I was in the Niagara Falls area (Canadian side) a few years ago and I would say that about half had American accents and the other had the stereo typical Canadian accent. Though the ones with the American accents could have actually been Americans who just work on the Canadian side.

Honestly though, the Canadian accent isn't much different than Wisconsin/Minnesota accent. That whole Great Lakes area was heavily settled by Scandinavians so in addition to the Brits and the French, so it's almost like an evolved combination of British and Scandinavian.

@Ferret
I agree, Australian sounds like a cross between British and American with their own slang thrown in. Though I always thought that the American half of that equation sounded very Southern American.

Most generic movie represented Aussies sound like what we call rednecks here...our "country" people sound like that mainly, I guess that part could be towards southern states in the US, yknow...a little bit...I'd probably notice it less.

Most of the coastal/city folks sound a bit more like Hugh Jackman, or Hugo weaving or Sam Neil if you've heard them on any interviews...etc

australian accents are probably my favorite.

I like Japanische

australian and south african are fairly similar until you here one of those distinct words Like black (blick)

once in canada for a few years they're really hard to tell apart.


as far as stereotypical strong accents go - (in movies, etc) they almost always represent what you get in the more rural areas where slang is more heavily used.

when you get to the urban centres - you rarely see strong accents - from my experience anyway

The Canadian accent is to the American as Aussie is to New Zealand, similar to almost everyone unless you're from that neck of the woods.

If you want to be a criminal mastermind, you better have a British accent

I see some similarities with the Scottish accent and Canadian accent, obviously not every one... I live in Glasgow and it's a small city, but they tend to have a different accent in each side of the city. then you go to the other parts of the country. But there are small similarities, like the way they say "about".

I can't believe how many times I have had people been scared of getting my Australian accent wrong and calling me kiwi or vice versa, as though I would kill them if they did...

Aparently Kiwis hate being mistaken for Aussies, funny how they all move to Australia though.

I hate being mistaken for a kiwi because they all sound so monotone and I sound nothing like them..

But it doesn't bother me really. I generally just laugh.

I was in a training day just last week, there was 4 Scots me (Aussie) and a Kiwiw girl, for an example in a situation the word chips was used and the Kiwi had to say it, but Kiwis say chups, not chips... ahh, funny stuff. They also say sex instead of six... :D

I had a Kiwi friend back in Uni, when I first met her I went with Australian. She wasnt happy but I think it was more that everyone she meets assumes shes Aussie and it pissed her off.

Only after meeting her and talking to her could I begin to distinguish between the two accents.


I wonder if you've met people in Glasgow with really strong accents, its frickin' impossible to understand what the hell is being said!

You just listen for the key words with some people... ;)


But I understand it all pretty well now.