Pronunciation:
* Vowel Sounds: Canadian English often has a more "open" vowel sound compared to American English. For example, the "a" in "cat" sounds more like the "a" in "father" in Canada, while Americans tend to use a shorter, more "flat" sound.
* "About" and "Out": Canadians pronounce the "ou" in these words with a sound closer to "oot" (like "hoot"), while Americans tend to pronounce it as "owt."
* "House" and "Mouse": Canadians pronounce the "ou" in these words with a sound closer to "oo" (like "hoos"), while Americans pronounce it as "ow" (like "how").
* "Sorry" and "Toronto": Canadians often pronounce the "or" in these words with a more relaxed, almost "ah" sound, while Americans tend to use a more distinct "or" sound.
* "Cot" and "Caught": The "cot-caught" merger, where the sounds of "cot" and "caught" become the same, is more prevalent in American English. Canadians tend to maintain a distinction between the two sounds.
Vocabulary:
* Regionalisms: While the core vocabulary is largely shared, there are regional variations. For example, Canadians might use "zed" instead of "zee" for the letter "z," or "washroom" instead of "bathroom."
* Canadianisms: Some words and phrases are unique to Canada, such as "eh" (a filler word like "huh"), "loonie" (Canadian dollar), "toonie" (Canadian two-dollar coin), and "Tim Hortons" (a popular coffee chain).
Intonation:
* Rising intonation: Canadian English often has a more rising intonation at the end of sentences, even in declarative statements. This can sound more questioning or friendly than the flat intonation common in American English.
Other Factors:
* Regional Variations: Just as there are different American accents (Southern, New York, etc.), Canada also has regional variations in its English accent (Maritimes, Ontario, British Columbia, etc.).
* Influence of other Languages: Canada has a diverse population, and its accent has been influenced by languages like French, Indigenous languages, and others.
Key Point: The differences between American and Canadian accents are subtle but noticeable. They're a result of historical, linguistic, and geographic factors that have shaped the way each country speaks English.