What Exactly Is The Difference Between a Canadian and an American Accent??

du Maurier

The further north you go the more Fargo sounding it gets: "Oh heya, Margie! Howya dooon, Margie!"

Duggys Housemate

old hippy wrote: »

I wasn't aware there was a generic, homogenous American accent. I was under the impression that there are a myriad of different inflections/tones/accents - certainly my family down south sounds very different to my family in the north, or mates from the west coast. My fave accent from the US would have to be Hawaiian, it's such a mix

There is a standard American accent unlike other countries - so common is this that I have heard Americans who were born 1000 miles apart ask each other where they were from, in this case it was Idaho/Wyoming and Indiana. A tipp man never has to ask a Cork man - distance 100 miles. The standard American accent is the accent of the large middle groups, and is the accent of TV, most movies, News reporters, radio and so on. The South and East, and rural parts everywhere have regional accents, but most people have very similar accents, as do Canadians.

NewFoundland is not the standard Canadian accent.

People are playing a bit dumb here. If I could find recordings of people - who weren't already famous - and ask where in American they were born, I don't think anybody would get it.

RobbingBandit

Where do you put the syrup?

Vertigo100

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

thats it buddeh

I'm not your buddy, guy!

Duggys Housemate

Canadians drink something called pop.

Killer Wench

Vowels. All about the vowels.


Ask a Canadian to say "process".


We say prah-cess and they say pro-cess.

keith16

Vertigo100 wrote: »

admiralofthefleet wrote: »

thats it buddeh

I'm not your buddy, guy!

I'm not your guy, buddy!

Dyr

isn't that what the Vietnamese used to say?

Naomi00

It's the vowels :P




OP, have you never seen How I Met Your Mother?

JustAddWater

If their head separates as they talk they're Canadian

Adiboo

I can easily tell the difference between Canadian and American for the most part.

I was born in Canada and lived there until I was 6. I have a Kerry accent now, but sometimes some Canadianisms slip out. With words like 'out' and 'house'.

If I'm back in Canada for a few weeks I tend to get some of the accent back. Though that could be a subconscious thing so they understand me easier?

Flincher

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

There is a standard American accent unlike other countries - so common is this that I have heard Americans who were born 1000 miles apart ask each other where they were from, in this case it was Idaho/Wyoming and Indiana. A tipp man never has to ask a Cork man - distance 100 miles. The standard American accent is the accent of the large middle groups, and is the accent of TV, most movies, News reporters, radio and so on. The South and East, and rural parts everywhere have regional accents, but most people have very similar accents, as do Canadians.

I think there is a generic Irish accent as well though. A lot of people don't have a local accent, and it is tough enough to pinpoint where they're from. I don't have much of a Limerick accent (although watching sport or arguing seems to bring it out of me). Its the same with some of my friends from Cork, some you can tell within seconds where they're from, a couple managed to avoid it.

CrazyRabbit

Well, if the person is speaking French, then you are most likely hearing a Canadian accent. If the person has never even heard of France, then you are most likely listening to an American accent.

delaad

A Canadian accent is just so much "niiiiice-er"!

Princess Peach

I live in Newfoundland. Maybe da funniest English speaking language on de planet b'y.

And its NEWfoundland, never call it newFOUNDland

We have our own dictionary too and proud of it!

I have a certificate to say I'm an honorary Newfoundlander since I kissed a fish last night. True story.

troposphere

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

If the person has never even heard of France, then you are most likely listening to an American accent.

Yea because most Americans do not know about France and don't have some irrational hatred of the country. "We saved your ass in WWII" words you never hear in the US.

CrazyRabbit

troposphere wrote: »

Yea because most Americans do not know about France and don't have some irrational hatred of the country. "We saved your ass in WWII" words you never hear in the US.

...just poking fun at the stereotype.

Dyr

I "heet" the canadian?

LH Pathe

What exactly is the difference between a Canadian and an American outlook? east coast not included

mcmoustache

Can't be bothered reading the whole thread but did anyone say "Aboot three fiddy" yet? If not, then I want to say it now:

Aboot three fiddy.

Do I win?

EDIT: See below:

mathie wrote: »

It's aboot three fiddy.

I'm sad now.

Capt'n Midnight

simple ask them what state they are from


if you wake up dazed and confused with a group of bystanders looking down at you then they were probably canadian

Duggys Housemate

Just like the Irish are the blacks of Europe, and Northside Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin, so Canadians are the blacks of North America.

Well, Canadians and African-Americans. But mostly Canadians.

Sunnyisland

What Exactly Is The Difference Between a Canadian and an American Accent??

Canada dry http://www.google.ie/search?q=canada+dry&hl=en&rlz=1T4GGLL_enIE411IE412&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=f8BwT8j9J4myhAe44aGzBw&ved=0CEcQsAQ

loconnor1001

Adiboo wrote: »

I can easily tell the difference between Canadian and American for the most part.

