CANADIAN PRONUNCIATION MADE EASY
Canadian pronunciation is different from British pronunciation. Canadian and American (USA) people speak with North American accent.
Canada is a big country. But it’s also a young country so most Canadians speak with the same accent – there are no dialects or big regional differences. Only people in Newfoundland have their own special way of speaking. In other parts of the country – whether you go to Vancouver or Toronto – people speak almost the same.
Canadians speak very much like Americans.
Canadian pronunciation is more nasal than British (Canadians speak ‘through their noses’).
If you are used to British pronunciation (or Australian, or Indian, or of another English-speaking country), it will be difficult for you to understand Canadian English for the first couple of months. It’s a good idea to get used to it by listening to TV/radio a lot.
North American sounds
1. Sound ‘r’
Canadians pronounce ‘r’ sound in all the words where it is written, including ‘r’ at the end of the words. For example:
car // for // where // four // your // work // ever // party // smart // after // forever // prefer
2. Sound ‘t’
Canadians don’t seem to like the sound ‘t’. (There’s a joke about it: “Canadians don’t like ‘t’ – they like coffee.)
a) ‘t’ changes to ‘d’
In the middle of the word:
better –> bedder
water –> wader
thirty –> thridy
party –> pardy
computer –> compuder
city –> cidy
b) ‘t’ disappears
twenty –> twenny
center –> cenner
Toronto –> Toronno
most –> mos
just –> jus
must –> mus
might –> migh (sounds like ‘my’)
interesting –> ineresting
internet –> inernet
Atlantic –> Atlanic
integration –> inegration
c) ‘t’ changes to ‘ch’ (especially when followed by ‘r’)
trip –> chrip
travel –> chravel
try –> chry
attract –> achract
3. Sound ‘a’
In many words ‘a’ sounds like ‘e’ (long and loud, open mouth). For example:
master // staff // fan // stand // answer // ask // spam // fast
4. Sound ‘o’
Short sound ‘o’ is often changed to sound more like a short ‘a’. For example:
hot // got // dot // a lot // not // top // nod
5. Sound ‘g’
In spoken language, ‘g’ often disappears at the end of the words like:
getting –> gettin
kidding –> kiddin
cutting –> cuttin
Contractions
Contractions are two words spoken together, for example:
Formal contractions (used in speaking and writing):
they’re
isn’t
you’ll
Informal contractions (don’t use them in business writing)
gonna
wanna
how’s
could’ev
The word ‘You’ changes the sound of the word before it (because it joins it):
do you –> dju
did you –> didju
could you –> coudju
but you –> bu tchu
put you –> pu tchu
For many more examples of contractions and to listen, click “Reduced Forms”.
Words that sound the same in Canadian English
In Canadian English, many words sound the same. That’s why you always have to listen to the sentence. For example:
Mary – merry – marry (three words sound the same)
horse – hoarse, four – for, morning – mourning, war – wore (pairs of words sound the same)
wine – whine, where – wear ( pairs of words sound the same)
cot – caught (sound the same)
ladder – latter (pairs sound the same because ‘t’ changes to ‘d’)
Individual words to pay attention to:
were – sounds like ‘Sir’
where – no ‘h’, sounds like ‘wear’
of – ev
good – gud or ged
her – ‘er
them – ’em
says – sez
said – sad
written – riten (no w, no i)
could – kud
the – tha
can – kn
can’t – ken
and – an
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