Speech pattern and typographical variations across Canada

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Sarah89

That said I'm surprised how briefly famous Jordan Peterson was as an intellectual in the U.S a few years ago. He's from Canada and anyone who's heard him speak knows what he sounds like.

Americans like to make a mockery of the Canadian accent saying how stupid and retarded we sound frequently in corners of the internet and their news media. How was this guy not laughed off the stage?

This may exist in pockets but overall I don't think Canada is sufficiently on the radar of most Americans for them to notice a hint of a Canadian accent to the point where they'd be able to make fun of it.

My wife is francophone but in English has no trace of French in her accent. It's standard Anglo-Canadian. In the U.S. she's never had anyone ask her where she's from based on accent, much less picked out that she is Canadian.

The same goes for me though I have a few more French intonations that come and go depending on how long I've been in the anglo-verse. I've had people in the U.S. ask me where I am from when I've had the French accent "on", but when it fades it seems like I can basically always pass for "standard American".

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kool maudit

The Canadian one has more of a Scottish influence. Out of interest, how do Australian and British (RP) English sound to you? I find most Swedes can't tell them apart.

I can tell British from Australian reasonably easily though not 100% of the time. Though I've spent time in Australia.

My kids who have never been to Australia and have little experience with the Strine accent can't tell them apart and would say it's British of some sort. They'd say the same for Kiwi and Anglo-South African too.

But my kids can easily tell U.S. and British apart.

Except for people from the Southern U.S., my kids think Anglo-Canadians and Americans pretty much sound the same.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lio45

It might actually be what you guys call a "hoser" accent. (No idea what that sounds like, but that could be it.)

Caricatural representation of the hoser accent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssCZWBtwUTI

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

This may exist in pockets but overall I don't think Canada is sufficiently on the radar of most Americans for them to notice a hint of a Canadian accent to the point where they'd be able to make fun of it.

My wife is francophone but in English has no trace of French in her accent. It's standard Anglo-Canadian. In the U.S. she's never had anyone ask her where she's from based on accent, much less picked out that she is Canadian.

The same goes for me though I have a few more French intonations that come and go depending on how long I've been in the anglo-verse. I've had people in the U.S. ask me where I am from when I've had the French accent "on", but when it fades it seems like I can basically always pass for "standard American".

I had the experience a few times when living in the States - twice I was identified as Canadian after I said "house". A handful of times (over four years), I was asked if I was from Minnesota or Wisconsin, although the tone of the question always suggested that they were hearing something that they couldn't quite place.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I had the experience a few times when living in the States - twice I was identified as Canadian after I said "house". A handful of times (over four years), I was asked if I was from Minnesota or Wisconsion, although the tone of the question always suggested that they were hearing something that they couldn't quite place.

I'm occasionally asked where I am from when I am in the US, but for some reason, I have developed a mid Atlantic accent which can make me hard to place.

It's kinda like a "CBC Presenter" accent - clipped and formal and absent of local idioms. There are several local CBC presenters here in the Maritimes with this manner of speech. Carol Off on national CBC Radio is like this too.

I don't know how I acquired this trait, and it does tend to come and go at times, but it is the way I normally speak...........

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lio45

Most Vancouver locals have pretty much exactly the same accent as my gf's family (who are Quebec Anglos). If there's a difference, it's too subtle for my ears. But I can now notice the difference (very slight, but can be perceived) between locals here and my American customers/bosses for this project. (They were here for a while so that's about as good as it gets for side-by-side comparison.)
)

I think the ability to recognize does increase a bit with exposure - as you are getting now.

Before I moved to Quebec I used to think that all Québécois sounded the same and even that Franco-Ontariens sounded like Québécois (Acadiens were always different of course) but now that I've lived here of a while I can pick up on some of the regional differences within Quebec. And I certainly don't think most Franco-Ontariens sound like most Québécois any more.

Still, the differences within Quebec are not that great, with the possible exception of the south coast of the Gaspésie and some people in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean.

Right now my wife is getting ready to start her work from home day and watching the brainless reality dating show Le Bonheur est Dans le Pré while drinking her coffee. It matches up farmers with city slickers, and there is no significant accent difference between rural people from the Outaouais, Estrie or even Bas-St-Laurent (200 km east of Quebec City) and city people from places all over the province from Montreal, Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke, etc.

[kool maudit]

Originally Posted by Sarah89

I don't think I ever would have even noticed if it wasn't for the Americans taking the piss out of us for it. If I have a complex it's party because of that.

Oh it's not so bad. Danish people have an accent so unintelligible they call it a language, but Swedes and Norwegians will still privately insist its just an incredibly retarded form of Norsk/Svensk.

