Mutual intelligibility

Josh Lalonde   Thu May 31, 2007 10:04 pm GMT
I'm curious about what accents people find easiest and hardest to understand. It seems to me that it depends both on how different the accents are and how much exposure you have to it. For example, RP is very different both phonetically and phonemically from my accent, but I have no trouble understanding it because I've heard it so much. The hardest ones for me are some Scottish ones (I'm not sure exactly which), though Edinburgh is pretty easy.
M56   Thu May 31, 2007 11:14 pm GMT
<For example, RP is very different both phonetically and phonemically from my accent, but I have no trouble understanding it because I've heard it so much. >

Here in Spain, many advanced-level students of English say that they find RP accents hard to understand.
guest   Thu May 31, 2007 11:50 pm GMT
I think the "General American" accent is the easiest to understand.

Certain accents from the UK are the hardest.

YMMV
Native Korean   Thu May 31, 2007 11:56 pm GMT
What is RP???
Guest   Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:02 am GMT
lanchasire accent is a code accent that only people from that area can decipher it. I hate it.

Americans, Australians, Jamaicans and South Africans are the easiest ones. Not all British accents are the hardest ones , only certain ones will give you headaches just i have mentioned one as above. Some Kiwi accents can be hard to understand as well.

This has been my experience as a non native speaker.
M56   Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:35 am GMT
<I think the "General American" accent is the easiest to understand. >

For whom?
M56   Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:36 am GMT
<lanchasire accent is a code accent that only people from that area can decipher it. I hate it. >

It hates you.
Shatnerian   Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:50 am GMT
Easiest to understand: North Central, Central/Western Canadian, Inland North, Pacific Northwestern, and RP.

Hardest: Southern Appalachian, AAVE, Cajun, and some Estuary accents.
furrykef   Fri Jun 01, 2007 1:09 am GMT
K. T.   Fri Jun 01, 2007 2:41 am GMT
I've never had any REAL trouble understanding native speakers of English except in Hot Springs, Arkansas. I could not understand the attendants at all. Actually I think I understood ONE word. They could understand me. It was terrible.

I also have a little trouble with Scottish accents (but NOTHING like the
HOT SPRINGS attendants)