Curiousity gets the cat.

My husband who is an American is always being mistaken for German when we are in Europe. He is always wondering why. When he tells them he is American they tell him he doesn't sound American. So my guess is your husband's accent is close to ours.

Funny, as too often folks in Europe think I am a Canadian. While I live near the border and visited often, have many friends/relatives just a few miles north and can sing O Canada...I am not Canadian. Also, no Roots or similar clothing. Maybe it's the Rogers Golden Syrup in our pantry.

Interesting discussion and I have a few thoughts to add. As some of the replies have indicated, one reason may be that Europeans see far more Americans than Canadians, so for them it's a safe assumption. Most of the time their guess will be correct. Since the U.S. population is ten times larger than Canada, more Americans than Canadians will be travelling. On the subject of determining nationality based on speech, Europeans are not as well versed in the regional accents of North America as they are in the regional accents of European countries. For example, I've found that many people in the U.K. can tell the difference between a Geordie, Scouse, London, Dublin or Belfast accent; I can't (although I'm getting better at it). Similarly, Italians can determine which area someone is from based on the type of dialect or accent. OTOH, a doubt that many Europeans would be able to tell the difference between the type of English spoken in the Pacific Northwest, NYC, Boston, or the deep south. Most of us that live here can usually manage a 'close' guess as we're exposed to this on TV and by domestic travel. When I'm visiting the U.S., I only have to say a few words before I'm "identified". One subtle but significant difference is with slang between the U.S. and Canada, which Europeans are usually not familiar with. I'm also frequently mistaken for American when in Europe, and I don't mind at all. However, I usually politely "set the record straight" as I'm proud to be Canadian! Canadians tend to be a bit "quieter" about our patriotism so our nationality is not always evident. However, I don't believe in travelling with Canadian Flags emblazoned on every bit of travel gear I own. This is often done "to excess" and to the point that it becomes annoying. Cheers!

We speak English without a Brit/Oz/NZ accent??

This might help him: http://www.cafepress.com/+canada_flag_trucker_hat,80331475

I think Diane has the right idea. The Canadian accent is very subtle, and people in other countries might not be able to distinguish it from an American accent. It's the same as us not being able to easily distinguish between an Australian accent and a New Zealand one.

He's probably taken for an American because he most likely blends into the US culture/population so well. On my very first trip to Europe, I recall asking my sister for all the normal "how do I blend in" advice. She told me anyone can tell I'm American....it's how we walk, how tall we are, how we dress, how we cut our hair, etc. I thought that was an odd answer at the time,but then I "got it" when I was actually in Europe. (Disclaimer: this does not apply to ALL Americans, as it is acknowledged we are a diverse culture.) If he were in a line-up of American guys here in America, would anyone automatically identify him as Canadian.....such is the case in Europe. I'd also guess that European people see many more Americans than Canadians, too. They probably think we all talk funny, and little accent or word differences (holiday, pronunciation of "schedule" a few "aeh's" and the such) are lost on them (as they probably are on 90% of America). The other more delicate topic is weight. Since so many Americans are well-fed looking, that could be another identifier (but maybe not in your husband's case).

So they don't assume you're American, also? I would think your husband might be in a better position to answer this question. But the bottom line is that there's little to no difference between most Canadians and most Americans. You would probably agree with that, right? Of course, there's quite a bit of differentiation in Quebec with respect to culture and language, but my own personal impression while traveling in BC and Ontario is that there really is no distinguishable difference in our dress, culture, language, etc. (although that accent in Ontario is pretty cool). Aside from the ubiquitous Tim Horton's or Pizza Pizza, you might even think you're in the US when in Canada...Home Depot, KFC, American Eagle Outfitters...you name it. At any rate, my assumption is that some may think you're both American due to your dress, language, general appearance, and other related factors. Why does it bother your husband's family that he gets mistaken for American? American culture influences culture all over the world, so it should be reasonable to understand how others might just automatically take both of you for Americans and not for Canadians. I love Canada (in fact, there are lots of things I prefer over the U.S.), but I don't think Canadian culture has the same level of penetration and is not as distinguishable by others around the globe as American culture. And there's something to that comment about the weight statistic...when 68% of your people are overweight or obese, it's definitely a distinguishing factor. What does your husband think about your question?

