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Canadian English is the form of English used in Canada, spoken as a first language by more than 19 million people as of 2003. In many respects, the spelling of Canadian English is intermediate between British English and American English. However, the spoken language is much closer to American English than British English. It is also influenced by Canadian French, as Canada has both English and French as official languages.
There is no universally accepted standard of Canadian spelling. In general, Canadians agree with British usage as to -our (honour, colour, endeavour) as well as the usage of -re (centre, theatre) along with many other classes of British/American spelling distinctions. However, -ize (plagiarize, dramatize, realize) is preferred to -ise in words where either ending is possible. American spellings prevalent in Canada include aluminum, artifact, jail, curb, program, specialty, tire, and carburetor. However, Canadian English uses the British spellings in such cases as cheque, grey, jewellery, pyjamas, storey and sulphur.
In some cases, British and American spellings may be mixed in different contexts. For instance, a Canadian would watch a television program, as in the United States, but would read the programme at a concert or theatrical performance, as in Britain. (See American and British English differences.)
Also, several lexical items come from British English or even archaic British English, such as lieutenant (/lɛf/-) and light standard (lamp-post). Several political terms are uniquely Canadian, including riding (a parliamentary constituency or electoral district) and to win by acclamation (to win uncontested).
A plausible contemporary reference for formal Canadian spelling is the spelling used for Hansard transcripts of the Canadian Parliament.
The primary aspect is a feature called " Canadian raising," when diphthongs are raised before voiceless consonants. For example, whereas many American dialects pronounce the first diphthongs in the words writer and rider the same, a Canadian will pronounce them (approximately) as /rʌiɾər/ and /raɪɾər/ (in IPAThis article is about the alphabet officially used in linguistics. The NATO phonetic alphabet ("alpha bravo") has been informally and nonstandardly called the International Phonetic Alphabet as well. The International Phonetic Alphabet is a phonetic alpha transcription). That is, the first part of the diphthong in both words in American English is ahh as in father; the first part of the diphthong in writer in Canadian English is uhh as in cut, a higher vowel than the American usage. However, some American English accents, particularly those near Ontario, speak like this. Note also that Canadian English shares with American English the phenomenon where /t/ and /d/ become /ɾ/ after a vowel and before an unstressed vowel. Canadian raising preserves the voicelessness of /t/ and the voicedness of /d/ where it is etymologically appropriate, even where the contrast is lost in the consonant itself.
Similarly, about will be raised from /əbaʊt/, as it is in American "Atlantic" dialect, to /əbʌut/, or nearly even /əbout/ in some dialects. The stereotypical "aboot" pronunciation, lampooned in the American television series South ParkThis article is about the animated television series. For other uses go to South Park (disambiguation). South Park is a comedy animated series created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Airing on Comedy Central since 1997, it follows the surreal adventures of is not usual; the stereotype may derive from an interpretation of the /əbout/ pronunciation as heard by someone who is used to the much lower /əbaʊt/ pronunciation.
Anecdotally, the /əbʌut/ or even /əbɛut/ vowels are heard in Ontario and further east, and the /əbout/ vowels are heard in the Western provinces. Also heard are: "can't", in Ontario, almost "kayant," whereas in the west, it becomes more "kahnt."
Notwithstanding the above, most Canadians say about as "a-bow-t" where you take a bow, not the bow and arrow. In Ontario, there will also be heard juring for during, and the sort for the words usings 'dur'.
Canadian English also pronounces the short "a" of "bat" slightly further back than American English. There is a tendency to monophthongA monophthong is a "pure" vowel sound, one whose articulation at both beginning and end is relatively fixed, and which does not glide up or down towards a new position of articulation; compare diphthong. In the English language, there are in practice relaize the long "a" and "o" sounds, resulting in /be:t/ for "bait" and /bo:t/ for "boat" (though this occurs usually in rapid speech). "Cot" and "caught" merge into /kɑt/ as in Californian English. Finally, the broad /ɑ/ of foreign loan words in words like "drama" or "Iraq" are usually pronounced like the short "a" of "bat": /dræmə/, /Iræk/.
Americans sometimes claim to be able to recognize some Canadians instantly by their use of the word ehEh is a spoken interjection. Although the use of eh is regarded by some as characteristically Canadian, most usages of eh are spread throughout the English-speaking world, in the meaning of "Huh?", "What?", "Hey", or "Repeat that, please". It is an invari. However, only a certain usage of eh (detailed in the article) is peculiar to Canada, and it is more common in southern OntarioOntario ( In Detail) ( In Detail) Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Loyal she began, loyal she remains Capital Toronto Largest City Toronto Area Total % fresh water 4th largest(2nd lgst prov. 1 076 395 km² 14. 7% Population Total (2001) Density Rank and the MaritimesThe Maritimes or Maritime provinces are a region of Canada on the Atlantic coast, consisting of the three provinces New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes are located northeast of New England, southeast of Quebec's Gaspe penins than elsewhere in the country.
(It should be noted that, in some parts of the United States, American English exhibits features of Canadian English, including Canadian Raising and the use of eh. Canadian accents are sometimes detected among Michiganders and their northern fellows.)