Is the pin-pen merger a feature that is likely to be noticed by people from outside an area that has the merger?
pin pen merger
Yes, unlike the cot-caught merger (which I have). I know several people that have the pin-pen merger, and sometimes it can even cause misunderstanding. Sometimes I don't even recognize my own name, when someone calls me. It's weird being called a "bin". The pin-pen merger exists mostly in the South, parts of the Midlands, and parts of the Southwest.