To celebrate the variety of regional accents and dialects across the UK, crowd-sourced sat nav app, Waze, is today launching four new UK navigation voices. Users will be able to choose between ‘London Cockney’, ‘Brummie’, ‘Mancunian’ or ‘Glaswegian’ accents for a more authentic driving experience.
The UK is commonly associated with one singular “British” accent, often tied to the regal and strict pronunciation popularised by period dramas and historic film settings. But with over 37 different dialects, the UK has one of the largest varieties of accents in a singular country across the world – and Waze is offering its community of users a new way to champion that diversity.
Through this local feature, users can select one of four new voice options to help guide them on the road, including the lyrical London Cockney. As part of this immersive driving experience, users will hear their directions in a new yet oddly familiar way, with phrases such as “alright then sunshine, time to go, eh?” and “Take the fourth exit. Cushty”. These voice navigation assistants can also alert users to upcoming hazards, such as “They’ve closed a road comin’ up. Keep your eyes peeled”.
Ru Roberts, UK Country Manager at Waze comments: “We wanted to create a navigation experience that celebrates the UK’s unique regional identities and enables Wazers to feel a little closer to home while out on the roads. By activating one of the four new voices, users can personalise their navigation experience and even learn a few local phrases along the way!”
The four new voices will be available in the UK ongoing from October 19, 2022. To access the voices, visit My Waze > Settings > Voice & Sounds > Scroll to English UK > Waze Voice on App.
