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mvictoria · 12-06-2007, 07:08 AM

I am sometimes able to spot different US accents (from the south, from NY, from California, etc.) but for the life of me, I can't tell when a person is from Canada. Which are the main differences between Canadian and US accents?

Thank you!

carlam · 12-06-2007, 04:36 PM

I think, although I'm not sure, the biggest difference is in the use of the "o" sound. Perhaps some of the other vowels are different, but definitly that one.
If you have heard the Minnesota accent at all in comparison to, say, someone speaking to you from California, you should notice a really distinct difference in the way they say "Oh" "coke" "know" "soda" I think in other parts of the States, the "o" is followed by a "w" sound. But in Minnesota, for example, it's not. This accent is really similar to Canadians'. It might be where it comes from, but I'm honestly not sure of the origin.
"About" is also always funny to hear a Canadian say cause it sounds more like, "a boot"

There are other differences, too, that I can't think of at the moment, but I think the "oh" sound is the most obvious.

They're also a lot nicer. jiji

sarab · 12-10-2007, 04:31 AM

I agree with Carla...the "o" sound can easily distinguish which part of the northern U.S. or Canada a person comes from. Also, I looked around on the internet and found this quote that was interesting:

"In Canada we have enough to do keeping up with two spoken languages without trying to invent slang, so we just go right ahead and use English for literature, Scotch for sermons and American for conversation." -- Stephen Leacock

There are lots of pages dedicated to Canadian English, but here is one I found that was good:

http://www.cornerstoneword.com/misc/cdneng/cdneng.htm

Hope it helps!

mvictoria · 12-26-2007, 08:58 AM

hehe! interesting quote!

I visited that link you posted and it's also interesting that they keep English spelling whilst speaking with an American accent.

Thanks for sharing this info!

carlam · 12-27-2007, 10:57 AM

Hah, I didn't know that-
And thanks for the helpful link

Jeremy1243 · 02-28-2008, 02:54 PM

I am from Canada. A lot of people think the we say o as boot but we don't. Only people from the maritimes (the provinces the farthest east) say that.

Gabriel · 03-06-2008, 04:37 PM

I agree with Jeremy... I have lived two years in Toronto and they don't speak like that. The idea of someone saying "a boot" is very funny (actually, I am kind of laughing as I'm writing) but, unless somewhere else in Canada, other than Toronto or Winnipeg, people speak like that, I would say Canadians don't speak like that at all. What they do say a lot is "uh?" at the end of the sentence.

12-06-2007, 07:08 AM	#1
mvictoria Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 572 Rep Power: 223	Canadian vs US I am sometimes able to spot different US accents (from the south, from NY, from California, etc.) but for the life of me, I can't tell when a person is from Canada. Which are the main differences between Canadian and US accents? Thank you!

12-27-2007, 10:57 AM	#5
carlam Forum User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 88 Rep Power: 53	Thanks Sarab Hah, I didn't know that- And thanks for the helpful link

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12-06-2007, 04:36 PM	#2
carlam Forum User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 88 Rep Power: 53	I think, although I'm not sure, the biggest difference is in the use of the "o" sound. Perhaps some of the other vowels are different, but definitly that one. If you have heard the Minnesota accent at all in comparison to, say, someone speaking to you from California, you should notice a really distinct difference in the way they say "Oh" "coke" "know" "soda" I think in other parts of the States, the "o" is followed by a "w" sound. But in Minnesota, for example, it's not. This accent is really similar to Canadians'. It might be where it comes from, but I'm honestly not sure of the origin. "About" is also always funny to hear a Canadian say cause it sounds more like, "a boot" There are other differences, too, that I can't think of at the moment, but I think the "oh" sound is the most obvious. They're also a lot nicer. jiji

12-10-2007, 04:31 AM	#3
sarab Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Buenos Aires Posts: 306 Rep Power: 290	I agree with Carla...the "o" sound can easily distinguish which part of the northern U.S. or Canada a person comes from. Also, I looked around on the internet and found this quote that was interesting: "In Canada we have enough to do keeping up with two spoken languages without trying to invent slang, so we just go right ahead and use English for literature, Scotch for sermons and American for conversation." -- Stephen Leacock There are lots of pages dedicated to Canadian English, but here is one I found that was good: http://www.cornerstoneword.com/misc/cdneng/cdneng.htm Hope it helps!

12-26-2007, 08:58 AM	#4
mvictoria Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 572 Rep Power: 223	hehe! interesting quote! I visited that link you posted and it's also interesting that they keep English spelling whilst speaking with an American accent. Thanks for sharing this info!

02-28-2008, 02:54 PM	#6
Jeremy1243 New Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1 Rep Power: 0	I am from Canada. A lot of people think the we say o as boot but we don't. Only people from the maritimes (the provinces the farthest east) say that.

03-06-2008, 04:37 PM	#7
Gabriel Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 291 Rep Power: 436	I agree with Jeremy... I have lived two years in Toronto and they don't speak like that. The idea of someone saying "a boot" is very funny (actually, I am kind of laughing as I'm writing) but, unless somewhere else in Canada, other than Toronto or Winnipeg, people speak like that, I would say Canadians don't speak like that at all. What they do say a lot is "uh?" at the end of the sentence.

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