Ireland’s favourite and least-favourite accents have been revealed.
With its unique sound, charming character and warmth, the Irish accent is undoubtedly one of the most recognisable across the globe.
And now, according to a new survey from industry data platform Alt Index, the Dublin accent has emerged as Ireland’s most-loved dialect.
The distinct sound of those from the Irish capital reigned supreme, with nearly 1 in 3 crowning it as their favourite (35%).
While it may be slightly difficult to understand for those who are unfamiliar with it, the Donegal accent took the second spot in the survey, as over one quarter (28%) of participants picked it as their preferred choice.
Cillian Murphy and Graham Norton both sport a native Corkonian accent, as it placed third on the list (21%), while the Mayo accent followed behind in fourth (7%).
The Westmeath accent (6%) and the Limerick accent (3%) landed at the bottom of the list.
It comes as game-style language learning app Duolingo has seen a 12.3 per cent increase in website traffic over the past month, showcasing the growing interest and engagement for learning new languages online.
The popular tool, which offers its users the opportunity to educate themselves on 40+ languages through quick, bite-sized lessons, further saw a 17.3 per cent surge in app downloads across three months – with 238,468 mobile downloads in January 2024.
Based on data provided by Alt Index, Duolingo’s price prediction also appears to be on the up with a 19.4 per cent increase expected in the next six months.
A spokesperson from Alt Index said: “With a staggering growth in mobile app downloads and website traffic in recent months, Duolingo continues to emerge as one of the world’s leading platforms for language learning.
Industry data experts have predicted that the company’s share price is set to increase in the next six months, with the current price ($179.71) expecting to rise by an impressive 19.4 per cent by July 2024 ($214.52).
“Meanwhile, Google Trends data further demonstrates strong and consistent demand for Duolingo’s services.”
“The website has not only seen a 21.1 per cent increase in searches last month, but a 19.5 per cent rise across a three month period.”
The top six most-loved accents in Ireland are:
- Dublin accent 35%
- Donegal accent 28%
- Cork accent 21%
- Mayo accent 7%
- Westmeath accent (midland Ireland) 6%
- Limerick accent 3%
