--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think people tend to underestimate you…" description: "\"I think people tend to underestimate you when you have a Northern accent, for instance if you have to talk to the CEO of an international company. But ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/629/steph-mcgovern-13945_accent_i-think-people-tend-to-underestimate-you_608245.jpg" --- # I think people tend to underestimate you when you have a… ![“I think people tend to underestimate you when you have a Northern accent, for instance if you have to talk to the CEO of an international company. But then when I'm talking to someone in a factory, it's just like being with my mum's mates.” quote by Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/629/steph-mcgovern-13945_accent_i-think-people-tend-to-underestimate-you_608245.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/629/steph-mcgovern-13945_accent_i-think-people-tend-to-underestimate-you_608245.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/629/steph-mcgovern-13945_accent_i-think-people-tend-to-underestimate-you_608245.jpg) > “I think people tend to underestimate you when you have a Northern accent, for instance if you have to talk to the CEO of an international company. But then when I'm talking to someone in a factory, it's just like being with my mum's mates.” [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often judge competence by accent, leading to bias in professional settings. **In simple terms:** Accents affect how people are perceived at work. Key Takeaway Be aware of and challenge accent bias. Themes bias communication perception professionalism Mood reflective analytical Type advisory observational When to use this quote - job interviews - client meetings - team collaborations - public speaking Key Concepts sociolinguistics stereotyping social perception Questions to Reflect On - How does your accent influence others' expectations? - What steps can reduce accent‑related bias? A Different Perspective Bias can be unconscious and reinforced by cultural stereotypes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accent/) [Accent Instance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accent-instance-4945348/) [Being](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Company Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company-talking-4945347/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Northern Accent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/northern-accent-2219272/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Talk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talk/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Underestimate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underestimate/) [Underestimate Northern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underestimate-northern-4945346/) ## Related quotes > [I love my accent, I thought it was useful in Gone In 60 Seconds because the standard villain is upper class or Cockney. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-eccleston/i-love-my-accent-i-thought-it-was-useful-in-gone-in-60-seconds/) [Christopher Eccleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-eccleston/) > [The more cynical commentators on our careers would say that the northern accent has been the basis of our success. There's a certain authenticity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-mortimer/the-more-cynical-commentators-on-our-careers-would-say-that-the/) [Bob Mortimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-mortimer/) > [I thought I had a pretty good American accent but I had a few sessions with a voice coach over there and she was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelvin-fletcher/i-thought-i-had-a-pretty-good-american-accent-but-i-had-a-few/) [Kelvin Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelvin-fletcher/) > [I have had people come up to me in the street - one woman actually told me she hated my accent, she can't believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-have-had-people-come-up-to-me-in-the-street-one-woman-actually-told/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [It's inevitable that not everyone will like me, and that some will find me annoying. That's fine. All presenters deal with that. What's scary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/it-s-inevitable-that-not-everyone-will-like-me-and-that-some-will/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [I grew up in Teesside and it is really important to keep your regional accent because it is a big part of who you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-grew-up-in-teesside-and-it-is-really-important-to-keep-your/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [I had people who said I was a brilliant producer but I wouldn't get on the news because I was too northern. But there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-had-people-who-said-i-was-a-brilliant-producer-but-i-wouldn-t-get/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [They made me use an accent, which I wasn't thrilled about because a lot of us, obviously, don't have them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/they-made-me-use-an-accent-which-i-wasn-t-thrilled-about-because-a/) [Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/) > [I definitely am from Australia...you can tell by my accent!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-simpson/i-definitely-am-from-australia-you-can-tell-by-my-accent/) [Cody Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-simpson/) > [My accent gets more pronounced when I've been talking to people from Derry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roma-downey/my-accent-gets-more-pronounced-when-i-ve-been-talking-to-people-from/) [Roma Downey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roma-downey/) > [I'm a Yente and I have a terrible accent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-samuels/i-m-a-yente-and-i-have-a-terrible-accent/) [Lynn Samuels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-samuels/) > [“If you are an alien, how come you sound like you're from the north?' 