Most annoying accents revealed, Irish and Scottish rank best

A study has been conducted into the world's most annoying accents. Photo / Thiebaud Faix, Unsplash

New Zealanders got a bit louder after Kiwis topped a poll of world's sexiest accents.
However, not everyone is turned on by our wandering vowels.

A global online survey has revealed which accents are the most annoying ones to listen to, and which country has the most favourable among men and women.

A small study conducted by The Knowledge Academy asked almost 300 men and women to listen to five minutes of the same narrative recorded by distinct English-speaking natives.

Based on the average duration the volunteers listened before switching off, the researchers established which of the English accents people found the most annoying – and the most appealing.

According to the research overall, American accents on both men and woman are the most annoying, with the blokes switching off after just 1 minute and 26 seconds on average and women hitting pause on the player even quicker at just 1 minutes and 17 seconds.

On the flip side, a thick Irish accent was voted as the most favourable among women – with the female group hitting pause after four minutes and 30 seconds. For the men, a Scottish lilt on the ladies won the crown as the least annoying with the blokes tuning in on average for 4 minutes and 35 seconds.

The Kiwi accent, however, didn't rate so well with listeners either, who voted that women with an NZ twang were the third "most annoying" to listen to. However for women, men with an New Zealand inflection came in as one of the top four to listen to.

Across the ditch, Aussie accents were judged slightly more bearable, with listeners giving both 'blokes and sheilas' 20 seconds more on average.

So how else did the world rate?

THE MOST ANNOYING WOMEN'S ENGLISH ACCENTS

1. USA was considered the most annoying, with an average listening time of 1 minute and 26 seconds

2. South Africa, with an average listening time of 1 minute and 44 seconds

3. New Zealand, with an average listening time of 2 minutes and 7 seconds

4. Australia, with an average listening time of 2 minutes and 29 seconds

5. Wales, with an average listening time of 2 minutes and 44 seconds

6. England, with an average listening time of 2 minutes and 56 seconds

7. Canada, with an average listening time of 3 minutes and 12 seconds

8. Scotland, with an average listening time of 3 minutes and 38 seconds

9. Northern Ireland, with an average listening time of 4 minutes and 2 seconds

10. Ireland was considered the least annoying, with an average listening time of 4 minutes, 32 seconds

THE MOST ANNOYING MEN'S ENGLISH ACCENTS

1. USA was considered the most annoying, with an average listening time of 1 minute and 17 seconds

2. Canada, with an average listening time of 1 minute and 42 seconds

3. Wales, with an average listening time of 2 minutes and 11 seconds

4. South Africa, with an average listening time of 2 minutes and 27 seconds

5. Northern Ireland, with an average listening time of 2 minutes and 43 seconds

6. England, with an average listening time of 2 minutes and 51 seconds

7. New Zealand, with an average listening time of 3 minutes and 15 seconds

8. Australia, with an average listening time of 3 minutes and 34 seconds

9. Ireland, with an average listening time of 4 minutes and 27 seconds

10. Scotland was considered the least annoying, with an average listening time of 4 minutes, 35 seconds

- With additional reporting