Canadian English facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Canadian English |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Canada | |||
| Native speakers | 19.4 million in Canada (2011 census) about 15 million, c. 7 million of which with French as the L1 |
|||
| Language family |
Indo-European
|
|||
| Writing system | Latin (English alphabet) Unified English Braille |
|||
|
||||
Canadian English is the way people in Canada speak and write the English language. It's a bit like a mix of two other types of English: American English and British English.
When it comes to the words people use (their vocabulary), Canadian English is very similar to American English. But when it comes to how sentences are put together (their grammar), it's more like British English.
Spelling and Words
In Canadian schools, students usually learn to spell words the British way. For example, they spell "colour" with a 'u' and "flavour" with a 'u'.
However, because Canadians watch a lot of American TV shows and listen to American pop music, many of the words they use are American. Sometimes, even the British spelling might be changed to the American way, like "plow" instead of "plough" or "program" instead of "programme".
Car Talk
There's one big exception to the spelling rule, and that's words about cars and the auto industry. Canada's car companies have always been closely linked to American ones. Because of this, Canadians use American words and spellings for car parts and related terms.
For example:
- Canadians say tire instead of tyre (for the rubber part of a wheel).
- They put gasoline or gas in their cars instead of petrol.
- They store things in the trunk of a car instead of the boot.
- They might drive a truck instead of a lorry.
How Canadian English Sounds
Canadian English also has its own unique sound. The way people speak can be different depending on where they are in Canada. Some Canadian accents might sound quite similar to British English, while others are very much like the accents you hear in the northern parts of the United States. Sometimes, it can be hard to tell the difference between a Canadian accent and an American one!
Related pages
Images for kids
-
Based on Labov et al.; averaged F1/F2 means for speakers from N.S., N.B., N.L.
-
Canadian passport stamp from Queenston Bridge, showing the date 8 June 2014
-
A Canadian-built Curtiss JN-4C "Canuck" training biplane of 1918, with a differing vertical tail to the original US version
In Spanish: Inglés canadiense para niños
