What does cot/caught merger mean? Does it mean that you pronounce cot and caught the same?
Pronounciation of "poem"
Previous page Pages: 1 2
<<What does cot/caught merger mean? Does it mean that you pronounce cot and caught the same?>>
Yes, it means you pronounce those two words the same. In North America, the cot-caught merger comes in two distinct versions.
In the first, more common version (found in Canada, the Western United States, and some other places), the pair "cot-caught" becomes homophonous, and the pair "father-bother" rhymes.
cot - ["kAt]
caught - ["kAt]
father - ["fAD@`]
bother - ["bAD@`]
Basically, the three phonemes that in RP are /A/, /Q/, /O/, have all merged into one vowel.
---
In the second version (found in Massachusetts and Northern New England - and this is how I happen to speak), the pair "cot-caught" becomes homophonous, but the vowels in "father-bother" remain distinct.
cot - ["kQt]
caught - ["kQt]
father - ["fAD@(`)]
bother - ["bQD@(`)]
Basically, the phonemes that in RP are /Q/ and /O/ merge into one vowel, but the phoneme that in RP is /A/ remains distinct.
Yes, it means you pronounce those two words the same. In North America, the cot-caught merger comes in two distinct versions.
In the first, more common version (found in Canada, the Western United States, and some other places), the pair "cot-caught" becomes homophonous, and the pair "father-bother" rhymes.
cot - ["kAt]
caught - ["kAt]
father - ["fAD@`]
bother - ["bAD@`]
Basically, the three phonemes that in RP are /A/, /Q/, /O/, have all merged into one vowel.
---
In the second version (found in Massachusetts and Northern New England - and this is how I happen to speak), the pair "cot-caught" becomes homophonous, but the vowels in "father-bother" remain distinct.
cot - ["kQt]
caught - ["kQt]
father - ["fAD@(`)]
bother - ["bQD@(`)]
Basically, the phonemes that in RP are /Q/ and /O/ merge into one vowel, but the phoneme that in RP is /A/ remains distinct.
I am from Southern Minnesota (Owatonna if that means anything to anyone) and for me father/bother have the same vowels, but caught is usually distinct from cot, although the distinction is sometimes only marginal.
father - ["fAD@`]
bother - ["bAD@`]
cot - ["kAt]
caught - ["kQt]
I have a few acquantances from the Fargo/Moorehead area and I have noticed that this is one of the principal differences between their accent and mine. Also interesting to me is the treatment of the a in "flag" or "bag." My Fargoan friends pronounce it [fleg], I use a subtle [ae] dipthong while I've noticed suburbanites use an [ia] dipthong. (I'm sorry if I use incorrect symbols--I'm kind of new at this stuff).
father - ["fAD@`]
bother - ["bAD@`]
cot - ["kAt]
caught - ["kQt]
I have a few acquantances from the Fargo/Moorehead area and I have noticed that this is one of the principal differences between their accent and mine. Also interesting to me is the treatment of the a in "flag" or "bag." My Fargoan friends pronounce it [fleg], I use a subtle [ae] dipthong while I've noticed suburbanites use an [ia] dipthong. (I'm sorry if I use incorrect symbols--I'm kind of new at this stuff).
Kool. Thanx for explaining that Lazar. It's really interesting. I think I might have to practise that a lot before I manage to get it sound right though. I'll work on that before I even begin to try and work out the canadian raising. That looks really complicated!
I don't say 'oh-uh for oe in Joe but I do in poem. Pome does not exist in writing but does in some miscultivated speakers.
Previous page Pages: 1 2