American Pronunciations

[DaveP]

Isn't Toronto the 3rd or 4th largest city in America?

[torontogal12]

I love this. I took linguistics at university and I heart it so much.

The word pronunciation that bothers me the most is "nitch." Don't you mean niche? It is derived from a French word. One time someone said that to me and I was like "WTF is that word." Coupon is also French, so it's definitely "KOO-pon" not "KYOO-pon." My husband used to live in the U.S. and whenever I'd visit I would be in dialect examination heaven lololol

I also hate "click" when they really mean "clique" Pron: kl-EEK as in group of friends.

Just a short drive to Buffalo from Toronto (2 hours) but it's another world linguistically.

[Minou]

We really notice that thing they call the "Northern City Shift" in North Dakota/Minnesota when we visit... While most pronunciations tend to be similar to those on the Canadian prairies, in some words, there's kind of a whiny nasal drawl produced with the mouth drawn into a straight line from ear to ear and added to the vowels in certain words. "pAAAHHNts", "yeeeah". It almost sounds like they're trying to be too casual, or that there's a New York/New Jersey influence creeping in. To our ears, the difference is immediately recognizable.

At Wal-Mart, I heard a woman saying she was looking for "ToMAHTO Juice". I did a double take, thinking, perhaps, that she was looking for Clamato juice, but realizing that it didn't sound right.

A few years ago in a restaurant in North Dakota, we overheard a college girl at the table next to us talking to her aunts. It seemed like they were all from North Dakota, and that the girl was home from college for the summer. Well, when the girl was telling a story that involved a roof and she pronounced it "ruuuhf", her aunts broke into uncontrollable laughter. I guess her college was a little further south!

My husband thinks it's funny that I pronounce the word "Mom" Mum. He thinks the pronunciation should be "Mohm", but I suspect that's an American pronunciation. Funny -- as a kid, I never did think that a lot of Sesame Street sounded right.

I've had people from Eastern Canada say that the speech of people on the prairies sounds kind of clipped.

[DaveP]

I've had people from Eastern Canada say that the speech of people on the prairies sounds kind of clipped.

Nah, not clipped. Some of you are a bit sarcastic though...

[DaveP]

My husband thinks it's funny that I pronounce the word "Mom" Mum. He thinks the pronunciation should be "Mohm", but I suspect that's an American pronunciation.

I use both depending on how intimate I want to be and the company I'm speaking with and the subject, of course. Mom is generic, mum is intimate. Nothing wrong with saying mom, but when I say mum, it means I'm showing some small part of what she means to me.

[Poirot]

I use both depending on how intimate I want to be and the company I'm speaking with and the subject, of course. Mom is generic, mum is intimate. Nothing wrong with saying mom, but when I say mum, it means I'm showing some small part of what she means to me.

I spell it Mum and say Mum.When I was elementary school most of the kids in my class were pressuring me to spell it Mom on Mothers Day card we were making that the teacher had to explain Mum is a European way of spelling Mom.

[RebeccaRYoung]

My husband says q-pon. It's so weird and kind of annoying.

I'm going to be moving to Massachusetts soon, so I'm excited to see what the pronunciation of words will be there!

[GoJays]

My husband says q-pon. It's so weird and kind of annoying.

I'm going to be moving to Massachusetts soon, so I'm excited to see what the pronunciation of words will be there!

"We're leaving the ap-ah-tment, taking the cahh, and going to the h-ah-bah"
lol

[PurpleBunny89]

Oh my gosh Q-pon will be the death of me. I got in a slight argument (it was mostly one sided, my side) with a cashier at Kitchen Stuff Plus when he asked for my "Q-pon". Something to the affect of we are Canadian we don't pronounce it that way yadda yadda yadda. It was funny afterwards but I hate that word so much. Its CU-pon. Say it right.

I always write Mom but I pronounce it both ways; Mum and Mom.

The one DH and I make fun of the most on TV is Vee-hickle. Just call it a car if you have to!!!

[PurpleBunny89]

Oh yes and the reason why I came here, I read it at Marry-Ott

[iceblueraven]

One of my best friends is in Wisconsin, and I swear, whenever I visit, I can't say "Canada" right for 2 weeks after I get home!

It's more like: Qeeaanada

Driving directions consist of things like: "j'st go threw the stap n' go, right by th' Citgo" which translates to "just go through the stoplight at the intersection where the Citgo gas station is"

I thought the 'stop and go' (pronounced 'stap n' go') was a convenience store or something. :S

[super_e]

I always pronounce it caramel, and was a bit confused when a waitress at Friendly's once told us they had carmel sundaes.

Also the word route. I tend to pronounce it like the word "root" but often hear it pronounced like rah-oot.

I just checked on www.m-w.com, (online dictionary with sound clips that pronounce the word you look up) they have both pronunciations for both words, so I guess everyone's right!

[Darth Penguin]

Hmm, live and learn I guess. I always thought it was MarryOTT too. Of course, I spent a lot of time doing customer service over the phone for American companies so I sound pretty American - in a bland American TV/northern states way.

ETA: Though I can switch into Cape Bretonese at the drop of a hat that would leave most of you baffled.

haddaway an sh!te, hinnyman. I canna uderstan when thou talk fancy like that.Whyay man, i just need an Aris with my skin or possibly a Ruby before going down the apples to the rubber..luk chuck, its grate

[Patty Smyth]

nu-cu-lar <----- made me want to hammer Bush every time he said it, it's nuclear


eta - I always thought it was marry-ott too

[alicia]

nu-cu-lar <----- made me want to hammer Bush every time he said it, it's nuclear


eta - I always thought it was marry-ott too

Oh my gosh, yes! I am a chemist and the students at the university that say this drive me bonkers... I correct them every time.