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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How to Listen and Understand

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