Maine’s Accent Ranks Among the Least Friendly-Sounding in America

Our accent was recently compared with other accents across the country, and it did not rank highly in terms of friendliness.

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a man in a suit holding a microphone — Photo by Sebastian Romero on Unsplash

A new Kapwing study asked 1,000 U.S. adults to rate AI-generated versions of 15 regional American accents based on trustworthiness, friendliness, and authenticity.

Kapwing created the 10-second clips using recordings from authentic speakers, meaning participants rated AI-generated voices rather than real people.

The Maine accent ranked near the bottom of the study, placing 10th out of 15 for trustworthiness and authenticity with scores of 5.9 out of 10, and 12th for friendliness with a score of 5.6.

Because the study relied on generated voices, the results reflect reactions to Kapwing’s AI recreations of the accents rather than direct judgments of real speakers.

The Maine accent is a regional New England dialect most commonly associated with the state’s coastal and rural communities.

It is often characterized by dropped “r” sounds, distinctive vowel pronunciations, and expressions such as “ayuh,” though the accent varies across the state and is not spoken by every Mainer.

a body of water with houses in the background — Photo by Stephen Walker on Unsplash

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And there you have it! Maine’s accent landed near the bottom for friendliness in this study, though the ratings were based on AI-generated versions of regional accents.

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Gallery Credit: Jordan Verge