'Lots of planets have a north!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-t-davies/if-you-are-an-alien-how-come-you-sound-like-you-re-from-the-north/) [Russell T Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-t-davies/) > [At first I thought I would have to put on an English accent and try a sort of affected Shakespeare thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/at-first-i-thought-i-would-have-to-put-on-an-english-accent-and-try-a/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [“Stop it,” Adrian ordered, his strange accent thicker with his vehemence. “I promise, I’m not going to hurt you!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/stop-it-adrian-ordered-his-strange-accent-thicker-with-his-vehemence/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [“It's not my accent, but my brevity makes me stylish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/it-s-not-my-accent-but-my-brevity-makes-me-stylish/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) ## More by Steph McGovern > [If it's a healthy day, I'll head to the gym, then have a steak salad at the cafe next door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/if-it-s-a-healthy-day-i-ll-head-to-the-gym-then-have-a-steak-salad-at/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [I had people who said I was a brilliant producer but I wouldn't get on the news because I was too northern. But there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-had-people-who-said-i-was-a-brilliant-producer-but-i-wouldn-t-get/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [When I come to schools like Norton Primary Academy and meet children who have their lives and careers before them, I hope in some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/when-i-come-to-schools-like-norton-primary-academy-and-meet-children/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [Given how dangerous it is for someone to consume something they are allergic to, you would think that companies would just make sure they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/given-how-dangerous-it-is-for-someone-to-consume-something-they-are/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [I am a young woman, with a regional accent, from a working class family, who has had a pretty standard education. So far, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-am-a-young-woman-with-a-regional-accent-from-a-working-class-family/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [I'm proud to be from the North-East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-m-proud-to-be-from-the-north-east/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [My first attempt at a business was a jumble sale which I ran at the end of my next door neighbour's drive. I used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/my-first-attempt-at-a-business-was-a-jumble-sale-which-i-ran-at-the/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [There's a common problem: if a kid is not good at exams, they often think they are not skilled. Yet many of them do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/there-s-a-common-problem-if-a-kid-is-not-good-at-exams-they-often/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [From a young age I had a real sense of the world of work. This is what vocational education gives you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/from-a-young-age-i-had-a-real-sense-of-the-world-of-work-this-is-what/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [The most rewarding, insightful and challenging year of my life was my 'Year in Industry' working as a trainee engineer at Black & Decker,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/the-most-rewarding-insightful-and-challenging-year-of-my-life-was-my/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [I'm always on the go, which means my health has often been the thing that suffers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-m-always-on-the-go-which-means-my-health-has-often-been-the-thing/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [I grew up in Teesside and it is really important to keep your regional accent because it is a big part of who you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-grew-up-in-teesside-and-it-is-really-important-to-keep-your/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [I was a journalist's dream case study; a gobby girl with an accent who was good at engineering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-was-a-journalist-s-dream-case-study-a-gobby-girl-with-an-accent-who/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [I look at my bank account every day. I constantly think about what is going in and out, and I will always try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-look-at-my-bank-account-every-day-i-constantly-think-about-what-is/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [It's inevitable that not everyone will like me, and that some will find me annoying. That's fine. All presenters deal with that. What's scary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/it-s-inevitable-that-not-everyone-will-like-me-and-that-some-will/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) [Explore all 48 Steph McGovern quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) ## More Accent quotes > [“It's not my accent, but my brevity makes me stylish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/it-s-not-my-accent-but-my-brevity-makes-me-stylish/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [“Stop it,” Adrian ordered, his strange accent thicker with his vehemence. “I promise, I’m not going to hurt you!