## [Canadian raising: A feature that differentiates Canadian and American English](/en/blogue-blog/canadian-raising-eng) Posted on June 23, 2025 Written by [Rishi Gopinath (About the author)](/en/blogue-blog/canadian-raising-eng#auteur-author) ![](/sites/default/files/blog_canadian-raising_376x250.png) General American English (GAE) and Standard Canadian English (SCE) are the standard varieties of American and Canadian English. When you turn on a major news channel in either country, chances are that you’re hearing these standard varieties. While both GAE and SCE share quite a few features, they also differ in a few aspects. In this post, I’ll be discussing one of these aspects – Canadian raising. In just about any American film or TV show, when it comes to Canada, there’s almost definitely going to be an **aboot** joke. While this might irritate us Canucks, the reality is that there is some truth to this trope. ## What is Canadian raising? Canadian raising is the linguistic phenomenon that refers to when speakers of SCE raise the pronunciation of the sounds **aɪ** (pronounced as **aye**)aye and **aʊ** (pronounced as **ow**)ow before certain consonants in words like **price** and **about**. The symbols I’ve used here belong to the International Phonetic Alphabet – an alphabet system created to represent sounds accurately. By **raise**, what I mean is that the sounds **aɪ**aye and **aʊ**ow are pronounced with the tongue in a higher position in the mouth by some speakers. This raise can be represented as the sounds shifting from **aɪ**aye and **aʊ**ow (where **a** sounds like **ah**) to **ʌɪ**uh-ee and **ʌʊ**uh-o (where **ʌ** sounds like **uh**). ## Where do we hear Canadian raising? A speaker of SCE would pronounce the words **rider** and **writer** differently (they’d raise the **aɪ**aye sound in **writer**). The same happens with the words **cloud** and **clout** (the **aʊ**ow sound would be raised in **clout**). You’ll notice the same effect when asking a speaker of SCE to say the words **prize** and **price**. The position of the **aɪ**aye sound in the latter is noticeably raised. This is why when a stereotypical speaker of SCE says a word like **about**, it might sound jarring to speakers of English who don’t raise the **aɪ**aye and **aʊ**ow sounds. Though, to be entirely honest, hearing a Canadian say **aboot** is incredibly unlikely, as they’re more likely to pronounce it along the lines of **aboat**! These days it’s not uncommon to find Canadian raising in a number of dialects even outside the ambit of SCE. A large number of GAE speakers have also been found to possess this tendency, though it’s generally less pronounced (no pun intended). However, Canadian raising remains a characteristic feature of the way many Canadians speak. ## What can Canadian raising teach us? Ultimately, I think that while Canadian raising might not be the most beautiful variation in the English language, it certainly has its endearing aspects. With the changes taking place in the way English is being spoken around the world, acknowledging and appreciating the tiny quirks that make our accents what they are is something I think we can all learn from. What quirks have you noticed in the way that you and others speak? Has anyone ever asked you about your accent? ## Disclaimer The opinions expressed in posts and comments published on the Our Languages blog are solely those of the authors and commenters and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Language Portal of Canada. - [Leave a comment](#article-comments) - [Read the comments (3) ](#comments) ## Get to know Rishi Gopinath ![](/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_rishi_gopinath.png?itok=1XSJB8kO) ### Rishi Gopinath Growing up in the diverse Greater Toronto Area, Rishi Gopinath came to appreciate linguistics and all things language related. Rishi is fluent in English and Sanskrit, among other languages, and maintains a blog where you’ll find thought-provoking pieces on a variety of topics, including film, philosophy, music, and more. Having recently completed a degree in Vedic Studies, Rishi seeks to share his knowledge with others while learning more and more. ## More posts by Rishi Gopinath - [The cot-caught distinction in Canadian and American English](/en/blogue-blog/distinction-in-canadian-and-american-english-eng) ## Search by related themes Looking for more blog posts on the same themes? Click on the links below to see all the posts on the Our Languages blog that relate to the theme you selected. The search results will be displayed in [Language Navigator](/en/navigateur-navigator). - [General knowledge](/en/navigateur-navigator?search_api_fulltext=-&field_writing_tools=1416&sort_by=views&f%5B1%5D=navigateur_navigator_english_theme%3A464#navigateur-navigator-resultats-results) ## Leave a comment Please consult the “Comments and interaction” section on the [Canada.ca Terms and conditions page](https://www.canada.ca/en/transparency/terms.html) before adding your comment. The Language Portal of Canada reviews comments before they’re posted. We reserve the right to edit, refuse or remove any question or comment that violates these commenting guidelines. By submitting a comment, you permanently waive your moral rights, which means that you give the Government of Canada permission to use, reproduce, edit and share your comment royalty-free, in whole or in part, in any manner it chooses. You also confirm that nothing in your comment infringes third party rights (for example, the use of a text from a third party without his or her permission). Join in the conversation and share your comments! You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Your name **(required)** Email address (Example: yourname@domain.com) Comment **(required)** Submit Leave this field blank ## Comments Comments are displayed in the language they were submitted. Read comments Submitted by Christine Oneson on June 23, 2025, at 14:32 What about the word "aunt"? It sounds so much more posh when pronounced by our friends to the South, while we Canadians make the word sound like an entomological term. - [Reply](/en/comment/reply/node/102841/comment/7932) In reply to [What about the word "aunt"?](/en/comment/7932#comment-7932) by Christine Oneson Submitted by Rishi Gopinath on August 1, 2025, at 10:41 Hi Christine, that's a great question! Interestingly, it's been found that the word 'aunt' is only widely pronounced with the 'long-A' sound (ɑː) in the Northeastern United States. Outside of New England, most if not all Americans pronounce it with the 'open-A' sound (æ) that many of us Canadians tend to pronounce it with. Inevitably, many of us North Americans tend to make a homophone out of our aunts and ants! - [Reply](/en/comment/reply/node/102841/comment/7969) Submitted by LP on July 22, 2025, at 7:36 House with ʌʊ? This is totally inaccurate. - [Reply](/en/comment/reply/node/102841/comment/7952) ## Related links - [Our Languages blog archives](/en/blogue-blog-archives) - [Write a post for the Our Languages blog](/en/blogue-blog/contribute-contribuer) - [Editorial policy for the Our Languages blog](/en/blogue-blog/politique-policy-eng) - [The Golden Quill: An initiative of the Our Languages blog](/en/blogue-blog/plume-dor-golden-quill-eng) - [Our Languages blog](/en/blogue-blog-index) (home page) - [Contact the Language Portal of Canada](/en/apropos-about-eng#a8) - 2112 views - [Join in the conversation and share your comments!](/en/blogue-blog/canadian-raising-eng#comment-form "Share your thoughts and opinions.") Language English