When you ask someone what they know about Canada, their immediate associations might be maple syrup, ice hockey, or even Celine Dion. Many people also know and enjoy the works of the influential Canadian author Margaret Atwood.
However, most are less familiar with the rules of Canadian English. So, what sets this distinct dialect of English apart?
Blending British Roots with American influences
Britain and Canada have a close history. Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867. It wasn't until 1982 that Canada achieved full control over its constitution, without the need for British approval.
Britain’s long-standing presence in Canada has left its mark on the people and language of Canada. Today, British and Canadian citizens still have much in common. While many Canadians trace their origins back to Great Britain, the exact percentage may vary based on different sources and can change over time.
Both nations cherish politeness, have an affectionate penchant for discussing the weather, proudly display Queen Elizabeth II on their currency, and share English as an official language.
While there are many things that unite the two nations, their large geographical distance means that they have had their own unique regional influences over the centuries. Consequently, their cultural and linguistic trajectories have experienced some divergence.
The USA has also played a pivotal role in shaping what we today recognise as Canadian English. Indeed, Canada arguably has deeper ties with the US than the UK. The two countries share the longest undefended border in the world and the United States is Canada’s largest trading partner.
Furthermore, 90% of Canadians live within 160 km of the US border. Many Canadians watch a lot of American movies and TV shows, and listen to American music, which has greatly influenced Canadian culture.
Canadian accents
Although Canada has close ties to the Commonwealth, Canadian and British accents are quite different. Instead, the cadence and tone of Canadian speech are more aligned with American accents.
In fact, in northern states like Vermont, Michigan, or Minnesota, the accents can be so similar that they’re often indistinguishable.
Another distinguishing factor between Canadian and British English is the variety of accents and dialects. In Canadian English, there is little variation in accents. It’s hard to tell a Canadian living in Toronto and one living over 4,000 km away in Vancouver apart.
There are some exceptions of course, such as the Newfoundland accent, which strongly resembles some Irish accents.
The UK on the other hand contains an incredibly diverse range of accents, with around 37 dialects in a country that would fit into Canada 40 times over.
The nuances of Canadian pronunciation
There are a few pronunciations that stand out in Canadian English, and although they’re not exclusive to Canada, they are most commonly found there.
Caught Cot Merger
One thing that sets Canadian English apart is the pronunciation of word pairs like caught-cot.
In British English the phonetic spelling of ‘caught’ is /kAWt/ and when it is spoken both vowels, ‘a’ and ’u’ are pronounced. Meanwhile, the word ‘cot’ has a phonetic spelling of /kot/ and, when spoken, is clearly distinguishable from ‘caught’.
In Canadian English ‘cot’ is pronounced the same way as in British English. However, Canadians pronounce ‘caught’ the same way as ‘cot’. That is to say, the ‘au’ sound in these words is pronounced as the ‘o’ sound. This is known as the ‘caught-cot’ merger because the pronunciations of these words, which were once distinct from each other, have merged into a single pronunciation.
Some more examples of the caught-cot merger include:
lot — thought
bot — bought
tot — taught
In some parts of the US, the caught-cot merger can also be observed.
T / D sound
The pronunciation of ‘water’ is another example of how Canadian English differs from British English, coinciding more with US English. For the most part, British English speakers will pronounce the ‘t’ in ‘water’ as a ‘t’ sound.
In British English,
Better is pronounced — better
Water is pronounced — water
In Canadian English however, the ‘t’ is pronounced as a ‘d’ sound, also known as a ‘quick d’ sound.
Better is pronounced — beder
Water is pronounced — wader
Do Canadians say Aboot?
It’s a common stereotype that Canadians pronounce words like ‘out’ and ‘about’ as ‘oot’ and ‘aboot’, but is it true?
The stereotype that Canadians say 'aboot' for 'about' is an exaggeration. This perception arises from the phenomenon called Canadian Raising. However, the actual sound is closer to 'aboat' than 'aboot.'
To get some perspective, consider the ‘ou’ sound in British English. This sound is always pronounced as ‘ow’, as in the word ‘cow’. Therefore,
About is pronounced — uh-bowt
Recommended by LinkedIn
Out is pronounced — owt
With Canadian Raising, the pronunciation of the ‘ow’ sound is raised when it precedes voiceless consonants, such as ‘t’. This same rule also applies to the ‘i’ sound.