We just have a bit of vowel raising. And who's to say the yanks are right anyhow?



Drunk or Danish? Swedish police eventually work it out
https://www.thelocal.se/20160623/dru...ly-work-it-out

Police approached the 29-your-old Trollhättan resident’s car after it got stuck in the snow last winter, local newspaper TTELA reports. The driver had appeared to leave the scene of an accident after crashing into two parked cars and officers were keen to speak to him.

But they couldn’t make out with he was saying and at first were convinced he was Danish. But the powerful whiff of alcohol suggested something was amiss, and a near-empty bottle of vodka on the floor sealed their suspicions.

He wasn’t Danish after all, just very drunk.

• Video Link

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I think the ability to recognize does increase a bit with exposure - as you are getting now.

Before I moved to Quebec I used to think that all Québécois sounded the same and even that Franco-Ontariens sounded like Québécois (Acadiens were always different of course) but now that I've lived here of a while I can pick up on some of the regional differences within Quebec. And I certainly don't think most Franco-Ontariens sound like most Québécois any more.

Still, the differences within Quebec are not that great, with the possible exception of the south coast of the Gaspésie and some people in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean.

Right now my wife is getting ready to start her work from home day and watching the brainless reality dating show Le Bonheur est Dans le Pré while drinking her coffee. It matches up farmers with city slickers, and there is no significant accent difference between rural people from the Outaouais, Estrie or even Bas-St-Laurent (200 km east of Quebec City) and city people from places all over the province from Montreal, Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke, etc.

Really? I always find it nearly impossible to understand Mike Ward, who’s from Quebec City. It also blows my mind that I can comprehend Louis Tremblay, who’s from Saguenay, though I suspect that he tones down his accent on his shows. For Sugar Sammy, it really depends on whether he’s doing his show in France or in Quebec.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

Really? I always find it nearly impossible to understand Mike Ward, who’s from Quebec City. It also blows my mind that I can comprehend Louis Tremblay, who’s from Saguenay, though I suspect that he tones down his accent on his shows. For Sugar Sammy, it really depends on whether he’s doing his show in France or in Quebec.

Enunciation can vary between individuals, especially when it comes to cultural or intellectual levels. Or the audience they are appealling to.

Here is Patrice Bélanger. He is from basically the same neighbourhood as me in Gatineau. Sounds a lot like Mike Ward to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XXbCLdzurY

[Edwara19]

I grew up in Mississauga and have what might be known as a "GTA acent." Most of my friends were first gen Canadians or immigrants. The accent is easily recognizable and is not confined to one race, however it is more common among visible minorities.

I put on a standard Canadian accent when I'm in a professional setting and obviously use much less slang. When I did my medical residency in the States, I never had one American think that my standard Canadian accent was anything other than a standard American accent. When I would fall back to my GTA accent, I was met with fascination and awe as there really isn't much exposure to that particular accent in the States. To my pleasant surprise, it actually had a positive impact on my live life!

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Enunciation can vary between individuals, especially when it comes to cultural or intellectual levels. Or the audience they are appealling to.

Here is Patrice Bélanger. He is from basically the same neighbourhood as me in Gatineau. Sounds like Mike Ward to me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XXbCLdzurY

I think I got about a quarter of what he was saying - the language seemed somewhat related to French!

[wave46]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Caricatural representation of the hoser accent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssCZWBtwUTI

I do that impression occasionally to amuse American friends about my Canadian-ness.

Otherwise, most average Americans wonder if I'm from somewhere like California on initial impression. I don't think anyone has ever mentioned my accent as sounding anything other than from "Nowhere, USA".

A Kiwi I've talked to who deals with tourists from the English-speaking world can't differentiate between Anglo-Canadians and Americans who don't have a regional accent.

I can't say I've ever had an American 'take the piss out of me' for a Canadian accent, since I generally sound like a local there. Unless you're referring to a comedy show or something of the like mocking the caricature version of our accent - but we do that with American regional accents too, so that's the pot calling the kettle black.

An informal observation is that the "Bob and Doug Mackenzie" accent is more concentrated in older generations of Canadians and those with more blue-collar backgrounds.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Edwara19

I put on a standard Canadian accent when I'm in a professional setting and obviously use much less slang. When I did my medical residency in the States, I never had one American think that my standard Canadian accent was anything other than a standard American accent.

I often say that to the average American not eager to pick out accent differences (which is to say most of them), a Canadian accent totally sounds like an accent that *could* exist somewhere within the confines of the U.S. (The U.S. has a ton of regional accents all across the country - the average person can't possibly be aware of them all and if it sounds plausibly American in some way as standard Canadian typically does, it passes the test.)