I often wonder if we Canadians get lumped together as Americans because we are all from "America"? Interesting to read perceptions of us by those of you in the U.S.

Each time I go to Europe I get mistaken for an American... I think it's simply that, as mentioned, Europeans are unable to detect the difference between Amer. and Can. accents. It may be readily obvious to us but not to them... While I'm a proud Canadian, I don't get too worked up about being referred to as an American...who cares? I politely correct the person and move on to more important/interesting discussions...lol
I will say however that once they discover I'm Canadian, we often end up having discussions about Americans and how Europeans feel about them. The overwhelming opinion that I've heard expressed is that Europeans like most Americans "as individuals" ( and I agree) but they are deeply concerned about the US government's foreign policy( as am I )... what a wonderfully complex world we live in!...

I do make this mistake. Firstly, it's because I just can't hear the difference between the accents. I don't know why because I can hear the difference between people from different countries that have similar accents. I listen to a few podcasts which have American and Canadian hosts and literally cannot pick out the difference. Secondly I am more likely to guess American because I see a lot more than them. I have chatted to so many American tourists in London, but not many Canadians. Almost everyone I met in America thought I was an Aussie which seems even madder to me, but there you go!

I guess I am the rare exception of an American that people I met in Europe thought I was Canadian, this occured last year when I was walking the Camino de Santiago! Maybe it was caused by me wearing a Vancouver Canucks hat during my walk, LOL. I gladly explained, first, I live in San Diego CA, secondly I told them I am a proud fan of the Canucks (we won't go into the Cup Final thank you very much) and third I explained if I could I would live in Vancouver, told them if there visited there they'd understand. Also spending time there every year I've been told I pick up the BC accent and have it when I return home.

If he or any of his family members are one of the many Canadian travelers that has the maple leaf flag on everything then they might unknowingly be a part of a gag. Friends, who's nationalities I won't reveal, like to ask the unsuspecting traveler if they are American or more subtly,what part of the south are they from. It's all harmless fun. They could care less so I would tell the hubby and his family to relax and tell the 'irritator' that they are Cambodian.

Leslie, how funny!! Reminds me of the old Saturday Night Live cone head skit of "just tell them you are from France."

@Barry, "I've been told I pick up the BC accent and have it when I return home" I didn't realize there was such a thing as a "BC accent"? Maybe that's why I'm so quickly identified as a Canadian whenever I travel in the U.S. (LOL). To add to my original reply, one Canadian regional accent that some Europeans may be unfamiliar with is the Newfie accent. Here's a brief example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYn0J_zaKa8&feature=related

Well Paul,, way to go off topic,, perhaps I misread,, or didn't read carefully enough,, did anyone say Americans were snobbish? Perhaps you meant to say Canadians are every bit as proud to be
Canadians, as Americans are proud to be American.. you must have meant that right?

http://youtu.be/HgKwPrm7DYQ

Alaskans and Canadians have similar accents to me. So do people from Minnesota and sometimes Wisconsin. I can not tell a French Canadian from a french person either, although I do hear that there is a considerable difference.

I can totally tell french canadian from french,, thats easy, now eastern Canadians from eastern Americans I can't tell at all.

No European has ever guessed I'm Canadian. They all assume I'm American as do most fellow tourists. The thing that bothers me is that when they find out I'm Canadian they slink away disappointed and have no wish to chat further.

Hey Ken, after thinking about it, the accent may not be specific to BC but it is different than the eastern provinces and the newfie is a world unto it's own, LOL. After spending a week in Vancouver and surrounds people think I'm a local, there is a unique voice inflection that I can hear distinctly, and I listen to CKST Team 1040 radio from Vancouver sometimes one of the guys on there has the inflection. Also there is a beautiful young lady on the Canucks website, Kristen Reid that does video features on the team, she has the inflection I'm speaking of.

