A new survey reports that many people in the UK modify how they speak at work, including people with thicker regional accents who “code-switch” to sound more professional. The study suggests workers may intentionally tone down aspects of their pronunciation in professional settings.
The outlets describe a pattern in which some regions are more likely than others to tweak speech. One report specifically says people from East London are most likely to alter their pronunciation. While the coverage focuses on the idea of accent adjustment at work and its perceived professional impact, both sources rely on the same general finding: that a notable share of respondents change their speech for professional reasons.
Overall, the reporting aligns on the existence of accent changes connected to workplace expectations, but it emphasizes slightly different details—such as the regional reference in the East London claim—rather than presenting contrasting conclusions about the main result.
