European Reacts to How to Tell Americans and Canadians Apart

[00:00:00]That's a great question. How to tell Americans and Canadians apart? My friends, I have to be honest with you. I always Okay, this will be controversial, but I I have to be honest with you. I always thought America was like the premium country and Canada was the budget option. I'm joking. Yes, I'm joking. My friends, before I go into this, let me ask you for one thing. If you can leave a like, thank you so much. If you subscribe, well, you make my day. Let's go.

[00:00:30]>> Hello. I need to admit, >> actually, not let's go. Link for the original video below. And nowadays, you can also wipe a video. Helps a lot.

[00:00:38]Please do it.

[00:00:39]>> Hello. I need to admit something to you that I don't ever said publicly. Back when I lived in Britain, I used to think that Americans and Canadians all sounded the same. But let me tell you, now that I live in Chicago, I've met my fair share of Canadians. even though some of them turned out to be from Minnesota, they don't entirely sound like Americans because while it is true that there's a lot of crossover between American and Canadian English suff Okay, uh the thing about the accents, right, this may sound crazy to you. I cannot tell the difference. I'm being honest. I mean, I have a Russian English accent. What the hell do I know? I think I sound like Americans, you know, but I don't. So separating Australians from Canadians a bit difficult to me. I I guess the British accent is more easy to tell.

[00:01:28]>> Differences do exist in vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation. For instance, because Canada wasn't included in the American spelling reform of the 1820s, many of their words follow British spelling. Stay tuned until the end to find out which ones in the meantime.

[00:01:44]So, a few years ago, my wife and I were watching the Netflix series Ann with an E, which is set in Canada. And all the way through it, the main character keeps saying the word sorry, but she pronounced it in a way that I've never heard. And I've been alive for 40 for it for a few years. How did she say it?

[00:02:00]>> I am so extremely sorry.

[00:02:03]>> Sorry.

[00:02:05]See, that sounded right to me. Sorry, my friends. Let's go again. Uh this this accents look I I'm not the best person to react to this type of videos because I mean I I don't know everything sounds similar but >> for a few years. How did she say it?

[00:02:22]>> I am so extremely sorry.

[00:02:24]>> Sorry.

[00:02:25]>> Sorry. Okay. That's weird. No, no, no.

[00:02:28]Now I get it. Sorry. Sorry.

[00:02:33]What?

[00:02:34]And at first I thought it was this actress being weird and then I heard it from a Canadian YouTuber and then another Canadian YouTuber and another one until I put two and two together and realized no, this is just how a lot of Canadians say the word sorry. Now I mentioned earlier that Canada did take on many British spellings. Stay tuned for that. But what about pronunciations?

[00:02:58]Okay, >> you may remember a few years ago when I told you Americans pronounce the word lieutenant as lieutenant, whereas British people say left tenant. Well, after looking it up, >> see, that's a big difference.

[00:03:11]>> I discovered today that the Canadian military favors the British way. And also, a few years ago, I profess my love for Americans that pronounce the word bag as big. And honestly, it was a big mistake. I should never have done this because I've since received seven marriage proposals. But while in American terms that is a niche way of saying the word bag in Canada this wait that is only only one way to say bag.

[00:03:40]Wait am I saying this wrong? Bag be wait friends I'm learning English. I didn't expect this today.

[00:03:48]>> And honestly it was a big mistake. I should never have done this because I've since received seven marriage proposals.

[00:03:53]But while in >> Sorry I go back actually. No, no, no.

[00:03:56]I'm very curious about this.

[00:03:58]>> Lieutenant, whereas British people say left tenant. Well, after looking at discovered today that the Canadian military favors the British way. And also a few years ago, I profess my love for Americans that pronounce the word bag as big. And honestly, it was a big mistake. I should never have done this because I've since received bagg.

[00:04:18]Do you guys know anyone that says be?