Andrea,, I find it hard to believe you,, I mean, I have been to Europe many many times over many many years,, and I have never had anyone slink away from me unwilling to chat once they discovered I was Canadain,, thats fascinating that it has always happened to you??

I'm exposed every time I say "out" or "about". Guess there are some things that you can never lose, eh?

I think many people are on to one of the big reasons that we get lumped into some other culture while traveling. A lot of it depends on what the locals are used to encountering. Today in Milan we got asked if we were British when our very limited Italian vocabulary failed us. We said we were from the US and they seemed surprised. We've been asked before if we were British when traveling in Europe when we go to places that not many Americans visit. I once asked a person in a Northern German village if my accent sounded British and she said that she just couldn't tell. At the time there were British military bases all over that part of Germany and this town rarely (if ever) saw an American tourist. Maybe the places where you've most noticed this, Kathleen, have a lot more American visitors than Canadian visitors so people just respond to what they are used to. Hopefully if they've taken the time to talk to both of you they've appreciated your uniqueness as a couple.

Way back in the early '90s, I admit to having a small Canadian flag on my backpack. That was the suggestion to us naive travellers. (note the double "l"!). Nowadays, we don't wear anything "Canadian". There was a movement of Americans wearing Canadian emblems a while back--so are the maple leaf wearers today Canadians or Americans??

Definitely not surprised it happens to your husband when he travels outside the U.S. If you watch any foreign news channel when travelling overseas, they report what is happening in their country and then typically report the top headlines from the United States - the war, the US financial markets, etc. My relatives who were born and raised and still live in Europe all watch predominantly tv shows from the U.S. (CSI, The Closer, old reruns of Friends). Most of the big blockbuster movies they go see at the theater feature American actors. I'm sure it's annoying being a proud Canadian for him to be mistaken all the time, but it takes a long time to really pick up on things like regional accents. My ex boyfriend was Canadian. Quite honestly, if it wasn't for the cute way he pronounced "out" and "about" and his freakish obsession with watching curling matches (which, to me, is like watching paint dry), I would have felt like I was dating just another guy from the United States.

People need not look further than my wee Canadian Maple Leaf on my shirt. Proud to be a Canadian, I guess....eh!

No doubt Canadians are a proud and patriotic bunch. I was in Ontario a couple of weeks back right after Canada Day and was surprised by the number of cars with those small window flags like you see here on college football Saturday. Over the years, I've always noted the abundance of Canadian flags flying everywhere just like here...malls, restaurants, car dealerships, whatever. And I did see two or three people with Canadian flag tees...just like here. The only place on Earth that might rival the US in flag waving seems to be Canada. :) BTW, isn't it "curiosity killed the cat"?

The only way I figure out someone is Canadian is when the "ou" comes out in a word. I think it's just adorable. I really do. Makes me giggle when speaking to my Canadian cousins. Love watching Holmes on Homes for that reason as well (which incidentally, I didn't know were Canadians until the "ou" and double checking with my husband). Of course, I would never utter this out loud as I'm sure it would be considered rude. Should be noted that my MIL is from Minnesota, and they speak with an almost Canadian accent up there.
But back to the OP, I can see it getting old after a while for your husband and family, but I'm sure they mean no offense. We just sound too similar. I'm sure there are worse things one could be mistaken for. I remember once being really offended because someone referred to DC as the South. Just silly of me to get worked up about that. It's one stranger for a few minutes. Big deal. Is DC really the South though?

I disagree with Michael about Canadians being flag wavers. If there is one thing I really like about my country it is that we generally are not flag wavers, except on occasions such as Canada Day. I detest in-your-face flag waving and in-your-face patriotism, too.

