Italian was rated the most sexy and romantic language.
French, the language synonymous with romance and elegance, has been dethroned as the world's sexiest accent, according to a new survey by language learning platform Babbel. In a surprising twist, the Italian accent has emerged victorious, capturing the hearts (and ears) of respondents worldwide.
The survey, conducted among 6,000 individuals from various countries, including the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the US, measured perceptions of different languages based on their "sexiness," "romanticism," and "passion." While British English was deemed the "most polite" and German the "most direct," Italian charmed the most, winning both the "sexiest" and "most romantic" titles.
Experts attribute this shift in perception to the inherent musicality of Italian. "The rise and fall of pitch can create a captivating quality," Babbel language teacher Noel Wolf explained to the Daily Mail. "Additionally, the rolling 'r' sounds are distinctive and often perceived as charming."
This isn't the first time cultural associations have played a role in such surveys. Linguists point out that English speakers tend to find the melodious nature of languages like French and Italian particularly appealing.
The company's 2017 survey of over 15,000 people named French the "sexiest accent" and Italian No. 2.
"English speakers are drawn to the melody of a language such as French or Italian," linguist Patti Adank, a professor of speech perception and production at University College London, noted at the time.
Though the French may feel a bit disappointed, there's no reason for bitterness. After all, the charm of "bella Italia" is irresistible.