Research into judgements about accent and dialect

Gala Bingo survey 2021 - like/dislike accents

Favourite UK accent: Highest Scottish (15%), Lowest East Midlands (Birmingham) (3%)

Most trustworthy: Scottish (14%), Yorkshire (13%)

Intelligence: most RP (35%), least Manchester, Essex (2%)

Amal Rajan - How to crack the class ceiling BBC

Interviews Chris from Hull who has a northern accent.

Chris went to York Uni

Is trying to ‘speak clearer’’ by ‘pronouncing more letters’ in order to get into high paid job industries - like the civil service

Bath Spa University 2008 - intelligence

Method: Matched guise

48 volunteers saw a photo of a female model while listening to recordings of women with different accents.

Accents didn’t change attractiveness of model.

Most intelligent RP + Yorkshire, Middle Silence, Least Birmingham

Dixon, Mahoney and Cocks 2002 - criminality

Method: Matched guise

Identical exchange between police officer and male suspect

Some participants, suspect spoke in RP and some in Birmingham accent

Participants considered suspects with Birmingham accents more ‘guilty’ compared to RP suspects

University of Nottingham and Cambridge 2025 - criminality

Asked 180 participants across UK to rate regional accents.

RP considered least likely to behave in criminal ways while Liverpool and Bradford are considered most likely.

Birmingham performed better in this study than in previous studies.

Stereotypes and unconscious bias in CJS revealed.

Jurors are not made aware of accent based prejudice.

Cole and class judgements in SE England 2021

Example of intersectionality.

Method: Verbal guise.

18-33 years old. 194 participants and 102 speakers, each participant heard 27 accents.

Essex seen as less intelligent and less trustworthy accent.

Working class people seen 14% less intelligent + 5% less trustworthy than upper middle class people.

Ethnic minority seen 5% less intelligent than British people.

Women 2% less intelligent but 5% more trustworthy.

Changed in judgements about accent over time: Giles 1969 and 2004 Bishop, 2019 Accent Bias Britain

Rated accents pleasantness and prestige.

RP always highest, Birmingham always lowest.

RP is decreasing from 1969-2019

Indian and Afro Caribbean are increasing in 2019