Canaian English (CanE, en-CA) is the variety of North American English used in Canada. More than 25 million Canadians (85 percent of the population) have some knowledge of English (2006 census). Approximately 17 million have English as their native language. Excluding Quebec, 76% speak English natively. The phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon for most of Canada are very similar to that of the Western and Midlands regions of the United States. Canadian English also contains elements of British English in its vocabulary, as well as several distinctive Canadianisms. The spelling is a blend of American and British spelling. Many areas have also been influenced by French, and there are notable local variations. However, Canada has very little dialect diversity compared to the United States and other English speaking countries. The phonological system of western Canadian English is identical to that of the Pacific Northwest of the United States, and the phonetics very similar.