Slightly random thread about Canadian accents

catlover19

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Newfies definitly have an accent. I am 3/4 newfie and I can barely understand my own dad. My grandma and my aunts and uncles are worse though, and when they all get together I have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. I don't think I have an accent though, but last time I was in Florida, people said that I did.

I have never once heard a Canadian say aboot, but I have heard Americans say it many times. I have a cousin (from Ontario) who was talking to her cousin (from Conneticut) and she said about and they were like what are you talking aboot? I thought it was Americans that say aboot not Canadians...
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by catlover19

I thought it was Americans that say aboot not Canadians...
Actually so did I think that. I've not heard any Canadian say it - maybe I just need to enlarge my circle of friends and acquaintances.
 

icklemiss21

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Same here, my Bf will say it on occasion just to annoy me but people don't generally say it in conversation, I have heard more than a few Americans say aboot (and eh) however

Definitely do hear the aboat etc further East though
 

gailc

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The folks in the UP of Michigan I think end all their sentences with eh!!!
Thanks, eh!!! I miss hearing that!!!
And if anyone visits or talks about Green Bay Wisconsin its Green BAY not GREEN Bay!!
 

phenomsmom

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I don't feel so bad about my unusual accent now!! Can I ask about one word though? How do you all say GUMMI as in gummie bears. I say GOOOMIE and everyone I know makes fun of me. I don't know where I picked that up!!
 

hopehacker

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In the US we say About like ab ouch with a T not a CH or kind of in the same tone as meow. Canadians say it more like a boat
 

trouts mom

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Originally Posted by HopeHacker

In the US we say About like ab ouch with a T not a CH or kind of in the same tone as meow. Canadians say it more like a boat
Nope not all Canadians, just newfies!!
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by Trouts mom

Nope not all Canadians, just newfies!!
Now, now that's not true.

I have a SIL who's a Newfie - they don't come any finer. I've never even visited Newfoundland and I say a-boat and oat.

BTW - do ya'll know how to pronounce Newfoundland?
 

cheeseface

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Originally Posted by Phenomsmom

I don't feel so bad about my unusual accent now!! Can I ask about one word though? How do you all say GUMMI as in gummie bears. I say GOOOMIE and everyone I know makes fun of me. I don't know where I picked that up!!
Wow... you weally awre weird Bwandi!
Wead my wips... GUUUUMMMI... not GOOOOOOMMMIE!
 

jcat

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Originally Posted by Phenomsmom

I don't feel so bad about my unusual accent now!! Can I ask about one word though? How do you all say GUMMI as in gummie bears. I say GOOOMIE and everyone I know makes fun of me. I don't know where I picked that up!!
I would say "Goomie" Bears, because it's a German product, and that's an approximate pronunciation. Of course, "Adidas" sounds quite different in German, too. (ah-dee-dahss)
 

rapunzel47

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I'm not a Newfie, nor have I been there -- yet. But I have it on good authority from a number of Newfies, that "Noof'nLAND" has the same emphasis as "underSTAND".
 

catlover19

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I have never once heard a newfie say it like newFOUNDland but I have heard people pronounce it like that, even though its not the way its supposed to be pronounced.
 

jcat

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It's funny, but when I hear somebody say "oot" or "aboot", I immediately think "Canadian". Otherwise, I can't really distinguish between Canadians, and the U.S. East or West Coast accents. (Okay, only New Yorkers sound like New Yorkers). Midwesterners and Southerners definitely sound different, and the Texas drawl is always recognizable. I'm hearing-impaired, but I can still hear/see a difference.
That said, I've probably had hundreds of people say, "You're from Philly, aren't you?", although I make a conscious effort not to say "wuder".
 
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Moz

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Originally Posted by IloveSiamese



What is the difference????
That's what I want to know. I don't really see a difference aside from Newfies/French speakers and the accent Dr. Phil has.
 
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Moz

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Originally Posted by marie-p

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).
My mom's French, and she has a bit of a French accent, although she says "tiger" like "tager".
My brother has a friend from Quebec, and when she speaks English, she doesn't pronounce the H in words. Like if she said "house", it would sound like "ouse"? Do you do that?


EDIT -- Yosemite, I say Newfoundland like 'newfunland'.
 

zissou'smom

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Ya know, I've taken entire classes on this and I can tell where some of you are from by what words you use without looking at the location heading. It's so interesting to me.... almost scarily so.

There are three major accent ranges in the US, sweeping basically from the Ohio river valley through the lower/mid midwest and plains and then broadening to include basically all of the West Coast. Then there's south of that and North of that. This is because of who settled what and how they got West, and I'm willing to bet the same is true in Canada.

The broad Canadian accent sounds to me pretty similar to what people consider the Northern or Great Lakes US one-- Minneapolis/St Paul, Upper Michigan (not necessarily the UP), Wisconsin, Upper NY (like Buffalo area), even found in certain parts of Cleveland. Of course, there are people and areas who don't talk like that, just like most people from Atlanta proper don't really sound like Southerners at all. Then again, my relatives in MN think I have just the cutest Southern accent...

All the people I know who say "ey" are Americans with French Canadian grandparents or parents.

We all have accents. There are alot of people who think nobody but them speaks correctly. And nobody speaks "Standard English". Nobody.
 

kc&sherman

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Originally Posted by Trouts mom

It is pronounced nu-fun-land
New Fun Land?? lol sorry.


I think everybody has an accent, but then again, what would you consider normal? I live in California and I've NEVER thought of anybody here having an accent. But a friend of mine went to Canada and talked to a native who said, "You must be from California, I can tell by your accent." That has to prove something.


Of course Canadians have accents! I don't know about the areas and such, but I love listening to Canadians on TV - it's hard to describe, but they seem like "friendly" accents. Canada seems like an altogether "friendly" place. (I've never actually been there, but I can make assumptions when they're nice, right?)
 

cheeseface

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Originally Posted by kc&sherman

New Fun Land?? lol sorry.


I think everybody has an accent, but then again, what would you consider normal? I live in California and I've NEVER thought of anybody here having an accent. But a friend of mine went to Canada and talked to a native who said, "You must be from California, I can tell by your accent." That has to prove something.


Of course Canadians have accents! I don't know about the areas and such, but I love listening to Canadians on TV - it's hard to describe, but they seem like "friendly" accents. Canada seems like an altogether "friendly" place. (I've never actually been there, but I can make assumptions when they're nice, right?)
How dare you make assumptions and paint us all with the same---- oh.... did you say "friendly" and "nice?" Assume away!
 

yosemite

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Yes - Newfunland. I hate hearing people say NewFOUNDland and I'm not even from there.

I agree, we all have accents. I notice my brothers both have accents - they live in New Brunswick. My other half-brother lives in Branson, MO and boy does he have an accent.


I too love listening to people with accents (different than mine) speak. I think it's lovely.

Yes, we Canadians are just one big friendly bunch!
 
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