Pat, honestly its true and I travel a fair amount (12 European countries over 7 trips since 2000). It was most pronounced in England (that "special relationship" thing?) and happened the least in Eastern Europe. I also wondered around the time the Iraq war started if people wanted to perhaps give an American their opinion on that, but upon finding out I was Canadian just wandered away. By the way we stayed with Polish friends in Poland and still locals knew I was not Polish even before I spoke. I asked them if it was because of my size (bigger than the average Polish beauty), but they said no, it was my great big North American teeth.

Kathleen, Have your husband wear a t-shirt that says "My country has never attacked another country EVER!" Everyone will know he is Canadian, eh? And tell him we are sorry about that 1812 thing...
Also, I love hanging with hard charging, hard drinking Canadians, with their intelligent conversation. When I was in Cuba, almost every tourist there was German, Spanish or Canadian. Had a great time!

Norma: I'll admit that I haven't yet had the pleasure of visiting Quebec and can't comment on flag waving there, but you can't deny that flags are everywhere in Ontario and across BC. I'm not making any judgments about it...rather just stating a fact based on my own personal observations. In the US, flags are flown everywhere: Perkins restaurants, Home Depot, car dealerships, truck stops...seriously everywhere. And I haven't noticed much difference in the parts of Canada I've traveled in, except that the flag is Canadian. Toronto seems different...flags seem to be limited to government buildings, monuments, and the like. You do see a lot of rainbow flags in Toronto, though. These are just my observations as a visitor. I'm sure Canadians are rightfully proud and patriotic. . But like you, I'm not a fan of "in your face" flag waving or fake patriotism cloaked in a flag, especially when it is from extremists accusing those with differing views of being unpatriotic (for not wearing a flag lapel pin for example). Crash: That tee shirt won't work. The Canadian military is currently involved in attacking Libya and was involved in attacking Iraq. They have been in Afghanistan also, but that one had a bit more justification initially.

A couple of years ago I was in a pub in Geneva, and the girl behind the bar was speaking English to some of the (I guess regular) customers. I asked her where she was from and she said "Tirana". I asked her if she went back to Albania often, and she gave me a blank stare and told me she was Canadian. She was actually from Toronto, and I have since found out that they all pronounce their city like that!

As others have pointed out the accents and culture is similar. Let me ask you a question: If a group of 15 German and 1 Austrian came to visit in Boston would you be able figure out which one was not German or just assume all 16 were German? Same deal with 15 Australians and 1 from New Zealand?

Lol...I think Ed nailed it...I certainly wouldn't be able to distinguish Germans from Austrians, or Australians from New Zealanders... and its because I haven't been immersed in the accents to pick up on the subtle differences. However, I can distinguish a western Canadian accent from an eastern ( Atlantic provinces)Canadian accent, or an American from Canadian accent with no trouble at all... I laughed when I saw the posts referencing the "ou" as in out and about for example. I have family in the States, and I remember my cousin saying one time that we pronounce the "ou" quite differently.... at first I assumed she meant "we" as in Newfoundlanders( where I'm from) as the Newfoundland accent is very distinct from the rest of North America, but now it seems as if the out and about pronunciations apply to many Canadians...
Very interesting thread this is!....

@Michael, I tend to agree with you on the point about flags. At least here in B.C., I notice Canadian flags on a fairly regular basis. One example is the flag at one of the Malls in Kelowna - it's the size of a small apartment building and never seems to be taken down. I've also seen lots of "window flags" on cars, and as you mentioned at car dealerships and other commercial establishments. The flags seem to be more prevalent durings "special events" of course, such as Canada Day and the Olympics. Some clarification regarding Canadian military involvement in "attacking Iraq". Our forces are usually only involved in actions directed by either the U.N. or NATO. That's the case with the current mission in Libya. Regarding Iraq, as I recall we were involved somewhat in the first Gulf War, but were NOT involved in the most recent Iraq war which resulted in the demise of Saddam. Our Prime Minister at the time, Jean Chretien, would only agree to participate if the action was sanctioned by the U.N., which didn't happen. Of course, Canadian personnel on exchange duty with U.S. forces may have been there. Cheers!

