Canadian Accents?

So recently I've seen and heard comments from Americans referencing "Canadian accents". Now, I'm Canadian, yet when I watch American TV, I don't really notice any differences between the way you guys talk, and the way my family and friends talk, with the exception of obvious regional accents like New York, southern, etc.
 
Also, when I've been in the United States, I haven't really perceived an American accent that's distinct from the Canadian one. Although admittedly, most of my time in the United States has been spent pretty close to the border (mainly Minnesota and North Dakota).
 
So I was wondering, what you Americans think. Would you be able to tell that someone is Canadian just by hearing them speak. Also, people overseas, do you notice a difference?

I think there's a subtle difference. Of course everyones different so I probably couldn't always tell. It's funny you mention North Dakota though because that's a place I always think of that definitely has more of a Canadian style accent. You should come a bit south and see if you still don't notice a difference.

I think it is some syllables that we annunciate differently. I think when they say sorry, it is pronounced saw-ry. When we say it we say SOrry with an O sound. This is just my observation. I'm also canadian.

" I think it is some syllables that we annunciate differently. I think when they say sorry, it is pronounced saw-ry. When we say it we say SOrry with an O sound. This is just my observation. I'm also canadian. "

" So recently I've seen and heard comments from Americans referencing "Canadian accents". Now, I'm Canadian, yet when I watch American TV, I don't really notice any differences between the way you guys talk, and the way my family and friends talk, with the exception of obvious regional accents like New York, southern, etc.  Also, when I've been in the United States, I haven't really perceived an American accent that's distinct from the Canadian one. Although admittedly, most of my time in the United States has been spent pretty close to the border (mainly Minnesota and North Dakota).  So I was wondering, what you Americans think. Would you be able to tell that someone is Canadian just by hearing them speak. Also, people overseas, do you notice a difference? "

" @R3Qui4M said:

" I think it is some syllables that we annunciate differently. I think when they say sorry, it is pronounced saw-ry. When we say it we say SOrry with an O sound. This is just my observation. I'm also canadian. "

And you say Zed. Dead giveaway.  xD "

 
Im canadian,Edmonton here :) and i dont think its such a damn difference between canadian accents and american accents. Expect the words,(for example aboot). I lived in the USA since i was 5. And i dont speak an american accent!

Do we have any Canadians on the site that would be willing to say, "Do you like hockey, eh?"

I'm Canadian and even I can notice our accents. We pronounce about as aboat, out as oot, and say eh every couple sentences. 

I find us Canadians sound slightly Irish.

I never noticed the difference until someone mentioned it, but I think it's mostly people from Ontario and Newfoundland/Quebec that have accents. I've only recently been starting to hear it. I live about five minutes away from the American border, so maybe I'm different. 
 
EDIT: I live by Vancouver by the way.

I'm Canadian, and I don't know anyone who talks like they do in that movie Fargo. 
I think the Americans are thinking of the Newfoundland accent, which we Canadians also poke fun at:P 
I notice no difference between the way anyone here talks and the way they talk on any american TV show. 
 
Then again, I'm from Alberta.

" I'm Canadian and even I can notice our accents. We pronounce about as aboat, out as oot, and say eh every couple sentences.  "

"  Im canadian,Edmonton here :) and i dont think its such a damn difference between canadian accents and american accents. Expect the words,(for example aboot). I lived in the USA since i was 5. And i dont speak an american accent! "

Well, you'll have to go over that a-gain, because I don't know what you're talking a-boot, eh? 

Brendan Sinclair sounds really Canadian. 
 
I guess it varies. Not all New Zealanders say "fush and chups", not all Australians say "throw unudder shremp on the barbie, moyte" 
 
But the ones that do... *shakes fist*

There is a definite difference but it's only really in the flatter O sounds where I notice it.

" I'm Canadian and even I can notice our accents. We pronounce about as aboat, out as oot, and say eh every couple sentences.  "

I'm dumbfounded by how many Canadians in this thread are saying we that say "aboot". No one says that in Alberta. 
 
We say about.

Eh?

There's definitely a Canadian accent (though not all Canadians have it, just like any other accent).

" @Hourai said:

" I'm Canadian and even I can notice our accents. We pronounce about as aboat, out as oot, and say eh every couple sentences.  "

Are you from Nova Scotia or something? I don't speak like that.   Maybe it's cause the West coast is the Best coast. "

There is no noticeable difference except for newfoundlanders of course. Its more of a joke these days.

" @Hourai said:

" I'm Canadian and even I can notice our accents. We pronounce about as aboat, out as oot, and say eh every couple sentences.  "

Are you from Nova Scotia or something? I don't speak like that.   Maybe it's cause the West coast is the Best coast. "

 Very strange, very suspicious. "

I am in southern Ontario at the moment and there is no difference between the people here and the people in the northern states...of course there are regional differences, but there is no "canadian accent"

It seems that Canadian accents get more pronounced the farther east you go. I live in BC, right by the coast and close to the border and I couldn't tell if you were American or Canadian here (and I thought some Americans living in my town were actually Canadian), but I went on a road-trip this summer to mid-Saskatchewan and the accent seemed to be more noticable the farther we went.