In the word ‘loud’, the ‘ow’ sound is followed by a voiced consonant (d), so Canadians pronounce the ‘ow’ in the same way British English speakers do, ie Canadian Raising doesn’t apply. Loud is pronounced ‘lowd’.
In the word ‘about’, the ‘ow’ sound is followed by a voiceless consonant (t). This means that the ‘ow’ sound is raised. This raised vowel results in a word that sounds like ‘aboot’ to the untrained ear, however, it’s actually closer to ‘aboat’. When English speakers unfamiliar with this sound pick up on it, they tend to exaggerate the difference into something like ‘aboot’.
When an ‘i’ sound is followed by a voiceless consonant, for example in the word ‘life’, the vowel is also raised, however, the change is less obvious than the raised ‘ow’ sound.
Canadian Raising can also be heard outside of Canada, such as in northern states like Massachusetts.
Some other examples of Canadian Raising include:
knives (normal) / knife (raised)
tribe (normal) / tripe (raised)
The unique blend of Canadian spelling
Canadian English often follows British spelling, but there are instances of American influences.
-ze endings
In British English the -se suffix is used, for example, in the words ‘organise’ or ‘analyse’. However, in US and Canadian spelling this is replaced with an -ize ending, ie ‘organise’ becomes ‘organize’ and ‘analyse’ becomes ‘analyze’.
Although officially, Canadian English usually follows British English, the use of US spelling is so common that many Canadians themselves may be unsure of the proper ‘Canadian spelling’.
For example, ‘grey’ is the official spelling in Canada, like the UK, but ‘gray’ is also often used and accepted. There are many spelling exceptions like this in Canada, and they may vary from region to region.
Canadian Vocabulary
Canadian English frequently adopts American terminology, further highlighting its closeness to American English. On the other hand, the British possess a wealth of unique expressions, many of which might seem unusual to both Canadians and Americans. Some examples include:
Boot (of a car) (UK) trunk (CA), jumper (UK) and sweater (CA), lift (UK) and elevator (CA), lorry (UK) and truck (CA), trainers (UK) and running shoes (CA), and flat (UK) and apartment (CA).
Some words unique to Canadian English are:
Toque — a knitted hat often worn in wintertime. ‘Toque’ is borrowed from the French Canadian word ‘tuque’.
Washroom — meaning ‘restroom’ in the US or ‘toilet’ in the UK.
Eavestrough — a gutter fixed below the bottom of a room to collect rain.
American influence on the Canadian Language
The inevitable influence of American culture means that American words, spelling, and sayings have affected the development of Canadian English over time.
One example is baseball, which is a popular sport in both Canada and the US. Canadians and Americans use many baseball terms in their language, possibly without even thinking about it. For example, ‘ballpark figure’, ‘out in left field’ and ‘throw a curveball’ are all terms that are widely used and understood in Canadian English.
The US automobile industry is another example. Since it has had a significant presence in Canada from the outset, Canadians use US spelling and terms for anything related to cars. For example, hood is used instead of bonnet, gas instead of petrol and tire instead of tyre.
These are just a few examples, and the influence of American culture on Canadian English can be seen in countless ways.
Metric/Imperial System
Canada officially transitioned to the metric system in 1975. However, many Canadians still use the imperial system in their daily lives, especially for personal measurements like height and weight. The use of units such as miles or gallons is less common.
Indigenous Canadian Languages
Canada is home to over 70 indigenous languages. Their influence on Canadian English can be seen in words and place names, but it's also crucial to recognise that many of these languages are currently endangered.
The influence of indigenous languages on Canadian English is subtle, but certainly present. Here are some examples of Canadian English words with indigenous roots.
The word ‘moose’ comes from the Algonquian language and refers to the act of stripping bark off a tree, something the moose is known to do.
The word ‘toboggan’, a Canadian English word for ‘sled’, comes from the Mi’kmaq word topaĝan.
Indigenous languages can also be seen in the names of many places across Canada. In Canada you don’t have to look far to find somewhere which has a name originating from a native language. For example, cities like Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Kamloops, Coquitlam and Nanaimo all have their roots in indigenous languages. In fact, the name of the country itself likely originated from the Huron-Iroquois word kanata, meaning ‘settlement’.
***
Canadian English is a blend of its British past, American proximity, and indigenous roots. More than just maple syrup and hockey, Canada’s language tells a story of its rich history and unique identity. So, when you hear it, remember it’s a voice shaped by centuries, geography, and diverse communities.
Article by Shane Dubbelman
