What's the difference between American and Canadian accent?

Question

How can you tell if you are speaking with a Canadian or American before you ask them as they get offended if you get it wrong. One of them said "How would you like if we said New Zealanders and Australians sound the same", I said so what who cares, it's not a sin to get it wrong

Answer 1

Broadly speaking, Canadian accents (excluding the Maritime Provinces) , like the Western U.S. accents, have the "cot-caught" merger (the vowel in both those words has become the same; both sound like "cot" "I 'cot' the baseball").

Key things to listen for in Canadian pronunciation (also holds true for U.S. states bordering Canada):

The word "about" sometimes sounds more like "a-boot"

The word "been", instead of like "bin" (US), it sounds closer to "bean"

Words with "-ag", such as "bag", "slag" "dagger" sound with "-ayg", like bayg, dayger, etc. In other words, "bag" sounds like the beginning of "bagel".

This are just some helpful markers of what stands out and makes an American listener think, "Hmm, I wonder if this guy is Canadian?!"

Answer 2

I can't help wondering why you feel you need to know.

Also keep in mind that the U.S. has a LOT of distinct accents, not just one.

The biggest difference is the "Canadian 'eh'" -- but not all Canadians use this.

Some don't, eh?

Some use it a lot, eh?

Some talk for a long time without it, eh?

Some use it, eh? every few words, eh?

The one I use (I'm a Yank, spent some time in Canada) is the pronounciation of words like out and about and house.

Canadians put more of a oo into it.

I say it more with an "ow" sound.

I can hear someone talk for hours, but then I'll hear that Canadian 'about' and just KNOW, you know?

Answer 3

There are several Canadian and American accents, and some of them 'cross the border', so it's really tough to define. Imagine someone from New Zealand studying tapes of Grace Under Fire to learn the 'American' accent in preparation for a trip to North Dakota???!! (Fargo would have helped them more lol)

Answer 4

its very easy canadians usually speak slower, well at the least canadians i know. i just can usually tell where people are from when the call on the phone its the accent it doesnt sound like someone british nor does the person sound american

Answer 5

There are multiple accents in Canada same as in the USA. Some of us sound the same so it is nearly impossible to tell the difference unless you go by content. There is a major difference in viewpoint on almost every subject.

Answer 6

About- American
Aboat- Canadian

Answer 7

eh?