How different is American English to Canadian English?

Question

Can you tell if someone is American or Canadian just by the accent?

Answer 1

Most of the time, you can't. I'm a Canadian and I'm inundated with American media on radio and TV, and usually I can't tell who is who, unless they have a Southern accent.

There is a lot of myths about the Canadian English. For example, "eh" or "aboot". We do say "eh" it, but no more frequently than Americans or Australians. As for "aboot", I've heard it only twice in my life, and both times it was a person from a small village.

Perhaps the most noticable difference is how we pronounce the letter "z". Most of Canadians will say "zed", while most Americans will say "zee", so next time you want to test someone, just ask her to spell "zebra". :)

Answer 2

I don't think it is so much the accent as it is the words we use and their different spelling such as neighbour(Canadian) and neighbor(American). Also Canadians use the eh a lot. There are some accents that Americans have especially in the southern states that we don't have up here. So you can tell that way.

Answer 3

I'm Canadian, and I'd say I can tell to within about 500km where someone's from. So I know Southern Americans and Texans aren't Canadian, and I know BCers aren't from Ontario, but I'd have a hard time telling a Winnipeger from a Minneapolean. The vast majority of Canadians do live within 500km of the states, so it is a bit tricky.

Answer 4

I'm not sure, but perhaps because the Canadians have the French influence; whereas Americans have the influence of insular arrogance spawned by being a neo-fascist superpower, and they'll bend their adopted language any goddamn way they choose, goddamn it! Forgive my facetiousness, but seriously, what the hell is 'burglarize' meant to mean anyway?

Answer 5

What is an American accent ? I mean depending on where you go in the states I have heard quite a variety of accents?

We don't taLK LIKE YOUR SOUTHERNERS in canada ??
You don't have any newfie accents in the states or quebecois accents that are in the states...\


So you see it really depends on which part your in ...sometimes you can sometimes you can't !!!

Answer 6

From what I've seen they're are pretty much the same. The accent may be slightly different, but not measurably so.

Answer 7

there is no canadian english. apart from american english, and australian english, the rest of the world speaks british english, including canada.

Answer 8

I noticed that when Canadians say about it sounds like aboot.

Answer 9

yes, Canadians sound almost Irish sometimes, and for the 'ou' sound they say 'oo'.

Answer 10

Canadians say "sorry" like "soh-ree"