Obviously the more British-y accents like Aussie, Kiwi, South African, etc. don't pass that test. Newfoundland might not pass the test either. Unless they have adopted a lot of mainlander linguistic and accent traits, I am sure Newfoundlanders in the U.S. get asked where they're from a lot. And if they're from Ireland even.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Edwara19

I grew up in Mississauga and have what might be known as a "GTA acent." Most of my friends were first gen Canadians or immigrants. The accent is easily recognizable and is not confined to one race, however it is more common among visible minorities.

It's really easy to pick out younger people from the GTA if they venture elsewhere in the country. There's a certain sharpness to some words and a way of speaking that easily says you're from GTA, not including certain words which would all but give it away.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I can tell British from Australian reasonably easily though not 100% of the time. Though I've spent time in Australia.

My kids who have never been to Australia and have little experience with the Strine accent can't tell them apart and would say it's British of some sort. They'd say the same for Kiwi and Anglo-South African too.

But my kids can easily tell U.S. and British apart.

Except for people from the Southern U.S., my kids think Anglo-Canadians and Americans pretty much sound the same.

I must admit I find the Australian and NZ accents hard to differentiate but South African is distinctive.

For the British Isles, I can pick out Mancunian (think of the Gallagher brothers), Scouse (Liverpool), south Wales (Tom Jones or Rob Bryden), Lancashire, west country (Devon/Cornwall/Somerset), Cambridge, East Anglian, Midlands, Yorkshire, Newcastle area (known as Geordie english), London, Cockney (not so much an accent but certain words/expressions/rhyming schemes), RP english/BBC english, Glaswegian, regular scottish, Northern Irish and then Republic of Ireland accent. There are also variations within social strata/education in those accents.

My family are all from the UK, I was born there and have been back countless times and I must admit I watch a lot of TV shows from there.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

I must admit I find the Australian and NZ accents hard to differentiate but South African is distinctive.

....

Same here. The old white Rhodesian accent was also slightly different from Anglo-South African. Quite an elegant accent, I thought.

[wave46]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

I must admit I find the Australian and NZ accents hard to differentiate but South African is distinctive.

Heh. The Kiwis take umbrage to the idea they sound like Aussies. Watching the Aussies and Kiwis chirp each other (say fush and chups!) was one of the more entertaining bits of my vacation in NZ.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by wave46

Heh. The Kiwis take umbrage to the idea they sound like Aussies. Watching the Aussies and Kiwis chirp each other (say fush and chups!) was one of the more entertaining bits of my vacation in NZ.

I think the issue is that one doesn't hear a lot of New Zealanders, so it's kind of a reflex to think they're Aussies.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

I must admit I find the Australian and NZ accents hard to differentiate but South African is distinctive.

For the British Isles, I can pick out Mancunian (think of the Gallagher brothers), Scouse (Liverpool), south Wales (Tom Jones or Rob Bryden), Lancashire, west country (Devon/Cornwall/Somerset), Cambridge, East Anglian, Midlands, Yorkshire, Newcastle area (known as Geordie english), London, Cockney (not so much an accent but certain words/expressions/rhyming schemes), RP english/BBC english, Glaswegian, regular scottish, Northern Irish and then Republic of Ireland accent. There are also variations within social strata/education in those accents.

My family are all from the UK, I was born there and have been back countless times and I must admit I watch a lot of TV shows from there.

I can distinguish OZ-NZ-SA reasonably well but I went to school in English much of my life and spent quite a bit of time in other Commonwealth countries and circles.

My kids are native French speakers growing up in Quebec. Their English is decent but not at my level (even where I was at their age).

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by giallo

You're not alone. The typical North American accents (Texas and the South excluded) are very difficult to tell apart if you're not Anglo Canadian or American. I've never met someone from outside of North America that didn't think I was American upon our first meeting.

Originally Posted by wave46

I do that impression occasionally to amuse American friends about my Canadian-ness.

Otherwise, most average Americans wonder if I'm from somewhere like California on initial impression. I don't think anyone has ever mentioned my accent as sounding anything other than from "Nowhere, USA".

A Kiwi I've talked to who deals with tourists from the English-speaking world can't differentiate between Anglo-Canadians and Americans who don't have a regional accent.
.

I've had heated arguments (even on here I think) with Canadians who claim that people abroad can all distinguish Canadians from Americans based solely on accents. They've even claimed it's true of second-language speakers in places like Sweden, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, etc.

Often their back-up argument is that the foreigners also easily recognize Canadians due to a combination of accent and "niceness".

(As if no Americans are ever nice, and no Canadians are jackasses.)