[00:04:22]It's almost a bagel. What? seven marriage proposals. But while in American terms that is a niche way of saying the word bad in Canada this apparently is a more widespread way of saying it, making Canadians 17% sexier.

[00:04:35]But it's not just the way Canadians speak. It's sometimes the words they use.

[00:04:41]>> Okay, I just want to say a couple of things. At the beginning, I was joking.

[00:04:44]I hope you guys understand that. Do I think America is a better country than Canada? I mean again to my head the answer would be yes but I think Canada is is a great country. Don't don't get it twisted. You know >> it's a beautiful country for sure.

[00:05:05]>> When you're talking about the vocabulary of two different countries. This usually involves hats. Just as Brits and Americans can't agree on what to call the hat worn by Charlie Chaplan. It's a bowler hat. It's definitely a derby hat.

[00:05:17]Canadians, surprise surprise, have their own word for a specific type of winter hat that's known in the United States as a beanie and in Britain as a woolly hat or beanie sometimes. What do Canadians call it? A toque. That's not how you say it. It's pronounced toque. Well, >> interesting. Actually, there is a Portuguese word for the thing you put in your head when you go swimming. The name is to. So, it's kind of similar. Well, since Chicago has Canada light weather, I often find myself wearing a toque. So, solidarity with my neighbors to the north. And apparently, Canadians have renamed the entire wardrobe because they add to what is already a heated debate in North America. Famously, Americans are split on whether to call these sneakers tennis shoes or what's the other one? Gym shoes. Well, no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Tennis. That's tennis, Muffins. Right.

[00:06:12]Sneakers. Isn't sneakers the thing you eat the chocolate?

[00:06:15]>> These as runners. And why not have a party in which we invite my country, too? I used to call these trainers. So, most of us can't even agree on what to call our footwear, never mind which shoes to wear. Ah, don't mind me. I was just reading through some of my notes in my exercise book. An exercise book is the name that we give in British schools to a notepad. This kind of notepad to be specific. And you know, while Americans don't typically refer to this as an exercise book, they do either call it a notebook, a notepad, or a writing pad.

[00:06:44]Well, my Canadian friends north of here have I think the best name for this. And that word, and I think I'm going to start using this from this day forward, is scribbler. It just has such feeling behind it. And I think we need more of that in the world. A few weeks ago, I did a video about how British and American toilets are very >> Can I be honest with you, my friends?

[00:07:02]This title misleading. This tit I love Lawrence. This title is misleading.

[00:07:07]I cannot tell the difference between Canadians and Americans after this. U so complicated, >> very different. And in that video, I told you that we also use different words to describe bits of the toilet.

[00:07:19]For instance, when we in Britain refer to public toilets, we might call them the ladies or the gents, the lose or the public toilets. In America, it's usually restroom. And in Canada, >> yeah, that I I didn't like it. I prefer public toilet. You guys really say restroom, so you rest there.

[00:07:36]>> Some people might use a word that used to apparently be popular in the United States and that word is washroom.

[00:07:43]Something pretty major, I think, that separates Canadian English from American English is how it pronounces the last letter of the alphabet. Speak to most Canadians and they'll tell you that they are unified with the British on this one.

[00:07:55]>> Perhaps my favorite Canadianism is >> I end up learning that way in school. So >> a word for something that none of us can agree on. That thing that British people call a multi-story car park and that Americans call a parking garage.

[00:08:07]Canadians primarily in the west of the country call this a parkade, a port manto of parking arcade. Another thing that all three countries have a different word for is the big building where you keep fire engines. Growing up in Britain, this was always known to me as a fire station. But moving to Chicago, I realized, oh, you can be fancy and call it a firehouse. Very cozy. Well, Canadians apparently add a communal element to this by calling it a fire hall. I'm just >> I call that a building. That's Do you guys know that word? Building. Building for firemen's is what I say.

