English accents

6. Historical change (i)

final [g] after [ŋ]

sɪŋg

ˈsɪŋgɪŋg

ˈsɪŋgə

ˈfɪŋgə

[g] retained in northwest England, lost elsewhere

compare

the sound [x]

loch lɒx, lɒk

Bach bɑːx, bɑːk

(German [bax])

The phoneme /x/ remains in Scottish English but has

disappeared from English English

…though sometimes used in foreign words

loss of [x]

x → f

x → zero

cough, rough, laugh…

high, bough, daughter…

Loughborough ˈlʌfbərə

x → θ Keighley

x → ʃ Greenhalgh

long mid mergers

pane peːn

pain peɪn

toe toː

tow toʊ

fall together

fall together

late leːt eight eɪt

nose noːz

knows noʊz

distinction remains in parts of Wales and the north of England

long mid diphthonging

face feːs feɪs

day deɪ

goat goːt goʊt ( gəʊt)

monophthongs remain in parts of the north of England, and in Wales, Scotland and Ireland; also in the Caribbean, and in Indian and African English

FOOT-STRUT split

full fʊl

dull dʊl dʌl

put pʊt

cut kʊt kʌt

Except in the north of England, /ʊ/ and /ʌ/ have become separate phonemes

strong short vowel systems

• typical southern system (6 vowels)

• typical northern system (5 vowels)

ɪ

ʊ

e

ʌ

æ ɒ

ɪ

ʊ

ɛ

TRAP a ɒ LOT

FOOT

STRUT

FOOT-STRUTKIT KIT

DRESSDRESS

TRAPLOT

NURSE merger

serve sɛrv sɝːv ( sɜːv)

curve kʊrv kʌrv kɝːv ( kɜːv)

pearl pɛrl pɝːl

curl kʊrl kɝːl

These vowels remain distinct in Scottish and

some Irish English