Are these words pronounced the same?
Can't/Kant/Cunt
I myself have:
can't [k_hE{~?], [k_hE~?] or if followed by a vowel [k_hE{~n] or [k_hE~n] (there are more possible pronunciations, but I am not going to bother here)
Kant [k_ha~?]. [k_ha~t], [k_ha~n?], or [k_ha~nt]
cunt [k_hV~?], [k_hV~t], [k_hV~n?], or [k_hV~nt]
couldn't [k_hU_":n:], [k_hU_":n:?], [k_hU_":n:t], [k_hU_"~::], [k_hU_"~::?], [k_hU_"~::t], [k_hU_"~::n], [k_hU_"~::n?], [k_hU_"~::nt]
can't [k_hE{~?], [k_hE~?] or if followed by a vowel [k_hE{~n] or [k_hE~n] (there are more possible pronunciations, but I am not going to bother here)
Kant [k_ha~?]. [k_ha~t], [k_ha~n?], or [k_ha~nt]
cunt [k_hV~?], [k_hV~t], [k_hV~n?], or [k_hV~nt]
couldn't [k_hU_":n:], [k_hU_":n:?], [k_hU_":n:t], [k_hU_"~::], [k_hU_"~::?], [k_hU_"~::t], [k_hU_"~::n], [k_hU_"~::n?], [k_hU_"~::nt]
I parts of London can't and cunt are the same sound, the latter being pronounced like the standard pronunciation of the former.
The one thing I note is that you assign "Kant" to the TRAP set, whereas I always have associated it with the FATHER set. Of course, such might be due to varying degrees of anglicization of pronunciation of German names (which are generally less anglicized around here than they are in some areas), but I simply have never heard "Kant" pronounced as being in the TRAP set in the first place one way or another...
A similar example I can think of is "Bach", which is [ba?k] (or [bax] if one really tries to get it right, such as in the case of an orchestra instructor of mine in high school) here. It's always been in the FATHER set here, but from what I have heard about foreign words and like in general in Canada and what you have said here, I wouldn't be surprised if it were in the TRAP set in Canada.
It's interesting that the new vowel that you guys have created for such is [A:] rather than [a] or [a:], which implies that such is at least partially under General American influence or involves some memory of the unrounded realization of the merged THOUGHT/PALM vowel (which would not be surprising, as at least from what I know, not everyone has rounded their THOUGHT/PALM vowel in English Canada)...
I have:
can't ["k_h{nt]
Kant ["k_h{nt]
cunt ["k_hVnt]
Bach ["bA:k]
macho ["mA:tS7U]
nacho ["nA:tS7U]
(The vowel that I use in 'can't, Kant' is higher than my usual [{], but not as high as my [E].)
can't ["k_h{nt]
Kant ["k_h{nt]
cunt ["k_hVnt]
Bach ["bA:k]
macho ["mA:tS7U]
nacho ["nA:tS7U]
(The vowel that I use in 'can't, Kant' is higher than my usual [{], but not as high as my [E].)
For the sake of completeness, I have to also give my "macho" and "nacho":
macho ["ma?tSo:]
nacho ["na?tSo:]
macho ["ma?tSo:]
nacho ["na?tSo:]