English is spoken with a huge number of regional accents and dialects. In the UK it is possible to actually identify the town, city, area or county that a speaker is from just based on their accent. The diversity of these accents is a testament to the widespread nature of the language, but it also poses unique challenges in communication and particularly for transcription. While English speakers may share a common language, their accents can create significant hurdles when it comes to producing a written version of an audio recording. This is one of the main reasons transcriptions by humans is for now still by far the most accurate method of producing a document from audio or video.

The Complexity of English Accents

Accents in the English language are shaped by a variety of factors, including geography, socio-economic background, education, and exposure to other languages. For international readers not based in the UK, accents vary significantly from region to region and town to town. Scousers in Liverpool sound very different indeed from Geordies in Newcastle, Cockneys in London and Glaswegians in Glasgow.

Globally, English is spoken as a first or second language by millions of people, leading to accents that reflect local languages and cultures. English spoken in India, for example, is often influenced by native Indian languages, leading to unique pronunciations, cadences, and tones. Similarly, the English spoken in Australia or South Africa carries distinct sounds that may differ dramatically from the English heard in the United States, Canada, or the UK.

But which accents do people find most challenging to understand? To answer this question, we must consider several factors, including familiarity, phonetic features, and social attitudes toward certain accents.

Research on Accent Comprehension

Studies on accent comprehension often reveal that familiarity is a crucial factor in understanding spoken English. A study conducted by University College London found that people find accents unfamiliar to their ear the most challenging to understand, regardless of whether they are native or non-native speakers of English. This difficulty stems from unfamiliar phonetic patterns and rhythms that differ from what the listener is accustomed to hearing.

For example, a person raised in the UK who has had limited exposure to American English may struggle to understand certain regional American accents, such as the Southern drawl of the southeastern United States or the fast-paced speech of New Yorkers. Similarly, native British accents, such as those from Scotland or Northern Ireland, can pose significant challenges to non-British speakers or even to people from different parts of England.

In a survey conducted by YouGov in 2020, British respondents were asked which accents they found hardest to understand. The results were as follows:

1. Scottish accent (22% found it most difficult to understand)

2. Geordie accent (16%)

3. Scouse accent (13%)

4. Northern Irish accent (12%)

5. Welsh accent (10%)

Interestingly, these results suggest that even within the UK, native speakers struggle with regional variations. This is likely due to the significant phonological differences between these accents, such as the rhoticity in Scottish accents or the vowel shifts in Geordie speech.

The Scottish Accent: A Challenge for Many

The Scottish accent consistently ranks as one of the most challenging English accents to comprehend, both for native speakers in the UK and internationally. Scotland, like many countries, is home to a variety of accents and dialects, from the broad Glaswegian accent to the more refined Edinburgh accent and the gentle lilting tones of the Outer Hebrides. Some Scottish accents feature distinct vowel pronunciations, a tendency to roll the ‘r’ sound (known as rhoticity), and strong intonational patterns that can differ significantly from accents in southern England.

In a study published in the journal Language and Speech, researchers found that even British listeners who were not Scottish often had trouble understanding the Scottish accent. One explanation for this difficulty is that the vowel sounds in Scottish English are markedly different from those in Received Pronunciation (RP), the accent most associated with southern England and often considered the “standard” British accent. Moreover, the fast-paced nature of some Scottish speech patterns, combined with regional vocabulary, can exacerbate comprehension issues.

Geordie: Newcastle and the Fog on the Tyne

The Geordie accent, spoken in and around Newcastle upon Tyne in northeastern England, is another that ranks high on the list of difficult-to-understand accents. Known for its distinctive use of diphthongs and non-standard grammar, Geordie can be a tough nut to crack for both native and non-native speakers alike. The diphthong shift—where vowels move between sounds—along with non-rhoticity (the omission of the ‘r’ sound after vowels), makes the accent particularly tricky.

In a BBC poll conducted in 2018, Geordie was named one of the most attractive UK accents, but it was also cited as one of the most difficult to understand, particularly for those outside the region. The charm of the accent lies in its sing-song quality, but this very feature can also obscure individual words, especially for those not used to its melodic cadence.

Scouse: Liverpool’s Distinctive Accent

The Scouse accent, originating from Liverpool, is another contender for the title of most challenging accent. Like Geordie, Scouse is often praised for its uniqueness but is notorious for being difficult to understand. The accent is influenced by the city’s long history as a port and its cultural melting pot, blending Irish, Welsh, and English sounds into something entirely distinct. If you are Welsh you can hear bits of it in Scouse, the same for the Irish.

One of the key features of the Scouse accent is the fricative sound—where certain consonants, like ‘k’ and ‘g’, are replaced with softer, breathier sounds. This, combined with the region’s fast-paced speech, can make Scouse difficult for outsiders to follow. Research conducted by Lancaster University shows that Scouse is one of the fastest-spoken accents in the UK, which adds to its perceived incomprehensibility.

