Speaking American
The following list is courtesy of Calgary Actor/Dialect Coach David LeReaney. He teaches Canadians how to "speak American." He highlights differences in pronunciation and sometimes even in the very words we use to describe the same thing.
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The List of Important American Pronounciations to Watch For
(critical words are marked by *)
Sorry - Sahrry - a as in sari. Canadians say sohrry. Say "Bahrrow, tommahrrow, hahrror"
O - as in "possible" widens somewhat. Relaxed lips. Bahttom, ahtompistic, ahxygen, hahspital
Mom - Mahm. Not Muhm
Twenty - Twunny (Drop the t. Distress the e)
Ninety - Ninedy
Letter, Better - Ledder (a soft d)
*Again, against - Agen, agenst (Never agayn)
Tuesday - Toosday.
*Been - Bin, not bean
Interest - In-trist (drop the middle e) "intristing" or "inneresting"
*Z - Zee, never zed
Project, process, progress - Prah, not proh
Semi - Semeye on its own. Semi-finals, semi-conscious, semi-professional. Sometimes semee, when attached to another word. i.e. "semi-trailer"
Anti - Anteye. Sometimes but not always. Anti-biotic, anti-bacterial, anti-catholic - antee-freeze
Suggest - Sug-jest, usually not sujjest
*Schedule - Skedule, never shedule
Duke, news, tune, due, costume - (dook, noos, toon, doo) no y before the oo
Roof - Roof as in tooth (rhyming with woof is regional)
Advertisement - emphasis on ad or tise
Marry, Harry, guarantee, embarrass, harass - a as in cat, not as in care
Route - "Rowt", when referring to a path, journey or itinerary of stops. "Root" when referring to a road
Alright, already - Awright, awreddy
*Pasta - Pahsta as in pot not pat
Sure - Sher. Sometimes Shoorr
Often - Offen. Not often
Either, neither - Eether, neether, more usual than eyether, neyether
Orange - Ahrange
Words ending in 'ile'.
The i is shortened to an unstressed sound or dropped altogether.
missile - missle, sterile - steril, futile - futle, facile - fassle, versatile - versatl, fragile - frajl
Suppose - S'pose
*Detail - Ditail
*Data - Dayta
Whore - Rhymes with "more" not "lure"
Really - Rilly
Coupon - Coo-pon not cyoo-pon
Apricot - A (as in cat) pricot not aypricot
Drama - Drawma (does not rhyme with "gramma")
Toward - Tord
Associate - Assoshiate (this includes all its forms, i.e. "associative", "associating" etc. with the exception of "association" which is usually pronounced "ass-oe-see-ay-shun")
Decal - dee-cal
Envelope - More common than ahnvelope or (nasal) ahvelope
Football - Foo-ball (Glottal stop in place of the t)
Foyer - Foyer not foy-ay
Insurance - Insurance
Mirror - Meer
Phrases using the word "to":
have to - haffta
going to - gonna or goin' 'a
want to - wanna
able to - ableda
trying to - tryn'a
I'm going to - Eing'gna or Ahm'na
ought to - otta or awdda
Phrases using the word "you":
could you - coodya or coodya
couldn't you - coodn'ya or couldn'cha
would you - woodya or woodja
wouldn't you - woodn'ya or woodn'cha
did you - didya or didja
didn't you - didn'ya or didn'cha
what are you or what do you - waddaya
how do you - hahdaya
Canadian — American
Washroom — Restroom
Running shoes — Tennis shoes
Runners — Sneakers
Cheque — Check
Pop — Soda
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