Of Canucks and kiwi's...

[KukriKhan]

Comparative accent clips here: http://www.gazzaro.it/accents/files/accents2.html

US v Canada: Canucks actually try to pronouce all the vowels in their words. If there are several in a row (about, beautiful, etc), Yanks tend to pick one vowel and pronounce it, ignoring the rest. IMO.

To my ear, Aussies add vowel-sounds to their vowels, so "a" becomes: "aiy". Kiwi's clip their word-ends, like californians do. Again, IMO.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Canucks actually try to pronouce all the vowels in their words. If there are several in a row (about, beautiful, etc), Yanks tend to pick one vowel and pronounce it, ignoring the rest. IMO.

Is that the famous 'Canadian Raising'?
This phenomenon affects two diphthongs: the one in price and the one in house. The Raising obtains only when the diphthongs in question are immediately followed by a voiceless consonant. A sentence or utterance pause inserted between the diphthong and the consonant obliterates its effect.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Okay, so I looked that up.

Those sound bites are excellent. Especially the ones where they all read the same story, which allows for comparisons.
One day last year, when I was driving back to work after I'd had lunch, I had an amazing and unforgettable experience.
God, I'm never going to forget that one after having just heard that 400 times.

[KukriKhan]

Okay, so I looked that up.

LoL.

Linguists argue whether Canadian Raising is an innovation, or a preservation of an older Scots pronunciation regime.

[Hurin_Rules]

I grew up in Niagara Falls (Canadian side, as there is a Niagara Falls New York as well), and the thing I always found weird was that on the Canadian side, everyone spoke the basic, News-Anchor dialect common in most North American cities, but if you took a stroll across the bridge to the American side, everyone spoke with the highly nasal, droning Northeastern US accent (think Denis Franz in NYPD Blue). What was odd about this is that if I went to Seattle or Washington DC, the Americans there would be pronouncing things like the Canadian Niagara Falls-ers, rather than the American Niagara Falls-ers. I'm not sure why.

To spot a Canadian, ask him to say 'about' or 'house'. Most Americans can't actually pronounce it like a Canadian, even when they try. If you watch South Park, listen to Terence and Philip: they pronounce the words like Americans trying to be Canadians. Specifically, they'll pronounce them as 'aboot' or 'hoose', but actual Canadians make a slight pause between the pronunciation of the vowels, and pronounce them both. They pronounce it more like 'abow-oot' or 'how-oos', said really fast so the pause is almost imperceptible.

Slight differences, I know, but most Americans and Canadians notice the difference.

[InsaneApache]

So, is it zed or zee?

[GoreBag]

So, is it zed or zee?

ZED!

Well, I figured a Frenchman would hate hearing the real French, but I rather like it. I never got into Acadian, though, since my family aren't French Maritimers. We still do hear a lot of 'Jus'qu'au coin come back'-type stuff though.

In general, there are a few differences between Canadian and American speech (we sound..more articulate), but dialectics on the East coast change all that. I also noticed a slight difference during a trip to Alberta.

[Hurin_Rules]

In general, there are a few differences between Canadian and American speech (we sound..more articulate), but dialectics on the East coast change all that. I also noticed a slight difference during a trip to Alberta.

Interesting. I live most of the time out here in Alberta (having moved from Ontario), and although some slang is different out here, I've never really noticed much of a difference in the way of pronunciation. Can you explain it in any more detail?

Cheers

[GoreBag]

Interesting. I live most of the time out here in Alberta (having moved from Ontario), and although some slang is different out here, I've never really noticed much of a difference in the way of pronunciation. Can you explain it in any more detail?

Cheers

Ehh...I remember there being a difference, not particularly what the difference was. As far as my memory reaches, Albertans sounded slightly more 'American'. Of course, it might not be fair for me to judge, having been brought up in a house of New Brunswickers.

Regarding the letter 'zed', Louis, it's definitely 'zed'. We even had a beer commercial aired at one point which denounced the use of the term 'zee'.

[Louis VI the Fat]

So, is it zed or zee?

I still don't understand what this is about. Even after GoreBag answered it.

Well, I figured a Frenchman would hate hearing the real French

Gah, just because Québécois is well preserved traditional standard French and French French a derivation of it, doesn't mean you upstarts should get any ideas. Real French is what the Paris Académie tells Québec is real French.

[Beirut]

Real French is what the Paris Académie tells Québec is real French.

Pardon me while I excuse myself to hide in the closet and laugh until my head explodes.

[drone]

I still don't understand what this is about. Even after GoreBag answered it.

I believe the question is: Do Canadians pronounce the letter "Z" like "zed" (UK style), or "zee" (US style)?

[Justiciar]

"zed" (UK style), or "zee" (US style)?

Pretty much interchangable in the UK as far as I'm aware. That said, it could just be that we young'ns all grew up watching American cartoons. Not exactly a topic of every day conversation though, is it?

[lars573]

I believe the question is: Do Canadians pronounce the letter "Z" like "zed" (UK style), or "zee" (US style)?

We say zed. And as der-momma-furher would (and I quote) say "Like it's supposed to be not like those lazy ignorant americans with their Zee."