[00:08:41]>> Picturing Canadian firefighters around in luxury listening to Brahms. Speaking of fire, come on England. Oh, is Steve there? During past World Cups, football chats with Steve would frequently put me in debt. So, I decided to do something about it. I joined Mint Mobile. Mint Mobile offers premium wireless plans starting at just 15 bucks a month. And the best part for me is I didn't have to deal with sales people. I also like that Mint doesn't make you pay for data that you're never going to use. You can choose exactly what fits your needs. 5 GB, 15 GB, 20 GB, or >> Okay, my friends, you guys all know the deal. Show him all the support. We love Lawrence here. But let's skip this part.

[00:09:19]>> Mint Mobile for details. And now, as promised, we've reached that time in the video that you've all been waiting for, when I, Lawrence Brown, am going to be given a list of words, and I've got to guess whether they are spelled the British way or the American way in.

[00:09:32]>> Okay, I'm going to play this also.

[00:09:33]>> Canada defense. So, that's a word.

[00:09:38]>> Uh, no. Uh, the first one >> word where in Britain we usually spell that with a C and in America it's with an S. I think this is another example of how the 1820s changed all this for American English. Probably didn't for Canadian English. I bet Canadians spell it the British way. There you go. This is easy so far. Traveling, which I suppose has two L's in British English.

[00:10:05]Handle.

[00:10:08]Uh, I have no I have no idea, my friends.

[00:10:12]traveling. I tried traveling the first way.

[00:10:16]>> Only one usually in American English.

[00:10:18]I'm not entirely sure with this one.

[00:10:20]Canadians probably go with the Americans on this. Oh, okay. Wow. Aluminum. Oh, this is an interesting one because the story of Yeah, I always like the American way.

[00:10:33]It's a good day to be an American, my friends. I'm not. I I know.

[00:10:36]>> How aluminum came about is something that I've talked about before. I suspect Canadians tend to go for aluminum. Hey, color. So, the version without a U I think goes back to American spelling reform. So, first one is much better probably for the most part retain the British spelling here. Keep the U in that's correct. Center. This is a similar one. I think >> Canadians are always disappointing me.

[00:11:00]Words ending in the re suffix were by and large changed to an e r spelling here in the US for Canadian to have made that change especially since they are also influenced quite heavily by French.

[00:11:13]This is an interesting one that I've also done a YouTube short about. Curb as in that part of the side of the road that I grew up spell Eb. However, Americans you spell it curb. So how do Canadians spell it? I think when it comes to things like roads and road travel, Canadians probably align more with Americans. I assume cuz this is all stuff that came later in the 19th century when Canadian English was probably getting more influenced by American English. So I think that Canadians probably spell it curb. All right, perfect. Tire one good decision or a bike tire. The >> what? Oh my. Okay, my friends, George Washington was a great man. There is a reason he end up kicking them out.

[00:11:57]>> British used to spell called American way until they changed it. But I bet among Canadians it's spelled T I R E.

[00:12:04]Amazing. I'm more knowledgeable than I thought. I like that. In Britain we spell it A N A E S T H E S I.

[00:12:15]>> You know what? Weird enough, I like the UK version here.

[00:12:19]>> A. And in America, they don't usually spell Canada and America have completely systems. Does that extend to the way they spell things within the healthcare field? And I'm not entirely sure. I'm going to say it's one of those where Canada goes with the British way.

[00:12:35]>> Really? Oh wow. Well, Canadians, I can tell you that probably numbs the pain from having to spell it the British way.

[00:12:42]>> Today's guest can >> Well, okay. Thank you so much for watching this with me, my friends. Um, I think instead of uh American English, uh, UK English, British English, Canadian English, I think you guys need to adopt Russian English. You know what I mean? It's much easier. Uh, you know what's that? Fireplace, firehouse is a building. You know what I mean? I'm not I'm not saying anything with any sense today. Well, friends, thank you so much for watching this with me. Love all of you. See you guys in the next one. Bye.