What is the most understandable English accent in your opinion?

Answer 1

Queen's accent.

Answer 2

The ones I grew up with - Birmingham, S. W. London and 'BBC' as it was then (all England.)

If you live in England, you're used to the accents around you, and different accents on TV and radio. I'm not used to 'strong' accents from England, Scotland Wales and N. Ireland (although my accent is doubtless strong to others.) Although I can easily understand - and still do sometimes speak - in the Birmingham accent, the Black Country one a few miles away has me a bit baffled (sorry to any Black Country people here - my problem not yours!)

If you live in the rest of Europe, USA and other continents, I strongly suspect the English accent that is most understandable is the one(s) you're most exposed to - friends/neighbours, film, theatre, music etc.

Just my 2 penniesworth - er - sorry 2 cents worth!

Answer 3

The accent would be Oxford English - this is what we learn at school, and it is very clear with emphasis on important vowels and consonants.

However, in terms of general understanding you mgiht find many foreign speakers who say they understand more of what Americans say than what Brits say. In my experience, the key is that Brits (especially upper-class) tend to use more and difficult words. Their vocabulary tends to be a bit larger than the average American's, and there are more foreign words in it - which means that a foreign speaker would need to know more about English in order to understand Brits than he would need for understanding Americans.

But that's just my personal experience. With a growing vocabulary I found Oxford English easier to understand than American English, but when I was younger it definitely was American English.

The accent, however, is definitely easier to understand when it comes from Oxford.

Answer 4

I'm Welsh, but my favourite English accent was that of the late great comic actor, Terry Thomas.

Answer 5

American, since most of the American entertainments are exported worldwide, pop idols, musical bands, TV shows, movies, hollywood stars. It has became so overly exported that, the first English accent that a non-speaker got exposed to, is most probably American English

Answer 6

I think its easier to understand someone who speaks with the same accent as your own, although anyone who pronounciates is generally easier to understand.

Answer 7

The accent like Trevor McDonald's got.

Are you serous Billybob....Ian Paisley's accent is not easy to understand.

Answer 8

english accent

Answer 9

in my opinion, people from the SE of england (Kent, Sussex, Surrey) have the most underatndable accents, but that's probably because that's where I come from

Answer 10

funnily enough i think the northern irish accent is not only the most pleasent accent but also the most understandable - but i suppose it wouldn't count as an english accent. [ i am from yorkshire where most people struggle to put an english sentance together]