Hey everyone we'd remiss if we didn't bring up the different ways Canadians and Americans say the letter "Z"! Zed versus Zee!!!

I think James and some others are talking about two different things. When I have been in Canada I didn't see many Canadian wearing clothing advertising they were Canadians, nor have I seen that many who have visited the US. Nor did I see flags every where like I saw in the USA during the later part of 2001 and 2002 but have since largely disappeared. But I do notice many Canadian do wear clothing that advertises that they are Canadian when they travel to Europe or elsewhere. I assume the motivation for this is to avoid being confused with living in the USA.

Yeah, that "Zed" thing once threw me for a loop during a phone conversation. We weren't on the same page, so I tried spelling things out phonetically. My "Zulu" wasn't making sense on the other end, and I had no idea what the hell "Zed" meant. I now understand it's also used outside of Canada, but I wasn't familiar with it at the time and thought the person on the other end was substituting a Latin or Greek word. :)

I have a friend who insists on decking herself and her whole family out in Canada t-shirts wherever they travel. She thinks Canadians are still well thought of in this world. I told her we've taken a big plunge downward in worldwide public opinion over the last few years, particularly in regards to our environmental policies.

@Andrea While Canadian may have taken a hit. And USA got bump when Bush left and Obama took office on the world wide view. Canadians are still thought of more highly than Americans And the reason for decking out such clothing may not be as much to advertise they are Canadian as to point out they are not from the USA who they would surely be confused for but clothing.

@ Andrea, I agree with the advice you gave to your friend! Travelling with Canadian Flags emblazoned on clothing or Backpacks isn't going to get them a better response from the locals. These days nobody really cares. The fact that we lost the chance to have a seat on the U.N. Security Council is another example that Canada is not looked on as favourably as it once was in the world community. As I mentioned in my first reply, the Flags are often flaunted and done to excess, to the point where they become annoying. I've encountered numerous examples of this during my trips to Europe. My travel gear is set-up so that I can display a Flag if desired, but so far I've never felt this was necessary. If someone wants to find out my nationality, they can ask! Cheers!

Maryam asked - Is DC really the South though? It's south of the Mason-Dixon line. I always thought that was the demarkation line.

I readily admit, if a Canadian doesn't pronounce the word "out" in the stereotypical way, I'll just assume they're from the northern Midwest of the US or France (if they speak French...). Likewise Ed's example... I can't for the life of me tell an Austian from a German (much less two Germans from different regions of the country). The Swiss, though, they stand out even if you don't speak the language.

Well as a Brit, I have to say that most Canadians I've met have an accent similar to a 'northern' US accent so I can't tell them apart. Having been caught out previously I often ask "State or Province?" as a light hearted way to get conversation started without irritating the person! Although I find it easy to recognise the widely spaced regional accents such as deep south, New York and laid back Californian, anything else is a guess! Still with experience it is possible to tell the difference between Aussie & Kiwi, Swedish & Norwegian etc so its surely possible to become an expert eventually. Steve.

@ Elaine - I don't consider DC as being part of the south. Then again when I think of "the south" I don't really think of Southern Florida as being in "the south" either. DC was not on the confederate side, but remained part of the Union. Folks don't speak with the Southern accent you hear in states like SC or Georgia. Culturally it doesn't have one specific region but is a make up of the entire country. It operates at a speed similar to New York in which every one is in a hurry and rushing around not the slow methodical pace of places like Atlanta. I consider DC as being part of the Northeastern corridor that stretches from Boston thru New York down to DC.

After many trips to England and the rest of Europe, I am being asked "where are you from"? I always assumed that my accent gave me away as an American. Maybe too many folks have made the Canadian/American accent mistake and have learned to ask. When they say they can't tell the difference, I tell them "we can't, either." I'm originally from the Midwest. Once, in Ireland, I was mistaken for a German because of my non-Irish accent. I've noticed that in Britain, asking one's origins is risky business. I'm told it's the "class thing." I'm always curious where people are from, and the accent is a clue. Not everybody enjoys hearing that they have an accent.