Northern Irish Accent: A Unique Challenge

The Northern Irish accent presents its own set of challenges. Characterised by a distinct lilt and the rolling of ‘r’ sounds, it can be difficult to parse for those unfamiliar with it. In a study by Queen’s University Belfast, it was found that non-native speakers of English often struggled with the Northern Irish accent more than any other UK accent. This could be due to the unique pronunciation of certain vowels and the musicality of the accent, which can make individual words harder to discern.

What’s more, within Northern Ireland, there is a variety of accents, from the Belfast accent to those heard in more rural areas, each with its own nuances. For instance, some Northern Irish accents feature a strong glottal stop, which can confuse listeners not accustomed to it.

Non-Native English Accents: The Global Perspective

While native English accents like Scottish and Geordie are often cited as difficult to understand, non-native English accents also present challenges. English is spoken as a second language by millions of people worldwide, and these speakers often bring features of their native languages into their English pronunciation.

A survey by the British Council found that non-native English speakers from countries such as India, Nigeria, and China were often perceived as harder to understand by native English speakers due to their accents. Indian English, for example, is influenced by the rhythms and intonations of Hindi and other Indian languages, resulting in a distinct cadence and pronunciation that can be challenging for those unaccustomed to it.

Similarly, Nigerian English, which incorporates elements of local Nigerian languages, can pose comprehension challenges for non-Nigerians. The influence of tonality (common in many African languages) and the use of regional slang or idioms can make Nigerian English difficult to follow for those not familiar with the accent.

In contrast, accents from countries like Australia or New Zealand, while different from British or American English, are generally found to be more comprehensible. This may be due to the historical and cultural ties between these countries and the UK, resulting in more exposure and familiarity with these accents.

The Role of Social Perception

Accent comprehension is not just a matter of phonetics; it is also influenced by social attitudes and stereotypes. Research from The University of Manchester shows that people often perceive certain accents as “difficult” because of pre-existing biases or assumptions about the speaker. For instance, accents that are associated with working-class backgrounds, such as Scouse or Cockney, may be judged more harshly than accents linked to middle or upper-class backgrounds, such as Received Pronunciation.

This social perception can impact how people respond to different accents, with some being perceived as more authoritative or trustworthy (the so-called Queen’s English or Estuary English – both southern England accents), while others are seen as less credible or intelligent (Brummie from Birmingham and Scousers from Liverpool). These biases can influence not only how difficult an accent is to understand but also how much effort a listener is willing to invest in trying to understand it.

Coping with Accent Variation

Given the diversity of English accents worldwide, it’s clear that accent comprehension is a complex issue influenced by familiarity, linguistic features, and social attitudes. Technological solutions, such as speech recognition software, are also improving in their ability to understand a wide range of accents. However, these tools are quite literally miles away from actually being able to produce an accurate record of some accents and there is still a long way to go in developing truly accent-agnostic systems.

Conclusion

TP Transcription Limited handles large numbers of audio and video recordings that include a very wide range of English accents. AI and automated transcription software simply cannot cope with the vast majority, simply because of the speed they are spoken at, the huge numebr of regional variations in simple words and the level of accuracy required.

Sources:

• University College London (UCL), Study on Accent Familiarity and Comprehension
• Smith, J., & Walker, P. (2019). Accent Familiarity and Comprehension in British English: A Phonological Approach. University College London, Department of Linguistics. Retrieved from https://www.ucl.ac.uk/linguistics/research/accent-comprehension-study.
• YouGov Poll, 2020: Most Difficult British Accents
• YouGov (2020). Which British Accent is the Hardest to Understand? A YouGov Poll. YouGov UK. Retrieved from https://yougov.co.uk/topics/lifestyle/articles-reports/2020/07/29/most-difficult-british-accents.
• BBC Poll, 2018: Geordie Accent Popularity
• BBC (2018). Geordie Accent Ranks Among the Most Attractive and Most Difficult to Understand. BBC News. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-44315382.
• Lancaster University, Research on the Scouse Accent
• Griffiths, M., & Taylor, H. (2021). Scouse and Speed: Investigating the Phonetic Patterns and Speech Rate in Liverpool English. Lancaster University, Department of Phonetics and Linguistics. Retrieved from https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/linguistics/research/scouse-speech-rate.
• Queen’s University Belfast, Study on Northern Irish Accents
• O’Donnell, S., & Hughes, G. (2020). Phonetic Features and Comprehension of Northern Irish Accents by Non-Native Speakers. Queen’s University Belfast, Centre for Language Studies. Retrieved from https://www.qub.ac.uk/research/northern-irish-accents-study.
• British Council Survey on Non-Native English Accents
• British Council (2021). Global English and Accent Perception: A Survey on Non-Native English Accents. British Council Global Report. Retrieved from https://www.britishcouncil.org/research/accent-perception-survey.
• University of Manchester, Research on Social Perception of Accents
• Matthews, C., & Wright, A. (2018). Accent and Identity: The Social Perception of English Accents in the UK. University of Manchester, Institute of Social Sciences. Retrieved from https://www.manchester.ac.uk/research/social-perception-accents.