Contrary to popular belief, speakers from the province of Limburg do not speak more slowly than other Flemish people. This is the conclusion of new research by KU Leuven linguistics professor Bert Oben, conducted for the VTM programme Ze Zeggen Dat.
Flemish dialects are often associated with distinct stereotypes: the melodic Limburgish accent with its elongated vowels, the characteristic ‘à’ of Antwerp and the ongoing effort of West Flemish speakers with the ‘g’ and ‘h’ sounds. One of the more persistent assumptions is that Limburgers speak at a noticeably slower pace than residents of other provinces. Until now, however, little empirical research has been conducted into regional differences in speaking rates across Flanders.
Measuring speech across contexts
Oben’s study sought to address this gap by analysing both actual speaking speed and the subjective impressions that different accents create. A total of 200 participants from various Flemish provinces were observed in four distinct communication settings: an escape room game, a reading exercise, a spontaneous storytelling task and a structured interview. “None of the participants knew what we were investigating, to avoid influencing them,” Oben said.
Researchers measured the number of syllables spoken per second in each context. Based on these objective data, there was no significant difference in the average speaking rate between provinces. “Limburgers also speak on average just as fast as other Flemish people,” Oben confirmed.
Influence of age and gender
The study did identify some demographic patterns. In all provinces, older individuals spoke more slowly than younger ones. A slight gender difference was also noted, with men speaking marginally faster than women on average, though the variation was minimal.
The perception that Limburgers speak more slowly appears to stem not from the actual speed of speech but rather from the melodic nature of the Limburgish dialect.
