NYC Accent Among 'Most Misunderstood' When Traveling Abroad: Study

NEW YORK CITY — Ordering a "caw-fee" from a Parisian cafe is harder for New Yorkers, a new study found.

New York City's distinct way of tawking is the fourth-most "misunderstood" American accent when traveling abroad, according to a study by Family Destinations Guide, a website specializing in family travel.

Only the accents of people from Rhode Island, Maine and Alabama cause more confusion, the study found.

"Despite the prevalence of movies set in New York City, the survey found that the city's accent ranks as the fourth most misunderstood by foreigners," a release attached to the study states.

Many native New Yorkers take pride in the distinctive way they talk — so much so that 60 percent of those surveyed in a recent study said they want their dialect protected by law.

But the people overseas find New York City's flavor of American English, with its specific pronunciations, rhythm and intonation patterns, hard to understand, the study found.

"Like the New England accent, the New York City accent also drops the 'r' at the end of syllables or words, resulting in phrases like 'bettah'. Additionally, New Yorkers use a distinct 'aw' and so could really confuse a local waiter when asking for some Tabasco ‘sawce,'" a release states.

The study surveyed 3,000 participants and asked their to rate their level of understanding on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the most difficulty, according to a release.

New England accents generally were the most misunderstood, along with a smattering of ones from the South, the study found.

Midwest states fared much better, according to the study.

And the easiest accent for people overseas to understand? Hawaiian, according to the study.

Here's the top 10 most misunderstood accents, the study found.

1. Rhode Island
2. Maine
3. Alabama
4. New York
5. Louisiana
6. Connecticut
7. New Jersey
8. Arkansas
9. Massachusetts
10. Mississippi

Read the full list here.