Slightly random thread about Canadian accents

marie-p

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I'm from Quebec (and my first language is French) and I think I have a weak French accent. The rest of my family however has a much stronger French accent when speaking English.

I don't know much about the accents from different provinces but I know there are different accents within Quebec. Especially in Eastern Quebec... whenever I hear someone from Gaspesie speaking, I can barely understand what they say


And people in Quebec, when speaking French, have a VERY different accent than people from France. I know one time when my mom went to France, she was speaking to someone in French and the other person looked at her completely puzzled and then said "Sorry, I don't speak English"

Quebec French has more of an English sound to it, but I think people in France use more English words (but pronounce them in a French way).
 

hopehacker

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I've noticed a distinct Canadian Accent every time I've gone to Toronto. They say a -boot instead of a- bought like most people in America say it. They said oot instead of out - they often end their sentances with an "eh"

However, within the USA their are multiple accents from different parts of the country. Being from California, I would say I have the broad American accent, more like Television announcers and News reporters. So, I would say I don't have a real accent It's really hard for me to understand American Southern accents. They often take a 1 syllable word and make it 2 syllables. For example I say coin as one syllable and in the deep south they say Coin like Cohen.
 

miss mew

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I've done alot of travelling throughout the United States doing ferry flights and no matter how hard I try to hide it (not that I'm embarassed, I just try and hide my accent to see if they catch it!!
) they say "You're a Canadian aren't you?". I had a customs agent in Colorado Springs know in less than a minute..she said I said "eh" alot
 

trouts mom

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Howcome everyone thinks we say "aboot"..I don't know one person who says that...Its "OUT, and ABOUT" not "OOT and ABOOT".

Really, I have never heard a fellow Canadian say oot or aboot...

I am guilty of saying "eh" though, I say it like 40 times a day
 

cheeseface

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Originally Posted by fwan

Sorry to offend most of you! but... i cant tell the difference between american and canadian
That might be because of television. Some Canadians talk as clear as news people do on TV. People from eastern Canada definitely have a thicker accent as you get past Ontario. I had a friend from Ontario who said "about" like "aboot". Whatever my accent is, I think it's subtle compared to most Canadian accents.
 

ilovesiamese

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Originally Posted by Trouts mom

Howcome everyone thinks we say "aboot"..I don't know one person who says that...Its "OUT, and ABOUT" not "OOT and ABOOT".

Really, I have never heard a fellow Canadian say oot or aboot...

I am guilty of saying "eh" though, I say it like 40 times a day
I agree!
 

aphrodeia

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I know one Canadian right now, a professor of mine, and she says OOT when she's not thinking.
She doesn't say "Eh," though. Ever.
 

jessienkitty

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i'm not even canadian and i know that most dont say it like aboot. i dont know how to describe the way they say it but it definetly doesnt sound like we say it. its almost (but not really) like out and ew mixed together (does that make sence?) thats just with the accents that i've herd though.
 

yosemite

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We do have accents that vary from region and province. I once had a doctor in Ontario that within a couple minutes of my first visit pinpointed where I was from in the Maritime provinces within 30 miles.

I have to admit I have lived in Eastern Canada and Ontario most of my life and have yet to hear anyone say oot and aboot. I hear "oat" and "aboat".

New Brunswick has a strong French presence and their French is different again from the Quebec French so they would be very easy to recognize.
 

trouts mom

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Originally Posted by Yosemite

We do have accents that vary from region and province. I once had a doctor in Ontario that within a couple minutes of my first visit pinpointed where I was from in the Maritime provinces within 30 miles.

I have to admit I have lived in Eastern Canada and Ontario most of my life and have yet to hear anyone say oot and aboot. I hear "oat" and "aboat".

New Brunswick has a strong French presence and their French is different again from the Quebec French so they would be very easy to recognize.
That's how newfies say it!!! "Oat and Aboat"!!
 

icklemiss21

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I think they do, but then I have an English accent so I really notice it compared to the way I speak... same with everywhere though, you won't notice it if you are a local because most people speak like that, you only notice differences

I don't know anyone who says aboot but I do know some Newfies that say aboat and as for eh, I throw things at my BF when he says that and other 'canadianisms' like 'deeking (sp) out for a bit'
 

zak&rocky

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French Canadians say ay a lot.. There are a lot of us in Massachusetts.. I think that to me, most canadians have an accent but it is much more subtle than a southern accent or even a strong Ny or New england accent. Here accents differ over state lines. I can even tell the difference between a north of boston accent and a south mass accent. My aunts that live up there talk so nasally to me. Hubby is from south central mass and here, less than 50 miles away people sometimes think he talks funny! I got way used to it living in Mass for about 10 years.
I was also watching a court trial from Alaska on CourtTV and everyone talked funny to me.. California doesn't seem that different as far as words but the style of speech is well, more laid back.
As for canada I think the tell tale sign is "aboot" instead of abowt.
 

cheeseface

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Originally Posted by Trouts mom

That was the best
I think the best is farther east where "car" practically turns into "care" and "bar" turns into "bare".
 
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