Have you got a favourite accent? I love the Northern Irish accent - could listen to it for hours. And also those from the West Indies. Was once in a minicab with a WI driver who didn't shut up, it was great

Why do the Australian and New Zealand accents sound similar? I would've thought at the stage when those countries were developing that there wouldn't have been enough contact between the two to influence the accent.

Does French Canadian have a big difference in accent to the French one?

I love accents too. My favourite is of course, the Cornish, but love others , such as Irish and East Anglia too.
Funny how you never really lose them. An American visitor was at my lunch table one Christmas and said that he had been in my area a few months ago. I thought he meant around Hong Kong, but he meant my West Country accent. I left Gloucestershire 45 years ago!

For me, its women with an Australian accent. Love that accent.

The funny part is when some of my friends down there imitate the American accent for fun. I guess we do sound pretty funny to everyone else!

I love women with French accents (O.k what male doesn`t?),my wife is often mistaken for a Frenchwoman though she is from Serbia. Of course Irish accents are also great but my favorite accent is the one that people from Yorkshire have.

I love the Scottish accent, could listen to it all day. Many years ago I had a friend from Belfast who used to talk so fast that I had to translate for my mother....always made me laugh.

Funny you should say that about Belfast,BB! Myself ,I find the Scots in particular seem to have a problem in moderating their accent. It is the Scots that are hardest to understand in the whole of the British Isles I think,not the Irish, and they don't seem to think they need to make it easier!

I love the Irish accent. I could listen to it all day. The Scottish accent is nice but I can't understand them. I also love it when Chinese people speak English.

Yeah well being a Scot, I can't understand the Cornish accent, have difficulty with the Geordie accent and some of the plummy southern accents.

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It is the Scots that are hardest to understand in the whole of the British Isles I think,not the Irish

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Well, I have to disagree with you there, Ren. I think the Welsh accent is the hardest to understand. My great-aunt Lily married a Welshman and although I loved Uncle Jim dearly, I never understood a word he said in about 20-odd years (he died when I was in my 20s).

I do agree that Irish and Scots accents are lovely. I could listen to them all day.

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Why do the Australian and New Zealand accents sound similar?

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I have to disagree with you there, Copago. I can pick a New Zealander instantly by their vowels (and there are certainly enough jokes about it in Australia).

Sorry to be so disagreeable, I don't mean to be!

Nothing, but nothing, beats English as spoken by Italian actress Valeria Golino.

Being from the north of Ireland I have a friend from County Cork in 'the deep south'. When she speaks English to me it takes me about 10 minutes to 'tune in'. When she speaks Gaelic (Irish) to me, I understand her straight away!

I love the Scottish accent - any part of Scotland.

I would keep talking but I once had a Kiwi acquaintance (might have become a friend if I hadn't taken her accent for an Australian one!). I wouldn't want to alienate an Australian by doing the same thing.

By the way, I agree with you about the West Indies accent being superb- 'aawl right man!'

Australian is not the same as New Zealand?
Canadian is not the same as American?
(ducks)

I have to say I agree with all of the Scottish accent lovers out there. I started absolutely loving them when I read Diana Gabaldon's 'Outlander' series. My friends now call me completely obsessed with anything Scottish. Irish is alright, English accents are good as well, not sure about accents from the diffrent parts of England, they all sound the same to me.

As a kiwi in Melbourne,if i had a dollar for every time an aussie said"oh your a kiwi"? i wouldnt be here! On the whole Aussies are ok but boy do they enjoy stating the obvious.

A French man speaking English - preferably with a very pronounced accent. I just melt!

I quite like listening to the Irish and French accents, too, but also am fascinated by southern American voices- the Ellie-Mae Clampett thing just sounds so cute!

Ren, there is a LOT of difference between us and the Kiwis- I lived in Bondi (a beachside suburb of Sydney) for a while, where I think I was the only Aussie there! Because of its population, it was usually known as West Auckland.

lilyalli, I am with you all the way. Jean-Christophe Novelli - I am drooling.

French accents, nope.
I think an Edinburgh or Highlands accent is what I prefer...just hearing my name pronounced that way is fun.

People used to always find my accent in French intriguing because it isn't pronounced and it's not immediately American, nor did they take me for English as they're expecting that Jane Birkin who could speak much better if she didn't need the money...nor did they find I spoke like any other nationality.

The one thing that happens to me and the kids have a field day with it, is I can't pronounce certain rs when I'm tired.
The French word 'truc' for thing or a million other things like whatchamacallit, can't spit it out, nor can I pronounce Henri if I'm tired.

People rarely took me for an American in French because the one sign of American English is the ar ar like a seal barking. I have it in English I suppose, but, not in French.

I like Antonio Banderas speaking English.

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I like Antonio Banderas speaking English.

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Oh, Yeah! I could listen to him all day.

Like many others, I like the Scottish accent.

I could listen to the Irish and Scottish accent all day. The Spanish accent is also incredibly sexy.

I like the accent Belgians have when they speak Dutch. Much nicer than most of the northern Dutch accents.

As for English, nothing beats the Aussie accent. Although I admit I might be biased.