Ok silly question, but do Canadians have an accent?

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mango

Okay, I'm Canadian and I have been in nearly every province. Just like someone else said already, there is a plethora of different accents in Canada. For the most part though we speak the same as Americans do. By that I obviously don't mean like New Yorkers or Texans or anything.

One of the most commonly stereotypical Canadian accents is from the east coast, mainly Newfoundland. where 'ou' as in 'about' becomes 'oo'. They also talk differently, like instead of saying "where is it" they would say "where's it to". In newfoundland for the most part the closer the town to the water, the stronger the accent, people from inland don't have as strong of an accent.

Another kind of obvious Canadian accent is a french accent. Quebec is actually the largest province in Canada, and most of it's population speaks french. there are also a lot of french communities all across Canada where people grow up speaking french at home.

Also remember that Canada has a huge population of immigrants from many places; Arabic, Asian, German, Scottish, African, pick your accent, it can be found in Canada. Especially in the big cities like Vancouver BC, and Toronto Ontario.

If you want to watch some Canadian TV to hear some accents there is the Red Green Show, Royal Canadian Air Farce, This Hour has 22 Minutes, Corner Gas, Little Mosque on the Prairie, The Rick Mercer Report. Now that I think of it, those are all comedies...

Anyway, I hope this helps.

Michael C...

Ah......"Wolf Girl".... let me ask you this.......does someone from California sound like someone from Tennesee , or someone from Oregon sound like someone from Texas , do they not have accents ! What about New York accents or Bostons accents!

I rest my case and as the 2 nd. largest country in the world...yep...there is a plethora of accents ! ( Newfie accents are quite different from say someone from B.C. "lol")

In the U.S.A you speak English not American....we speak English too not Canadian! lol....and the "Aussie" who answered above speaks English too not Australian ...and we all have different accents !

(BTW...Yeah the Commonwealth.....Cheers *L*)

Hope that helps ya and take care "eh" ! *S* ( I threw the "eh" in there for good measure "M'Lady" in that you asked a question regarding "Canadiana" !)

Newfy's obviously have the stongest accents! Besides the Quebecois. We do have slight prononciation differences, that can also be found in the states, like most people here say: Pro-gress not Prah-gress and Pro-ject not Prah-ject etc. There is also a slight accent, but usually very similar to a mainstream/california American accent.

For the Canadian accent watch Corner Gas or Trailer Park Boys or Just for Laughs (not the gags) on Youtube or something or something...

-The "eh" thing is usually true-the aboot thing definetly not.
-Most people that I know say "Zed".

Here watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Veu-Cm7aHMw

SteveN

If a Texan were talking to a Canadian (from any part of the country), they each would think the other has an odd accent.

Just like someone from Boston sounds different than someone from Chicago, Dallas, or Los Angeles, Canadians have accents that are noticeable to others in their own country.

I can usually tell if someone is from the prairies, the maritimes, or the Quebec area. The prarie folk have certain mannerisms and talk a little more laid back than in Ontario. The maritimes are affected by the Acadians and the Scottish heritage, and it can be a challenge understanding some of them. Quebecers speaking English but whose mother tongue is French will have various degrees of a French accent when they say certain words.

I can tell you that I have used the word "eh" in my common vocabulary, but I have NEVER heard someone actually say "aboot" (about) in real life conversation, only ever seen it on TV shows and commercials. I do say "zed" instead of "zee" (for letter Z), mainly because if I am talking on the phone, people are less likely to think I said the letter "C".

By the way, the character "Wolverine" in the X-Men movies is supposed to be Canadian I believe, and if you listen to David Foley (Celebrity Poker, News Radio) that is pretty much a typical Canadian accent. Don't know if that helps.

Dead Day Afternoon

I'm Canadian and I have never said aboot.
There are different accents but Americans tend to exaggerate ours like say we would with a southern accent.

Dani

Well we are said to talk differently, we also overuse the word 'Eh'

Jim B

I'd add this about Canadian phrases.

Canadians use some expressions that Americans do not use.

Examples :

Timmy's . The Tim Horton coffee and donuts chain ( 2300 stores across Canada ).

A double double. A take out coffee with two sugars and two measures of 18 percent cream in it, from Timmy's.

Up the stump. Pregnant.

Bun in the oven. Same thing.

A two four. A case of 24 bottles or cans of beer.

The two four weekend . The 24 th of May, holiday weekend, that celebrates the birth day of Queen Victoria.

The National. The nightly national TV news broadcast, by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Hockey Night In Canada. The longest running TV show in Canadian history. Every Saturday night, from October to the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs in June. Been on TV since 1955, on radio since 1937. It is so well loved , that just humming the theme song will identify you as a Canadian hockey fan, in any part of Canada.

Keep your stick on the ice. Originally a hockey warning, by a referee to a player, to play nicely. Now a joke about being stupid and not very carefull in life.

Black ice. A road condition that happens when freezing rain falls on clear asphalt, creating ice that is hard to see, but deadly dangerous if you don't slow right down.

Kiss the cod. A Newfie fun thing to do in a bar, when someone admits that this is their first trip to "The Rock " otherwise known as Newfoundland . The newcomer has to have a few shots of "Newfie screech " which is high test dark Jamaica rum, then kiss a stuffed cod fish, while laying upside down, on the bar. Also known as "being screeched in ". Some times it comes with a "certificate of adpoption " as a honourary Newfie.

Where is your Poppy ? On November 11 th of each year, we observe a annual day of Remembrance , to honour our war dead. The Royal Canadian Legion offers Poppies for people to wear, to signify our sorrow, and to show their support for our troops fightiing in Afghanistan , right now. The money donated to the RCL from the sale of Poppies, goes to support our Veterans, old and young.

In the two weeks leading up to the 11th, I ask people, "Where is your Poppy " to make sure they at least think about the sacrifice that was made, and is being made , so that they can live in freedom, today.

Jim B. Toronto.

knh959

There really is no such thing as a "Canadian accent". People from the Maritime provinces have a different accent than people from Ontario. People from Ontario have a different accent than those from the prairies or British Columbia. People from Newfoundland have a marvellously unique accent all their own. There are a few commonalities in speech patterns across the country such as use of "eh", although even that is more prevalent in eastern Ontario than in other parts of the country.

shonoel

Yes. I always wait for North Americans to say house, mouse, or out before I decide if they are Canadians or from the USA.
I'm Australian.

Danu

we're called 'honky's' for a reason. Canadians talk through their noses, so it sounds like a goose, so yes its an accent.

Rafael

I think it's New York accent? just visit here and go figure.

dakotamoon1980

Canadians do have an accent but it is not as strong as a New York or Boston accent. For the most part you would never know until they pronounce a few words. One word, i dont know if its stereotypical, is "about". I believe they pernounce it as if it was "aboot"

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