The Shape Of An Accent

When I first arrived, everyone who heard me speak asked me if I was here on holiday. They knew from the first word that I wasn't Australian and they guessed "American" pretty quickly.

I've noticed, recently, that no one asks if I'm here on holiday any more. They recognize that I'm not Australian -- an Australian accent may be impossible for anyone else to fake -- but they apparently think I do belong here. If they guess, they are far more likely now to guess that I'm Canadian. Being around Australians is softening the edges of my accent.

Australian vowels are wide and sometimes multi-syllabic. Imagine the grin on the Cheshire Cat. That's roughly the shape your mouth has to take to prounounce an "a" like an Australian. Though it helps if you've also got an extra hinge in your soft palate...

American vowels are flat, even hard and can tend to the nasally.

Canadian vowels are more....moderate than American (just like most things Canadian). A little softer, a little rounder, a little gentler.

If we were to assign geographical shapes to accents, then:

American

Canadian

Australian