" I'm dumbfounded by how many Canadians in this thread are saying we that say "aboot". No one says that in Alberta.  We say about. "

" @Brenderous said:

" I'm dumbfounded by how many Canadians in this thread are saying we that say "aboot". No one says that in Alberta.  We say about. "

This cliche has existed forever, and I have never once in my entire life heard anyone say "aboot", nor have I heard anyone say "eh" the way people say we say it. Not anymore than I've seen Americans say it.  And I live in our countries capitol. So I dunno. "

Its kinda odd, Canadians kinda speak like us Scottish folks with an american accent, we say things like aboot and eh after stuff too.  Right enough Nova Scotia means new scotland, hey does that mean i get an automatic visa to Canada? 

We Winnipeggers don't have any accents. Unless your aboriginal.

So basically the accent of the people in Newfoundland represents the Canadian accent, so which state accent represents the United States of America?

" So basically the accent of the people in Newfoundland represents the Canadian accent, so which state accent represents the United States of America? "

" Do we have any Canadians on the site that would be willing to say, "Do you like hockey, eh?" "

" @KaosAngel said:

" Do we have any Canadians on the site that would be willing to say, "Do you like hockey, eh?" "

Just saying that sounds weird. I have never said eh unless I been joking around. My uncle in Nova Scotia however. I think its really east coast thing. "

" So basically the accent of the people in Newfoundland represents the Canadian accent, so which state accent represents the United States of America? "

" There is no noticeable difference except for newfoundlanders of course. Its more of a joke these days. "

" @Lukeweizer said:

" @Hourai said:

" I'm Canadian and even I can notice our accents. We pronounce about as aboat, out as oot, and say eh every couple sentences.  "

Are you from Nova Scotia or something? I don't speak like that.   Maybe it's cause the West coast is the Best coast. "

I'm from Nova Scotia and I never say "eh" or "aboot" or "aboat".  Anyway. I'm pretty sure the Canadian accent Americans notice are Newfoundlanders and stuff. Because otherwise, when I talk to an American(Not from New York, or the south) we sound exactly the same. "

" @Xeiphyer said:

" There is no noticeable difference except for newfoundlanders of course. Its more of a joke these days. "

Go watch Kate Bierness on TSN.  She is from Ontario and her accent is unbelievably Eastern. It's not just Newfoundland, it's all of East Canada (Ontario and the Atlantic) that has a totally different accent than here in the West.  For instance, words like "Car" in the west are just... "Car". The east is more "C-ah-r" like a pirate.  "

" @R3Qui4M said:

" I think it is some syllables that we annunciate differently. I think when they say sorry, it is pronounced saw-ry. When we say it we say SOrry with an O sound. This is just my observation. I'm also canadian. "

And you say Zed. Dead giveaway.  xD "

What are you guys talkin aboot?

"

We Winnipeggers don't have any accents. Unless your aboriginal.

"

" @Cube said:

" @Xeiphyer said:

" There is no noticeable difference except for newfoundlanders of course. Its more of a joke these days. "

Go watch Kate Bierness on TSN.  She is from Ontario and her accent is unbelievably Eastern. It's not just Newfoundland, it's all of East Canada (Ontario and the Atlantic) that has a totally different accent than here in the West.  For instance, words like "Car" in the west are just... "Car". The east is more "C-ah-r" like a pirate.  "

No it's not. I live in Nova Scotia and the majority of people I talk to here meaning everybody I've ever went to school with, do not have these severe accents you are talking about. "

" @JJWeatherman said:

" @R3Qui4M said:

" I think it is some syllables that we annunciate differently. I think when they say sorry, it is pronounced saw-ry. When we say it we say SOrry with an O sound. This is just my observation. I'm also canadian. "

And you say Zed. Dead giveaway.  xD "

But Zed is how its said... "

" @CptChiken said:

" @JJWeatherman said:

" @R3Qui4M said:

" I think it is some syllables that we annunciate differently. I think when they say sorry, it is pronounced saw-ry. When we say it we say SOrry with an O sound. This is just my observation. I'm also canadian. "

And you say Zed. Dead giveaway.  xD "

But Zed is how its said... "

Canadians these days. "

" @FreakAche said:

" ...with the exception of obvious regional accents like New York, southern, etc.   "

aren't ALL accents regional "

" @CptChiken said:

" @JJWeatherman said:

" @R3Qui4M said:

" I think it is some syllables that we annunciate differently. I think when they say sorry, it is pronounced saw-ry. When we say it we say SOrry with an O sound. This is just my observation. I'm also canadian. "

And you say Zed. Dead giveaway.  xD "

But Zed is how its said... "

Canadians these days. "