A recent survey by TomTom has discovered that the Geordie accent is the most popular choice for motorists with ‘posh’ accents also making a comeback. The people surveyed explained that more rounded accents, like that of Joanna Lumley are better as it makes for easy listening, especially when being given instructions.
Interestingly the Geordie and Scottish accent was also a popular choice, despite being more difficult to understand. I suspect the Geordie accent is popular because it is more lively and friendly, the Scottish accent is also pleasing to the ear.
Two accents that failed to impress were the brummie and East Anglian voices, “Yow must tern roight” didn’t sit well with the people surveyed, the Liverpudlian accent also took a bashing with people saying it was common and the most frequently mimicked.
The survey was taken to find the perfect accent for the next TomTom voice, instead of being a celebrity the new voiceover will be performed by a member of the Great British public.
Brian Blessed, who comes from Yorkshire and will judge the contest, said: “I’m pleased to see the Yorkshire accent was voted the most reassuring, so I’m hoping for a big-hearted entry from my neck of the woods. But what this survey shows is that people find a broad spread of regional accents appealing for different reasons”.
