Neither from California nor Texas, this is the most hated accent by Americans
Despite its iconic status, the New York accent is now so disliked that even many New Yorkers themselves want nothing to do with it.
What’s the worst accent in the United States? It is a question that has been debated in pubs and bars for (probably) centuries, and it seems that we’ve finally found the answer.
A recent survey by Podcastle reveals that nearly 60% of Americans find the New York accent annoying, with 45% of New Yorkers sharing this sentiment.
“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,” said Podcastle.
The distinctive accent, popularized by characters like Joe Pesci’s in “Goodfellas” and Fran Drescher in “The Nanny,” is also perceived as less trustworthy and appealing compared to others, such as the Southern drawl, which was rated 256% more trustworthy and 232% more appealing. Only 10% of Americans report trusting someone with a New York accent.
Linguistics professor Michael Newman from Queens College notes that the traditional NYC accent is diminishing, but not disappearing entirely, with some features like the dropping of final “R” sounds becoming less common.
Michael Newman, a linguistics professor at Queens College, told Fox News that “Some of the features that have been traditionally associated with New York City English are diminishing,” he said. “What’s being lost is the final ‘R.’ You get in the ‘caw’ and you go to the ‘baw.’ It’s now ‘car’ and ‘bar’... None of us as New Yorkers really want to sound like we are from somewhere else,” Newman revealed.
Additionally, a Guide2Fluency study highlights that the accent poses challenges for AI voice systems like Siri and Alexa, ranking as the second most difficult American accent for AI to understand.
Despite its declining use and reception, many New Yorkers still feel a strong cultural attachment to their unique speech patterns. Newman emphasizes that “none of us as New Yorkers really want to sound like we are from somewhere else,” underscoring the accent’s role in local identity.
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