In a world where we are more connected than ever, how we communicate can influence how we come across to others. From listening to podcasts to scrolling on TikTok, accents can shape how we connect, which creators we trust, and what content we engage with.
To explore this, Podcastle surveyed 1,000 Americans to discover which AI-generated voices and accents they prefer and why it matters for creators and listeners alike.
Table of Contents
– Which Accents Do Americans Trust Most?
– Accent Preferences and the Emotions They Evoke
– The Power of Voice
Key Findings
- Americans are 256% more likely to trust a Southern accent over a New York accent.
- Nearly 3 in 5 Americans feel annoyed when they hear a New York accent.
- When listening to podcasts, Americans are most interested in British (40%) and Southern American accents (39%).
- On TikTok, British accents are most desired by Americans, with nearly half (48%) associating them with feelings of calmness.
Which Accents Do Americans Trust Most?
How someone sounds can be as important as what they say, especially in a country as big and diverse as America. We explored what accents survey participants found most trustworthy, and the results were overwhelmingly clear.
First: Understanding Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness in these situations is the quality of being reliable and honest. A trustworthy person is someone you believe would tell you the truth or follow through on their promises. It's someone who'd act with good intentions in any situation. A trustworthy person is someone you believe gave you accurate directions on the street or would return your book if you lent it to them. In scenarios like these, tone of voice can make all the difference.
The Most Trustworthy Accents, According to Americans
Americans do not only find the British accent the most trustworthy (42%), but they also believe it to be the most appealing (46%). It isn't just a regional response either, as states as diverse as New York, Florida, West Virginia, and even Hawaii had the highest preference for the British accent.
The American Southern accent is the second most popular accent (31%). Southern accents work like a charm, with Americans feeling 157% more inclined to trust those with a Southern accent over those with a non-regional American accent.
How Americans Perceive the New York Accent
The power of accents runs deep, with Americans agreeing that a Southern accent is 232% more appealing than a New York accent. Americans are also 256% more likely to trust a Southern accent over a New York one. The intense feelings surrounding New York accents extend even further, with one in 10 Americans feeling like they can trust someone with a New York accent.
Accent Preferences and the Emotions They Evoke
Accents aren't just how we speak but also how others perceive us. We uncovered which accents Americans prefer most for different types of content and which accents they find most calming, authoritative, romantic, and even uncomfortable.
Accent Preferences Across Platforms
British accents are preferred most across many platforms – including audiobooks, podcasts, and YouTube – and 48% of Americans associate British accents with calmness.
American Southern accents also rank highly, tying first for documentaries, with almost a third (29%) perceiving them as authoritative. In addition, 70% of Americans associate the Southern accent with a strong sense of calm, more than any other accent surveyed.
Accent Preferences Across Generations
On TikTok, generational preferences are clear: Millennials gravitate toward Scottish accents (28%), while Gen Z prefers the familiarity of non-regional American speech (27%).
How Different Accents Influence Emotions Across Generations
Accents can evoke strong emotions within us. The French accent leaves us baffled, with 38% of Americans saying it evokes a sense of confusion, and Gen-Z even said it made them uncomfortable (40%)! Interestingly, the New York accent evokes similar discomfort, primarily among older generations (Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers). Even New Yorkers aren’t a fan, with 45% of respondents finding their own accent annoying. There is one place where all generations agree, though. Americans across the board believe that Latin American accents are the most authoritative (38%).
It's clear that sound, culture, emotion, and even age can shape our reactions to different accents. When it comes to matters of the heart, accents can really turn up the heat, and what gets each generation swooning is quite different. Baby Boomers melt for the charm of a British accent (38%), whereas the fiery passion of Latin American accents sweeps away Gen X (35%) and Millennials (33%). Gen Z, on the other hand, wants to go down under for an Australian accent (33%).
The Power of Voice
How we speak and how others hear us can shape everything from trust to how we connect emotionally. This survey shows just how much accents matter, not just in daily conversations but in the kind of content people enjoy and even those they find attractive. Choosing the right voice for brands, creators, and platforms isn’t just about clarity; it’s about creating the right feel. Accents help shape first impressions and make someone instantly more relatable, trustworthy, or memorable.
Create Realistic AI Voices and Clean Audio Instantly with Podcastle
Are you looking to create high-quality voice content without breaking the bank or spending hours in the recording booth? With Podcastle, producing polished audio and video quickly is easier than ever. Want to create content on the go or without recording your voice every time? Try our AI voice cloning tool that uses cutting-edge voice cloning software to generate a realistic duplicate of your voice. Or choose from a wide range of AI voices and use our text-to-speech generator, text-to-voice generator, or speech generator to bring your words to life in just a few clicks. Developers can also get direct access to our algorithm with our TTS API.
With our AI voice maker, you can produce podcasts, ads, and videos with incredible speed while ensuring the tone and delivery connect with your audience. With Podcastle's tools, you're not just creating an AI-generated voice; you're choosing how your audience feels and engages.
Methodology
To uncover Americans' accent preferences, we surveyed 1,003 individuals across the United States. This sample size provides a 95 percent confidence level with a low 3 percent margin of error. Because this exploratory research relied on self-reported data, respondents may have biases, and discrepancies may exist between their answers and their actual experiences. The British accent referenced throughout refers specifically to Received Pronunciation (RP).
Fair Use Statement
If you find our research insightful, please share this data. However, we ask that you do so for non-commercial use and provide a link to this original study page so the researchers are credited correctly.
