American Accents of Toronto

[ganjavih]

And I don't hear any big accent difference among the English speaking people of the two cities.

Yeah, I think that's a load of crap. Torontonians don't sounds any more American that Anglo Montrealers. In fact, a lot of the Jewish folk I encounter in Montreal sounds like they're from Brooklyn. Maybe some of them are.

 

[Archivist]

I scored Canadian.

I have had people (in Vancouver, and the Maritimes) identify me as Ottawan from my accent, but only rarely. When they did, though, they were exactly right about it.

Something to do with really hard "Rs".

 

[Mot]

I got Northeastern. Which is right on target for this Jersey guy.
It's interesing because since moving here people assume I am from here.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

I got Northeastern. Which is right on target for this Jersey guy.
It's interesing because since moving here people assume I am from here.

don't you mean....

agat northeaster. witches rite on taget four this joysee gaaa. it's intrestin cause since movin heeya peepole assume eyes from heeya.

 

[Long Island Mike]

This test got my accent correct-Northeastern(LI) is what I do speak!

Everyone: I took this test and it actually got my accent location correct-Northeastern-on the map Northern New Jersey,NYC,The NYS Hudson Valley,Long Island,Connecticut and Rhode Island are shaded.

I read some of the posts and from what I have noticed on my past trips and observations that Southern Ontario definitely has a noticeable accent compared to Western New York. I noticed it even just crossing the border at Niagara Falls!

WNY and other Great Lakes regions speak what I consider to be a Northern or "Lakes" US accent-from NYS's Lake Ontario areas W across extreme NW Pennsylvania,Northern Ohio,Michigan,Northern Indiana,Northern Illinois,Wisconsin and then Minnesota. There are noticeable dialects even there like Minnesotan(satired in the movie "Fargo") and the speech of Chicagoland (as satired on NBC's Saturday Night Live back in the 90s in the "Da Bears" skit about NFL Chicago Bears fans) as good examples.

I feel that many English Canadians speak a form of "General American" with certain words that could be considered "Canadianized" as mentioned previously. Quebecois definitely have a noticeable accent-especially those that speak English as a second language.

I remember reading that the "Bob and Doug McKenzie Great White North Hoser accent" - is actually them satirizing the Eastern Ontario-namely the Ottawa area's-distinct accent. Is that actually true?

I must mention my Long Island or NYC area accent-which stands out away from that area. Even though I have lost some of the hard edge of it I probably will never lose it totally. This is an interesting subject-accents do fascinate me!

Observations and insight from Long Island Mike

 

[Tewder]

I've noticed an interesting phenomenon with anglos living in Montreal who speak English in an ever so slightly broken way, as if influenced by hearing it spoken that way by francophones around them all the time. I hear something similar to this with native born Canadians who are the children of immigrants whose mother tongue is not English, i.e. with Italian-Canadians.

 

[BuildTO]

I feel that many English Canadians speak a form of "General American" with certain words that could be considered "Canadianized" as mentioned previously.

With all due respect, that's an ethnocentric attitude - the idea that someone else's behaviour is an offshoot or variation of your own. Canadian English has its own history. It is not a form of American English any more than American English is a form of Canadian English.

 

[Urban Shocker]

I got Northeastern.

 

[Long Island Mike]

One of the USA and Canada's strongest ties-the English language!

BuildTO: Canadian and American English indeed ARE different but they are so similar in many ways-the English language is one of North America's strongest ties-thanks to our common English ancestry in the founding of the US and Canada. LI MIKE

 

[Urban Shocker]

Next time I meet Mot and the Toronto-born members of this forum I'll pay close attention to which of their accents I find closer to mine, given my test results.

 

[Dilla]

Yeah, I think that's a load of crap. Torontonians don't sounds any more American that Anglo Montrealers. In fact, a lot of the Jewish folk I encounter in Montreal sounds like they're from Brooklyn. Maybe some of them are.

Agreed. I lived in Montreal for a couple of years, and i know anglo Montrealers here in Toronto, and you'd have to want to find a difference for there to be one.

 

[afransen]

I've noticed an interesting phenomenon with anglos living in Montreal who speak English in an ever so slightly broken way, as if influenced by hearing it spoken that way by francophones around them all the time. I hear something similar to this with native born Canadians who are the children of immigrants whose mother tongue is not English, i.e. with Italian-Canadians.

Like sangwich?

 

[billy corgan]

I'm neutral. I have no local IDENTITY, noooooooo!

 

[ganjavih]

I've noticed an interesting phenomenon with anglos living in Montreal who speak English in an ever so slightly broken way, as if influenced by hearing it spoken that way by francophones around them all the time. I hear something similar to this with native born Canadians who are the children of immigrants whose mother tongue is not English, i.e. with Italian-Canadians.

Yeah, I've definitely noticed that. Many anglos in Montreal don't speak English all that well, esp. those from Greek and Italian families. Someone once asked me where I came from because I didn't sound like a Montrealer... I spoke English too well.

 

[ganjavih]

Canadian... woo hoo!