Quiz

Travis   Tue Sep 27, 2005 2:16 am GMT
Actually, I have a few good examples of an /l/ versus /l=/ distinction before diphthongs, and how it is often "silent" in default forms and only shows up in inflected or derived forms:

"owl" : /aUl/ -> [aU.5=]
"towel" : /"taUl=/ -> ["t_haU.5=]
"owling" : /"aUlIN/ -> ["aU.5I~N]
"towelling" : /"taUl=IN/ -> ["t_haU.5=.I~N]

"roil" : /roIl/ -> ["r\oI.5=]
"royal" : /"roIl=/ -> ["r\oI.5=]
"roiling" : /"roIlIN/ -> ["r\oI.5I~N]
"royally" : /"roIl=i/ -> ["r\oI.5=.i]
Travis   Tue Sep 27, 2005 2:17 am GMT
That should be "after diphthongs" above.
Travis   Tue Sep 27, 2005 2:21 am GMT
>>I seem to add syllables left and right, or something... (mainly directed toward Travis) How is it possible in a rhotic accent to pronounce Carl in only one syllable? As far as hurling, I say something like her-l-ing. However, the sport curling is two syllables for me.<<

How is it possible? It just is. Note that as for the word "Carl", I can pronounce it in both versions, with [5] or [5=], but by default I strongly favor the former form. As for the words "hurling" and "curling", they both are two syllables to me, due to both using /l/ (which just happens to be realized as [5=] or [l=] in places) rather than /l=/ in my dialect.