@ Ed
You may consider it whatever you like, but it is physically located south of the Mason-Dixon line. I am referring to it's geographical location - you are referring to something entirely different - like its "culture" or "state of mind".

JFK summed up DC the best: "Washington is a city of Northern charm and Southern efficiency." EDIT: Drive around DC and you'll see what he meant. Worst. Traffic. Anywhere.

Thanks to all who have replied. It's given me some ideas as to this strange cultural phenomenon. I still am inclined to think Canadians are lumped in with Americans as a mixture of ignorance and a little bit of laziness. Also, the Canadians don't do "self promotion" the way some other countries do. But that explains the Germans/Austrians and New Zealanders/Australians mix-ups too, right? :-) Now if I can just figure out why every Canadian tourism site I've found spends an unusual amount of time building Canada up by knocking the US then my life's mysteries might be answered. Hmmmm. . . . :-) Thanks again everyone for your replies. I much appreciate it.

Kathleen, "every Canadian tourism site I've found spends an unusual amount of time building Canada up by knocking the US " I've never noticed that with our tourism sites, so I'd be really interested to know which ones you looked at? If my tax dollars are being spent on websites which denigrate another country, I'll be having a word with someone! Cheers!

Hi Ken. The sites tend to be unofficial country/province ones. By that I mean that I don't believe your government runs them or has a say in them, so I don't think your tax dollars go to support them. I've stopped going on them and tend to stick to the ones that I believe are actually run by people living in the area I'm interested in. Most of the slagging tends to be along the lines of "our beer is wayyy better and stronger than American beer", "we support gay marriage" or "our money is far more interesting to look at" etc. Although I remember being on one that seemed more of a political rant rather than an actual tourism site. Shouldn't there be guidelines as to what can be labelled "tourism"???

Canada? Where's that?!? ;-) Nah, DC isn't The South. It's up 'there'. And yes, Florida isn't Southern, or even in the South - it's just stuck onto the bottom corner of the USA. Not unlike an appendix... Yea for Canada - it's given us too many funny comedians to mention, ditto on singers, and RUSH! Ehhhh!!! Oh, and Michael, I suppose curiosity gets the cat first, then kills it later ^..^

Kathleen, you might want to stick with the government sponsored sites. I looked at half a dozen province and they were all very professional - promoting their province in a positive manner. You can likely find US sites that tear down Canada, Mexico and other places if you look at private and not government sponsored sites. Every country has some people who can only build themselves up by tearing others down. That said, I have to say that I really disappointed in the beer selection in NYC. Wisconsin offers soooo much more. ; ) Pam

We were in Ireland this summer, and a young man with whom I was visiting thought my accent was Canadian. Are you ready for this? I'm a native Texan! I have some good Canadian friends, so I've enjoyed that. We drove to Canada when one of our daughters was about 8. A highway patrolman was following us and saw our Texas license plate. We pulled into a grocery store. He pulled in behind us. He motioned for our daughter to come over. I told her it was OK to go, and I followed. When she went up to his window, he said, "Say something." She asked what. He just said to talk -- that he liked to hear Texas kids talk. That was fun. We have remembered that since 1988.

Kathleen, I'm relieved to hear that it's not government-sponsored websites that are making snide comments. FWIW, our Beer IS stronger but whether it's "better" is a matter of taste. I tend to drink Guinness if I'm drinking Beer, but most of the time stick with Wine (I try to do my part to support the Okanagan wine industry). On the issue of our money, it WILL be somewhat unique when the plastic bills are introduced (these have already been issued in some denominations).

"FWIW, our Beer IS stronger but whether it's "better" is a matter of taste." Unibroue... best brewery in North America. More than makes up for that skunky cabbage water called Moosehead.