Language quiz

Here are a number of recordings of people from different countries speaking English. Can you work out which countries they come from?

Comments (19)

Ben L.March 3rd, 2007 at 7:38 pm

1- Australia
2- Australia
3- “ple-THO-ra”? Never heard that in the US… Canada
4- “MAR-dr at de OUS-grz”? Ireland
5- “stoof” and “PAIR-pe-tra-tr” Ireland
6- “we’re now3(=glottal stop) crossing live” South Africa

ColmMarch 3rd, 2007 at 7:40 pm

1) Australia
2) New Zealand
3) United States
4) England
5) Ireland
6) South Africa

:-)

DanialMarch 3rd, 2007 at 7:52 pm

1. Scotland
2. Australia
3. America
4. England (although the starting was sounded like Swedish)
5. Ireland
6. South Africa

James/IagoMarch 3rd, 2007 at 10:43 pm

American
New Zealand
Canadian
Scottish
Irish
South Africa

JulietteMarch 3rd, 2007 at 11:04 pm

I agree mostly with Colm, though I think 4 is Ireland.
5 could be England, only the perpetrator pronounciation would indicate that it might be Ireland.

So my guess would be:
1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. Canada (US ?)
4. Ireland
5. England
6. South Africa

JeksiMarch 3rd, 2007 at 11:58 pm

1 and 5 sound British,
3 and 6 sound American,
2 sounds Australian,
and 4 has the tone of something played in reverse. Does it have to be something from an English-speaking country? I’d guess Swedish if not. Maybe Irish or Scottish?

BnBMarch 4th, 2007 at 12:15 am

I think 1 is New Zealand, although I have to admit having a hard time telling it from Australian…

2: South Africa

3: I thought Canada, but the interviewer said “about” in a distinctly non-Canadian way, so US

4 and 5 sounded pretty Irish to me…

6: England?

MattMarch 4th, 2007 at 1:23 am

1. Australian

2. New Zealand

3. United States of America

4. Scotland

5. Irish

6. South Africa

d.m.falkMarch 4th, 2007 at 3:36 am

1 and 2 are Australia and New Zealand, respectively.
3 is American, specificly from Minnesota.
4: Ireland- It’s from RTE, I think.
5: Mersey English
5: South Africa, perhaps Cape Town, rather than Johannesburg.

d.m.f.

d.m.falkMarch 4th, 2007 at 3:37 am

Er, 6. Typo. :)

d.m.f.

DavidMarch 4th, 2007 at 3:52 am

1- Australia
2- New Zealand
3- America
4- Irish
5- England
6- South Africa

ClaudiusMarch 4th, 2007 at 6:35 am

1 New Zealand
2 Austrailia
3 Canada other guy is american
4 Irish but sounds like BBC accent
5 English
6 South Africa

ColmMarch 4th, 2007 at 12:53 pm

Well there is one thing that is sure. Number 5 is definetly Irish, I listen to that guy every day on the radio. ;-)

SimonMarch 4th, 2007 at 1:22 pm

Here are the answers:

Recording 1
Country: Australia
Radio station: ABC Radio National

Recording 2
Country: New Zealand
Radio station: Radio New Zealand

Recording 3
Country: Canada
Radio station: CBC

Recording 4
Country: UK (Northern Ireland)
Radio station: BBC Radio Ulster

Recording 5
Country: Ireland
Radio station: RTÉ Radio 1

Recording 6
Country: South Africa
Radio Station: SAfm

ColmMarch 4th, 2007 at 4:16 pm

Cool! 4 out of 6 right. Not bad, not bad! :-)

Very interesting quiz Simon!

MikeMarch 4th, 2007 at 10:34 pm

I believe that’s David Suzuki speaking on #3, he has a very distinct British Columbia accent, and with regards to the interviewer, not every Canadian has Canadian Raising in their diphthongs, so it’s still possible for him to be born and raised Canadian and not say “aboot” ;)

EvanMarch 9th, 2007 at 3:22 am

My guesses are:
(I haven’t read the comments yet-I’m not cheating)

1. Australia
Or New Zealand, I don’t know what New Zealanders sound like.
2. England (Northern?)
I know someone who talks somewhat like that, from northern England
3. U.S.A.
Could be Canada, those are pretty hard to tell apart, at least from the sample
4. Ireland
The Irish have a very lyrical sort of speech, which, as far as I can tell, this is.
5. Scotland
Scottish is more rough, and the name of the minister mentioned seems to be a clue.
6. Liberia?
Mostly a guess, because they were talking about Ghana, and I had already guessed most of the major English-speaking countries.

I hope I’m right; I should know this sort of thing…

EvanMarch 9th, 2007 at 3:29 am

Well…

1. I got Australia.

2. I now know what New Zealanders sound like.

3. Close enough, I said it could be Canada.

4. I was pretty close to Northern Ireland.

5. These are close, it does sound pretty rough for Ireland.

6. I was surprisingly close; really, I should have gotten that.

1 out of 6…and I say close to much. Oh, well…
Guess I’d better study my dialects!

JamesApril 6th, 2007 at 2:26 pm

you are recking my morning with these quizzes: i have to finish next week´s lecture. Without cheating (naturally)

1 Oz: he used to ply (play) monopoly and draym (dream)

2 NZ: in twenty twenty -sux (2026)… they will do thus (this). classic forward vowel sounds

3 canada: Initially thought it could be N states in USA, but he was aboot to set up (though it was quite subtle). Can´t tell you which side (I don´t know that many Canuks)

4 Light N ireland: murdur and Helen Murun

5 S ireland: lats of stuff (lots of stuff)

6 S africa. Educated and ever so like NZ, but the dead give away is the auspicious awcasion (occasion), and the content…

More more more

James