Accent stereotyping and subsequent discrimination is a relatively seldom discussed issue, yet it affects many people in both private and public situations. This essay will investigate both the occurrence of stereotyping due to accents and some of its possible causes by using two different approaches. One part of the essay consists of a qualitative questionnaire which focuses on the thoughts and experiences from English students concerning stereotyping and discrimination. The other part consists of a quantitative research with results from Swedish and English students who have been asked to grade sound clips with samples of RP, Liverpool and Yorkshire accents.

The results from the qualitative study demonstrated a general awareness of accent stereotyping as well as its possible causes, and several of the respondents could relate to personal experiences regarding this issue. The quantitative research showed a variation in the evaluation of the sound clips with the different accents, which was particularly clear regarding the social status among them. Some differences could also be seen in the answers from the Swedish and English students.

Both parts of the study indicated that accent stereotyping is present in English society, and the questionnaires showed a hierarchical structure among them.