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/stop-it-adrian-ordered-his-strange-accent-thicker-with-his-vehemence/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [At first I thought I would have to put on an English accent and try a sort of affected Shakespeare thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/at-first-i-thought-i-would-have-to-put-on-an-english-accent-and-try-a/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [“If you are an alien, how come you sound like you're from the north?' 'Lots of planets have a north!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-t-davies/if-you-are-an-alien-how-come-you-sound-like-you-re-from-the-north/) [Russell T Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-t-davies/) > [I'm a Yente and I have a terrible accent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-samuels/i-m-a-yente-and-i-have-a-terrible-accent/) [Lynn Samuels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-samuels/) > [My accent gets more pronounced when I've been talking to people from Derry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roma-downey/my-accent-gets-more-pronounced-when-i-ve-been-talking-to-people-from/) [Roma Downey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roma-downey/) > [I definitely am from Australia...you can tell by my accent!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-simpson/i-definitely-am-from-australia-you-can-tell-by-my-accent/) [Cody Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-simpson/) > [They made me use an accent, which I wasn't thrilled about because a lot of us, obviously, don't have them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/they-made-me-use-an-accent-which-i-wasn-t-thrilled-about-because-a/) [Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/) > [Now, I don't know about my peers, but I get nervous - okay, I genuinely freak out - when an actor starts trying on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-lurie/now-i-don-t-know-about-my-peers-but-i-get-nervous-okay-i-genuinely/) [Rod Lurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-lurie/) > [I had people who said I was a brilliant producer but I wouldn't get on the news because I was too northern. But there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-had-people-who-said-i-was-a-brilliant-producer-but-i-wouldn-t-get/) [Steph McGovern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/) > [I'm a big fan of the Irish accent. After a couple of drinks, I start to get a bit of an Irish lilt, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-ratajkowski/i-m-a-big-fan-of-the-irish-accent-after-a-couple-of-drinks-i-start-to/) [Emily Ratajkowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-ratajkowski/) > [“The accent of one's birthplace persists in the mind and heart as much as in speech.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-rouchefoucauld/the-accent-of-one-s-birthplace-persists-in-the-mind-and-heart-as-much/) [La Rouchefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-rouchefoucauld/) > [Years later, when I was working as a trolley wally in a supermarket, I tackled the boredom by talking to the customers in as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romesh-ranganathan/years-later-when-i-was-working-as-a-trolley-wally-in-a-supermarket-i/) [Romesh Ranganathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romesh-ranganathan/) > [Hey, I saw this old British movie, all the people spoke so different, you could hardly understand them. But everyone here speaks American as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-barry/hey-i-saw-this-old-british-movie-all-the-people-spoke-so-different/) [Max Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-barry/) > [I live in L.A. so I worry my kids aren't that connected to Britain, I suppose I don't want them to become American kids.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mckidd/i-live-in-l-a-so-i-worry-my-kids-aren-t-that-connected-to-britain-i/) [Kevin McKidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mckidd/) [Browse all 671 Accent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accent/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think people tend to underestimate you when you have a Northern accent, for instance if you have to talk to the CEO of an international company. But then when I'm talking to someone in a factory, it's just like being with my mum's mates.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steph McGovern" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-think-people-tend-to-underestimate-you-when-you-have-a-northern/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accent" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-think-people-tend-to-underestimate-you-when-you-have-a-northern/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/629/steph-mcgovern-13945_accent_i-think-people-tend-to-underestimate-you_608245.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/629/steph-mcgovern-13945_accent_i-think-people-tend-to-underestimate-you_608245.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/629/steph-mcgovern-13945_accent_i-think-people-tend-to-underestimate-you_608245.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think people tend to underestimate you when you have a Northern accent, for instance if you have to talk…” — Steph McGovern", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Steph McGovern", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steph-mcgovern/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think people tend to underestimate...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-think-people-tend-to-underestimate-you-when-you-have-a-northern/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steph-mcgovern/i-think-people-tend-to-underestimate-you-when-you-have-a-northern/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```