived as being linked to the type of people most likely to stand up for somebody who is being harassed, while the Cockney accent is likely viewed as being the most working class.

When it comes to the richest sounding accents in all of the UK, RP accents, otherwise known as Standard Southern British English, came out on top scoring high when it comes to confidence too.

People also seem to think that people with RP accents are least likely to commit physical assault, drive dangerously or shoplift.

Alice Paver said: “Our findings bring into focus the disadvantage that speakers of some accents may still face in the criminal justice system.”

These accent associations were found after researchers used recordings of 10 UK accents spoken by men, including accents from Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Cockney, Glasgow, Newcastle and RP.

Researchers then recruited 180 UK participants and gave them two surveys with the first asking them to rate the voices according to ten categories including how working class they thought it was, intelligence, education, friendliness, kindness, honesty, aggressiveness, trustworthiness and confidence.

Next, participants were asked to rate how likely each accent was to commit moral or immoral acts, being associated with certain crimes, the likelihood of defending another from harassment, likelihood of cheating and involving themselves in physical assault.

Participants found the UK accents most associated with honesty, friendliness and kindness going to the regional accents which consist of Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow.

Interestingly, despite scoring high with confidence and wealth, RP accents ranked higher when it came to being associated with sexual assault, trailing the Liverpool and Cockney accents by a small margin.

Paver added: “This finding undermines certain traditional stereotypes.”

According to the study:

Liverpool and Bradford accents are perceived as more likely to commit crimes
Cockney accents are viewed as the most working class and more likely to be associated with criminal behaviour
Glasgow accents are most likely to stand up for somebody who is being harassed
Merseyside accents are more likely to cheat on their partner or committed assault
Regional accents are mostly perceived as being the kindness, more honest and friendlier
RP ranked highest for wealth and confidence, lowest for how working class they are and RP least likely to commit physical assault, shoplift or drive dangerously