American versus Canadian

Canadian and American English are sometimes different.

 

For spelling:
America: color, neighbor, favor, flavor
Canada: colour, neighbour, favour, flavour

America: theater, center
Canada: theatre, centre

For vocabulary:
Sometimes, students in America call teachers “ma’am” or “sir” as in “Yes, ma’am.” or “Yes, sir.”  Watch to see what the other students in your classes do.

America: grades
Canada: marks

America: ninth grade, freshman year
Canada: grade nine

America: sophomore year, tenth grade
Canada: grade ten

America: junior year, eleventh year
Canada: grade eleven

America: soda
Canada: pop

America: hot tea
Canada: tea

America: tea
Canada: iced tea

America: wheat bread
Canada: brown bread

America: you’re welcome, or ‘uh huh’ which sounds rude in Canada
Canada: you’re welcome

America: going to college
Canada: going to university

America: cafeteria
Canada: cafeteria or canteen

America: candy bar
Canada: chocolate bar

America: Huh?
Canada: Eh?

America: restroom, washroom
Canada: washroom, bathroom

America: call (as in, “Call me tomorrow.”)
Canada: phone

America: mom (It sounds a bit like it rhymes with the name ‘Tom’.)
Canada: mum, mom  (Even if we write ‘mom’, in Canada we say it as if it rhymes with ‘some’.)

America: field day
Canada: sports day

America: check  (in a restaurant)
Canada: check or bill

America: blush (makeup)
Canada: blush or blusher

America: fender (on a car)
Canada: fender or bumper

America: gondola
Canada: gondola or cable car

America: campground
Canada: campground or campsite

America: bureau, dresser, chest of drawers (furniture)
Canada: dresser, chest of drawers

America: plastic wrap
Canada: cling wrap

America: bus station
Canada: bus station, bus depot

America: quilt
Canada: duvet, quilt

America: flatware, silverware
Canada:  cutlery, silverware

America: vacation
Canada: holiday, vacation

America: frosting, icing
Canada: icing

America: sweat pants
Canada: track pants, sweat pants

America: traffic circle
Canada: roundabout

America: jump rope
Canada: skipping rope, jump rope

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