We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.

Why Do British Accents Make People Sound Smarter?

Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 19,034
Share

It's not exactly clear why people with British accents sound smarter to Americans, but several studies show that Americans who have not lived outside of the United States tend to rate British English speakers as having higher intelligence and social status than non-British English speakers. Americans who have lived outside the U.S. for at least three months tend to rate British English speakers as lower in intelligence than either Middle Easterners or people from Latin America. What is clear is that people's accents play a large role in how others perceive them. In fact, a study from the Friedrich Schiller University at Jena in Germany found that study participants categorized people almost exclusively based on their accent.

More facts about accent:

  • Imitating a conversation partner's foreign accent appears to help people understand each other better. A Dutch study found that participants who tried to imitate an unfamiliar accent had a much higher level of understanding and comprehension in conversations than those who did not.

  • Foreign accents can sometimes make people seem less truthful. This is apparently because accents can make it more difficult for people to understand what others are saying, which is often perceived as untruthfulness.

  • Even regional accents have a significant effect on how people view others. For instance, people who speak with a Southern U.S. accent might be viewed as intellectually inferior to those from other regions. The region of the U.S. where the local accent is closest to standard American English is southern Iowa, parts of western Illinois and parts of eastern Nebraska
Share

Related Articles

Discussion Comments
By anon213566 — On Sep 11, 2011

That may explain why my lady friend comes across as sounding snooty. It's because she is well read and frequently uses the British vernacular to call out common American items that most can't relate to because they are unknown in the US.

Share
https://www.wisegeek.com/why-do-british-accents-make-people-sound-smarter.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.