I was born in Canada and lived there until I was 6. I have a Kerry accent now, but sometimes some Canadianisms slip out. With words like 'out' and 'house'.

If I'm back in Canada for a few weeks I tend to get some of the accent back. Though that could be a subconscious thing so they understand me easier?

That's too funny. Im from Northern Minnesota, so when I first came here was always mistaken for Canadian. Not anymore, now I too have a Kerry accent littered with a lot of 'ou' words. Actually its quite terrible.

saa

O's and E's are strongly accentuated, you'd need to hear the two accents and eventually you'll get it, see we only hear american accents on tv or in movies you don't hear Canadian actors but after watching a few Canaaayedian youutooburhs lately, its similar to Sarah Palin's accent, think Fargo eh.

Now what I am only getting to grips with is deciphering different American accents from one another, and I'm a lot worse with Canadian.

fishy fishy

If you ever think you are seeing a very quiet American walking around the place, you're not - you are seeing a Canadian.

Canadians are not taught how to "voice project for ten square miles" when they are in school - Americans are

token101

StephenHendry wrote: »

i would say a lot of people from america canada may not be able to tell the difference between an irish accent and an english accent. from my own experience, most europeans i.e. germans, spanish because they are as thick as two planks

FYP

Princess Peach

If they say the word Supper, they are no doubt Canadian.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Eh? and Aboot. That's all

Princess Peach

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Eh? and Aboot. That's all

No its also in how they pronounce Sorry and Tomorrow.

Sore-y, Tomore-ow.

Adiboo

Princess Peach wrote: »

No its also in how they pronounce Sorry and Tomorrow.

Sore-y, Tomore-ow.

Almost forgot about those!

flanum

Gnobe wrote: »

Excellent becomes 'iggcellent' an accent becomes iccent, special becomes 'spicial', batter/better becomes 'bitter' etc. It becomes dead obvious after a while

that sounds like a south african accent!

fishy fishy

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

There is a standard American accent unlike other countries - so common is this that I have heard Americans who were born 1000 miles apart ask each other where they were from, in this case it was Idaho/Wyoming and Indiana. A tipp man never has to ask a Cork man - distance 100 miles. The standard American accent is the accent of the large middle groups, and is the accent of TV, most movies, News reporters, radio and so on. The South and East, and rural parts everywhere have regional accents, but most people have very similar accents, as do Canadians.

NewFoundland is not the standard Canadian accent.

People are playing a bit dumb here. If I could find recordings of people - who weren't already famous - and ask where in American they were born, I don't think anybody would get it.

are you saying that somebody from boston sounds the same as somebody from Maine or New York - I don't think so honey. Somebody from the East Coast sounds completely different to somebody from the North or mid west - maybe you just haven't spend enough time there yet,

Funglegunk

The way they pronounce the 'ou' sound, as in 'house' and 'out', is noticeably different imho.

Run_to_da_hills

When I was touring Mexico It was quite common to come across US Nationals with Canadian embroidered flags on their back packs pretending not to be Gringo. I can tell the accents as I lived in Seattle for a year and would drive up to my relations in Vancouver BC quite a lot.

Herb Powell

StephenHendry wrote: »

very hard to tell the difference op. but it got me thinking. i would say people from america/canada may not be able to tell the difference between an irish accent and an english accent. from my own experience, most europeans i.e. germans, spanish whatever find it difficult to
know our accent from the british accent.

I find that hard to believe. The difference is so obvious.

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

There is a standard American accent

There isn't. We see the California/Hollywood accent the most, because that's where most of the American media is produced. There is a big difference between the Colorado, California, and Minnesota accents for example. The Pennsylvania accent is very different to the Boston accent, etc.
The same is true of our media-how many different accents are there in RTE? I can only think of 3 off the top of my head, and two of them only apply to two distinct people whose accents stand out.

dsmythy

There isn't even a general Californian accent. Someone from San Francisco will sound different than someone from Los Angeles and again from rural dwellers of the State. I've a roughly 50-50 success rate of distinguishing the more common American and Canadian accent apart. It's hard at times!

EdenHazard

I'm from near san francisco lived there when i was a kid, but havent got a clue about the accent there. But I can tell the difference between places like Milwaukee, Chicago, New York just through tv and stuff.

Herb Powell

dsmythy wrote: »

There isn't even a general Californian accent. Someone from San Francisco will sound different than someone from Los Angeles and again from rural dwellers of the State. I've a roughly 50-50 success rate of distinguishing the more common American and Canadian accent apart. It's hard at times!

Yeah, perhaps I should have typed "California"/"Hollywood" accent, as I was talking about that specific media accent.

IrishStew12

PogMoThoin wrote: »

They're essentially the same, Canada is just America without guns

that's like saying Irish are no different then English...oh wait, that's what Americans say...Canadians know the difference.