No Canadian says "aboot" for about :P

Go directly north of Minnesota/North Dakota/Eastern Montana and I virtually guarantee the common usage of the word "about" as "aboot."


Though it should be noted that the Scandinavian-inspired accent from which this pronunciation is derived (the Fargo accent) is also very common in Eastern North Dakota and Northern Minnesota, so it's hardly exclusive to Canadians in the middle provinces.

 

I think it's more of a newfie thing.

 

When my boyfriend who's from Saskatchewan says "about" it sounds more like "aboat."

 

No, not at all. Yours was the typical American pronunciation, "Abowt" with bow the same as "Take a bow."

 

Nope, not aboat or aboot to me!

If anything I think the Canadian accent has similarities to a Northern English accent (maybe Yorkshire way?) in this regard. It is more of an "abOwt".

 

This is what I hear as the "typical" Canadian pronunciation.

To the OP, I doubt anyone would say that *every* Canadian does this...but I've heard it from enough Canadians (and from enough parts of Canada) to think of it as reasonably common. Proving that *you* don't say it that way does nothing to support your claim that "no Canadian" says it that way.

 

When I have been to Ontario, it is 50/50. It depends with whom you are speaking.

I like your voice by the way. :smilewave

 

What about the Canadians who like to be ironic?

 

Have you been to the Maritimes? Most east coasters say it like 'aboot', i never noticed until I travelled. haha

 

I have never said "mate" non-mockingly in my entire life. :lol: Then again, my accent is nothing near stereotypical.

My Canadian friend never says "aboot," but her French is hilarious.

 

Ehm, Am I the only one who read the title and immediately had a South Park flashback?

 

The only people I have ever heard say "about" as "aboot" were from the eastern shore area of Virginia.

 

I have been only to southwest Ontario to be fair. This would include the Sarnia area(the Pinery), London/Chatham, and Windsor.

When I worked in a national call center, people would ask if I was from Canada though because I always pronounce any vowels with a long sound rather than short for many words.

 

No, but you do say "sore-y" instead of sorry. I think it's adorable.

 

Um, I heard "aboot" no less than four times there, young grasshopper. :rolle:

J/k. Nice voice, btw.

 

Hey, love, I'm not sure if you're from the region where it sounds like "aboot."

I'm a northwestern speaker, and when I was in Victoria, BC for 4 years, I only heard one person say "aboot." Everybody else rendered it as "about." It sounds like you say "about" as well.

One thing I do like about Canadian English is how you all say "zed" insead of "zee" for the letter Z.