The Great Canadian-to-American Voice-Over Cheat Sheet

So, you’ve landed a gig that requires you to sound less Canadian? No more “sorry” slipping out like “sore-y” and no more “about” turning into “a-boot” (yes, we know, it’s not actually that bad, but try telling that to Americans).

Here’s a handy list of words that you need to tweak to sound convincingly American and book that voice-over job with ease.


The Big Offenders

  1. Sorry → “sah-ree” (not “sore-y”)
  2. About → “uh-bowt” (not “a-boot”)
  3. Process → “prah-cess” (not “proh-cess”)(same with Project)
  4. Been → “bin” (not “bean”)
  5. Pasta → “pah-sta” (not “past-a”)
  6. Drama → “drah-ma” (not “dray-ma”)
  7. Adult → “uh-DULT” (not “AD-ult”)
  8. Semi → “sem-eye” (not “sem-ee”)(same with Anti)
  9. Leisure → “lee-zher” (not “leh-zher”)
  10. Mobile → “mo-bull” (not “mo-bile”)

The Subtle Differences

  1. Garage → “guh-RAHJ” (not “GARE-ij”)
  2. Schedule → “sked-jule” (not “shed-jule”)
  3. Data → “day-ta” (not “da-ta”)
  4. Z → “zee” (not “zed”)
  5. Niche → “neesh” (not “nitch”)

Regional & Fast-Food Pitfalls

(Yes, they will judge you for these.)

  1. Tim Hortons → Don’t mention it. Just say “Dunkin’” or “Starbucks.”
  2. Kraft Dinner → It’s just “mac and cheese” in the U.S.
  3. Double-Double → Not a coffee, just a burger at In-N-Out.
  4. Poutine → Just… don’t expect them to understand.
  5. Toque → It’s a “beanie.” Accept it.

Final Tips

  • Flatten those vowels! Americans don’t have that distinctive Canadian “raised” vowel sound.
  • Slow down slightly—Canadian English is often spoken faster.
  • Drop the “eh?” completely (I know, it hurts).

There you have it, your survival guide to faking an American accent convincingly. Nail these words, and you’ll have Yankees convinced you were born in Chicago. Or at least, not in Toronto.

Now go forth and voice-over like a pro!

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