Three quarters of adults are ‘proud’ of their accent

More than half (53 per cent) feel more inspired when hearing someone sound the same as them, with local slang making 43 per cent feel at home, while for three in 10 it offers a sense of belonging.

In fact, 15 per cent even enjoy the thought of other people not being able to understand certain words when they speak.

The study comes as Team GB rallies the nation to lend its voice - aiming to inspire Olympians as they represent the country in the Paris 2024 Games.

The ‘Accents of Greatness’ was created by written artist, Harry Baker, and pays homage to the local nuances that make up the UK so that athletes feel a sense of home.

Commenting on the science of why how something is said has a huge impact, Professor Rob Drummond, said: “The way we speak is fundamentally linked to who we are, to our sense of identity.

“Our accent and dialect can provide clues as to where we’re from, our social background, and how we identify in relation to other groups of people.”

“Both consciously and unconsciously, the way we speak is a tool we can use to help manage our relationships with the people around us.

“It’s one way of saying ‘I belong to this group’, or ‘I associate with these values’.

“Even when people seem to be saying the same thing, how they say it can make all the difference, and people often have very strong feelings about these differences.

“Spoken language is wonderfully diverse, and that diversity is something that should be recognised, highlighted, and most of all, enjoyed.”