slot vs slut

Jim   Wed Sep 07, 2005 4:03 am GMT
Yeah, perhaps "dance" and "dunce" are not the best words. How about "some" and "psalm"? In AusE they are merged only in position: i.e. they remain distinguishable. Hence it is not correct to say that these two vowels are merged.

dance = /dä:ns/ or /dæ:ns/
dunce = /däns/
some = /säm/
psalm = /sä:m/
slut = /slät/
slot = /slot/

What exactly is [V] in Australian English? I think Melissa was refering to what I'm writing as /ä/ which is an open central unrounded vowel X-SAMPA /6/. Whereas the vowel in "slot" is further back, rounded and less open in AusE: X-SAMPA /O/.
Davis   Wed Sep 07, 2005 12:42 pm GMT
some = /säm/ would be considered Mexican English or Spanglish :)
when heard in California :)
Uriel   Wed Sep 07, 2005 3:31 pm GMT
"Psalm" and "sum" are completely different for me.
Jim   Thu Sep 08, 2005 4:42 am GMT
Completely different for me too but only because of vowel length.
Uriel   Thu Sep 08, 2005 5:14 am GMT
Would that be your phonemic vowel length, Jim? ;)

Different vowels sounds for me.
Kirk   Thu Sep 08, 2005 6:22 am GMT
For me those are:

dance = [d{nts]
dunce = [dVnts]
some = [sVm]
psalm = [sAm]
slut = [slVt]
slot = [slAt]

Those words all have the same vowel length for me but as with Uriel, there are clear differences in the articulatory positions for the vowels. Of course that makes sense, as Uriel and I both speak varieties of North American English.

<<some = /säm/ would be considered Mexican English or Spanglish :)
when heard in California :)>>

I'm assuming by /säm/ you meant /s6m/, but yes that would sound quite weird here in California as compared to expected /sVm/ --> [sVm].
Guest   Thu Sep 08, 2005 6:34 am GMT
So Jim would sound weird in California.
Kirk   Thu Sep 08, 2005 6:47 am GMT
<<So Jim would sound weird in California.>>

Well considering the context of the rest of the accent, it wouldn't really be considered more salient than any other dialectal feature. I was just responding and pointing to the difference in that vowel between California and Australian English.
Guest   Thu Sep 08, 2005 7:03 am GMT
It was a joke btw.
Kirk   Thu Sep 08, 2005 7:25 am GMT
<<It was a joke btw.>>

I didn't take it too seriously but just wanted to clarify what I meant ;)
Uriel   Thu Sep 08, 2005 6:55 pm GMT
Jim would sound weird in California, but not nearly as weird as the Californians....you and your CA vowel shift, Kirk! ;)
Kirk   Fri Sep 09, 2005 12:45 am GMT
<<you and your CA vowel shift, Kirk! ;)>>

Haha. Hey I can tune down my CVS-influenced speech if I try ;) But I don't really want to.
SpaceFlight   Fri Sep 09, 2005 1:03 am GMT
<<Haha. Hey I can tune down my CVS-influenced speech if I try ;) But I don't really want to.>>

Kirk,

So, you're saying thaht you cahn tune down your CVS-enfluenced speech ef you try a lettle bet ahnd try your bast ahnd than people would nawt think thaht you tawked so funny, but thaht you don't really want to.


How's that?
SpaceFlight   Fri Sep 09, 2005 1:10 am GMT
Cahlefornians weth their vowel shefts tand to sound so funny to people from other parts of the country. Don't you?
Kirk   Fri Sep 09, 2005 1:12 am GMT
<<So, you're saying thaht you cahn tune down your CVS-enfluenced speech ef you try a lettle bet ahnd try your bast ahnd than people would nawt think thaht you tawked so funny, but thaht you don't really want to.>>

Haha...clever :) Ya, thot's right. Of course the pronunciations sujjasted by your spalleengs are a lettle ixoggerated they're no more rideculous thon other jawcular dialactal spalleengs ;)