A new survey of 6,000 respondents from Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the US has revealed which European language is considered the most attractive.
The previous poll, published in 2017, named French the sexiest language, but that was supplanted by this new survey.
This year’s survey found that Italian is now rated as the most attractive language in the world.
To name Italian the most attractive overall, votes were combined for the languages perceived as ‘sexiest’, ‘most romantic’ and ‘most passionate’ by the international respondents, according to Babel.
When it came to what was considered the ‘most direct’ language, it was perhaps unsurprising that German topped the list.
Italian Monica Bellucci (photo) is considered one of the most attractive women of all time. Does her accent contribute to that?
‘MOST DIRECT’: Actor Diane Kruger, although her German accent is not strong, can be considered direct according to this survey
Meanwhile, British English was given the honor of being the ‘most polite’.
The study also looked at attitudes towards partners who speak different languages.
More than two-thirds (70 percent) of Britons surveyed reported that they felt that if their romantic partner had a different native language than themselves, learning the language would help foster a stronger emotional bond between them.
However, just over a quarter of Britons (27 percent) said so Hearing “I love you” means more in their native language.
Explaining why Italian is considered attractive by many, Noël Wolf at Babbel described how the pitch of the language is an important factor.
She said: ‘There are certain characteristics of Italian that may contribute to its appeal.
‘The rise and fall of pitch in spoken Italian can create a musical quality, which some people find appealing and appealing.
‘Certain phonetic features, such as the rolling of the ‘r’ sounds, can be distinctive in Italian, which is considered charming or attractive by many.’
Previous studies of accents from other parts of the world have produced very different results from those surveyed.
For example the Research 2023 Highlands titlesthat surveyed 1,000 Americans found that Italian only reached sixth place on the list.
However, it should be noted that this survey not only had a much smaller sample size, but was also limited to Americans, while the latter study included a range of nationalities.
This survey found that respondents felt Australians were considered the most attractive among both women and men.
At the bottom of the list was the famous New York vernacular.
The research found that in terms of attractiveness, an Australian accent had a Scottish, London, Irish, French, Italian, Welsh and Brummie voice.
Respondents were also asked to determine which stereotypes are commonly associated with certain accents.
The dullest accents were Canadian, American Mid-Atlantic and New York and the most soothing were Canadian, Scottish and Australian.
Those who sound confident may have a Boston, New Zealand or German accent, and the most intelligent accents come from London, Germany and Birmingham.
The most advanced people are likely to be found in London, Germany or Birmingham, the research shows.
Interestingly, while the Babel poll found that Italian is seen as the most attractive accent due to specific qualities, this survey came to a different conclusion.
Australian accents like Hugh Jackman’s (pictured) were considered most popular among men and women in a 2023 survey of 1,000 Americans
Meanwhile, respondents said the most intelligent accents come from London: actor Keira Knightley’s accent (pictured)
There are some evolutionary theories that suggest that people find foreign accents attractive because they suggest a more exotic gene pool.
But others say it has to do with cultural biases.
So the love for an Aussie accent could stem from its association with famous Australian actors such as Chris Hemsworth and Hugh Jackman – both of whom have been voted People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive on various occasions – and with popular actress Margot Robbie.
“It’s all about aesthetics,” Susan Tamasi, a sociolinguist at Emory University, told me Your Tango.
‘There is no linguistic point in saying that one accent is more pleasant than another.’
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