Olivier
is it true the canadian and australian english are closer to the british english than the American English?

why? I have seen the canadian people spell the words like british people do and austrlians sound similar to british accent and spelling is the same but americans pronounce different and spelling is a little bit different, I think Australian is closer to British English why is that? or Am I wrong?

Aug 27, 2014 6:27 AM
Comments · 16
1

"About:" Canadian don't pronounce "about" as "a boat." In the USA, "about" is pronounced as /əbaʊt/ (standard Englsih) and Canadians say /əbʌʊt/, which is how most people in the USA pronounce "a boat" -- thus the confusion. In Canada, "a boat" is pronounced more conservatively as /əbɔʊt/ (similar to Northern England), whereas in the RP, "a boat" is pronounced /əbəʊt/.

August 28, 2014
1

No problem steveh.  Notice the guy in the video is from Cape Breton.  As he says, not representative of Canadians in general.  It would be comparable to me saying that all Americans speak like they do in Louisiana simply on the basis of some Americans from Louisiana that I've heard speak. 

 

It doesn't really bother me when I hear misconceptions or generalities like that.  I just felt like correcting it.  As to the topic of this discussion, I'd say Canadians are closer to the British in written English but closer to the U.S. in spoken English.  Few would mistake a Canadian for a Brit after listening to them speak.

August 27, 2014
1

Just a few more points on the Australian accent... from a real Australian. ;)

 

Yes, an Australian "city accent" (as I call it) does sound a little like RP English. However, our "non-rhotic" style is quite different, as Australians tend to just stretch the vowel. If the R comes at the end of a sentence, we might even shorten the vowel and flick the tone upwards as if we've suddenly asked a question. Some people in Australia typically "uptalk" with any sentence, and it's rather an annoying habit.

 

I think educated Aussies are fairly careful with how they speak, so maybe we come across as more "proper" than we really are. ;)

 

The "country accent", ie. what you normally hear in TV shows and movies, borrows a lot from several British dialects... but isn't like any single British dialect.

 

Then there are the regional accent differences in Australia - pretty subtle, but they're there. Aussies who've travelled learn to pick this pretty well. Some of us have even adopted the American R, but I think this is a "presentation voice" issue and not how we typically speak.

August 27, 2014
1

On that subject (aboot) I'd love to see an unstaged video from youtube or wherever showing this phenomenon.  There must be tons of them.  I looked and could only find people imitating what they thought Canadians sound like.  Sounds more like Irish or Scottish to me.  I imagine that people on the east coast of Canada talk more like that but I was in PEI and didn't notice.

August 27, 2014
1

When Canadians pronounce the word "about" it sounds to me like they are saying "a boot"

 

I hear that all the time, and I try to listen for that when I hear Canadians & Americans speaking & I've never been able to detect it other than on tv programs where they are specifically emphasizing an accent to make a point.  I'm not saying you're wrong, I just have never noticed it, but being Canadian that could be the reason.

 

It's like the reaction to the movie Fargo.  The people of ND & MN felt that the movie inaccurately portrayed them as country bumpkins & idiots especially in the way they spoke.  In that case I come from neither place but have spent time in both states & can agree that the people of that region sound very little like those in the movie.

August 27, 2014
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