Main Difference – American vs Canadian Accent
We all know that English is one of the main languages spoken in both Canada and the United States. But the English spoken by Americans and Canadians is not the same. There are various differences between American English and Canadian English in terms of spelling, pronunciation, and vocabulary. In this article, we are going to look at the difference between American and Canadian accent. The main difference between American and Canadian accent is that Canadian accent is characterized by the Canadian raising.
American Accent
American accent is the way in which English is pronounced by American English speakers. Even though the language spoken in different states, regions and cities may differ widely, we are going to look at the features of general English in this article.
One of the most noticeable features of American English is its rhoticity. In American English, the r is pronounced at the end of a syllable or before a consonant. Raising and diphthongizing a before nasal consonants and the use of unrounded vowels in words like lot and rot are other notable features in American pronunciation.
Canadian Accent
One of the most noticeable features of Canadian English is the pronunciation of words with ‘ou’. For example, about, and out are pronounced like aboat and oat. This is mainly due to Canadian raising. Canadian raising is basically the raising of the tongue when diphthongs like /aɪ/ and /aʊ/ come before voiceless consonants.
Cot-caught merger is another difference in Canadian English. Some Canadian English speakers do not differentiate the vowels /ɔ/ (as in caught) and /ɒ/ (as in cot). This is merged as either [ɒ] (or [ɑ]. This results in a sound change known as Canadian Shift, which involves the front lax vowels /æ, ɛ, ɪ/.
Another interesting feature is the distinction between /hw/ and /w/. Canadian speakers tend to drop the distinction between /hw/ and /w/ sounds. For example, which/witch are considered as homophones. Even though this feature can also be noted in American English, this is more pronounced in Canadian English.
It is also interesting to note that although Canadian English is considered to be a part of the American sound system, the British influence too can be seen in certain words.
Difference Between American and Canadian Accent
Definition
American Accent is the way in which English is pronounced by American English speakers.
Canadian Accent is the way in which English is pronounced by Canadian English speakers.
British English
American Accent is different from the British accent.
Canadian Accent shows some traces of British influence.
Canadian Raising
American Accent does not include Canadian raising.
Canadian Accent is characterized by Canadian raising.
Canadian Shift
American speakers differentiate the vowels /ɔ/ and /ɒ/.
Canadian speakers do not differentiate the vowels /ɔ/ and /ɒ/.
Image Courtesy:
“American Flag” By Dbenbenn, Zscout370, Jacobolus, Indolences, Technion. – SVG implementation of U. S. Code: Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 1 [1] (the United States Federal “Flag Law”). (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
“Canadian Flag” By Created by E Pluribus Anthony / User:Mzajac – See below, (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
