My dialect/idiolect

Contents

• General
• 〈th〉
• Vowels before /ɡ/ and /ŋ/
• Vowels before 〈l〉 and 〈r〉
  • Silent 〈l〉
  • Breaking
  • Syllabic 〈l〉
  • CURE split
• Other
• Specific words
• Spelling/writing

General

I speak something that I think is close to General American. Some fairly standard/common features that are in my dialect:

• rhotic — i.e., 〈r〉 at the end of a syllable (like in car or card) is pronounced similarly to 〈r〉 at the beginning of a syllable (like in red) and perceived as a consonant, and there are no/very very few cases where a word that has an 〈r〉 is a homophone with a word without 〈r〉 (e.g., stalk/stark/stork, law/lore, spa/spar, pita/Peter are all distinct).
• has flapping — i.e., 〈t〉 and 〈d〉 in certain places are pronounced somewhat similarly to Spanish single 〈r〉, and pairs like latter/ladder are homophones (except possibly in careful speech)
• yod-dropping — i.e., the "you" (/ju/) sound doesn't occur after /t/, /d/, /n/, /tʃ/ (ch), /dʒ/ (j), or /l/, and the /u/ sound occurs instead, so tune and toon are homophones
• wine-whine merger — i.e., 〈w〉 and 〈wh〉 are pronounced identically, so wine and whine are homophones
• caught-cot merger — i.e., "lot", "father", "cloth", and "thought" have the same vowel, along with any other words that have the same vowel as any of those (not followed by 〈r〉) ("palm" also seems to but it might be slightly different due to the "l" sound, which I do pronounce); note that, combined with rhoticity, this means that stalk (and stock) has the same vowel as stark (but the latter has an extra consonant), and a completely different vowel from stork
• Mary-marry-merry merger — i.e., the vowels in Mary, marry, and merry (and any other words with those vowels before 〈r〉) are the same

〈th〉

A thing I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere: I'm pretty sure that I don't distinguish voiced and unvoiced 〈th〉 at the beginnings of words (i.e., thy and thigh are homophones to me), I think using /ð/ (voiced) for both; at the very least, I've had trouble in the past determining which words use which sound. I do distinguish them at the ends of words (so teeth and teethe are distinct), and in the middles of words I think it depends on whether it's at the beginning or end of a syllable (either and ether are distinct).

In the name of the letter thorn (þ) I sometimes make an extra effort to use /θ/ (unvoiced), making it not a homophone with thorn (prickly thing).

To pronounce the 〈th〉 sounds, I put my tongue where my top teeth meet my gums, rather than between my teeth (i.e., they're not interdental for me), and I think they're affricates rather than fricatives, at least sometimes. The sounds are definitely distinct from /f/, /v/, /t/, and /d/, and since I started noticing mergers with those sounds in other dialects, they kind of distract me a bit. (My natural inclination, before learning that there are actual dialects that have this merger, would be to see use of /f/ for 〈th〉 as childish, since I'd mostly heard it from young children that hadn't yet learned to say /θ/.)

If I try, I can produce the voiced/voiceless distinction, use true fricatives, and hear the difference between /θ/ and /ð/, without too much difficulty; it's just that in normal speech, I don't.

Vowels before /ɡ/ and /ŋ/

Before /ɡ/ and /ŋ/ (〈ng〉 and 〈nk〉), there are some differences in vowels between my dialect and standard dialects:

• The vowel in words with 〈ing〉 and 〈ink〉 (both stressed and unstressed) is something between /i/ (long 〈e〉) and /ɪ/ (short 〈i〉), I think a high near-front vowel (/ï/?). I percieve it as /i/, or maybe a completely separate sound, not as /ɪ/. (Before /ɡ/, I pronounce /i/ and /ɪ/ same as I do everywhere else.)
• Words that in other dialects have /ɛɡ/ (short 〈e〉), in my dialect have /eɪɡ/ (long 〈a〉), and I think of such words as having a long 〈a〉 sound. That means that egg (and beg) and vague are a perfect rhyme in my idiolect. The same applies to /ɛŋ/, but the only words I can think of where it applies are length and strength. (Eng, the name of the letter ŋ, I pronounce /ɛŋ/.)
• Words that in other dialects have /æɡ/ or /æŋ/ (like bag and bang) have a different sound, which I think is /æɪ/, sort of a combination of /eɪ/ (long 〈a〉) and /æ/ (short 〈a〉). I sort of think of this as a variant of /eɪ/ rather than /æ/, and when I was young had a hard time telling the difference between the two sounds. It's entirely possible that, as I initially learned the language, bag and beg were homophones, and I unmerged them later in life.

There seem to be some exceptions to these, at least in how I think about the pronunciation, where the underlying form of the word seems to have /n/ followed by /ɡ/ or /k/; for example, income is /ˈɪŋ.kʌm/, rather than /ˈïŋ.kʌm/, because it's /ɪn/ + /kʌm/. For some reason, penguin is /ˈpɛŋ.ɡwɪn/ (or /ˈpen.ɡwɪn/), rather than /ˈpeɪŋ.ɡwɪn/, but English is /ˈïŋ.ɡlɪʃ/, not /ˈɪŋ.ɡliʃ/.

Vowels before 〈l〉 and 〈r〉

Silent 〈l〉

In words like palm and calm, I fully pronounce the 〈l〉 (/kɑlm/, like call with an m). This is how I learned to pronounce those words when learning to talk; if it originated as a spelling pronunciation (as I've heard claimed), then it came from an earlier generation. This page explains this more generally; I pronounce the 〈l〉 in all of the 〈alm〉 words listed there, but not most of the other red words or any of the blue words. Talk and tock are exact homophones in my dialect. I also pronounce the 〈l〉 in all of the green words; almond is /ˈɑl.mənd/, falcon is /ˈfæl.kən/, talc is /tælk/ (possibly spelling pronunciation?), Ralph is /ɹælf/.

(from this post)

Breaking

Certain vowels, particularly diphthongs, can't be followed by /ɹ/ or /l/ in the same syllable in my idiolect; words that would have such combinations instead have the /ɹ/ or /l/ in a separate syllable.

Also, anything with 〈rl〉 has breaking (world, squirrelled, Carl all have two syllables).

Function words that would have breaking have alternative stressed versions that have a different vowel that doesn't require breaking: /eɪl/ → /ɛl/ (they'll /ðɛl/), /il/ → /ɪl/ (he'll and hill are homophones, as are we'll and will), /aɪl/ → /ɑl/ (I'll and all are homophones, as are while and wall), /ul/ → /l̩/ (you'll /jl̩/), /æʊɹ/ → /ɑɹ/ (our and are are homophones). The two-syllable versions are also possible in my idiolect, but I wouldn't use them as much.

When a suffix starting with a vowel is added to a word with /l/ breaking, the /l/ goes into the same syllable as the suffix (so filing has two syllables, /ˈfaɪ.lïŋ/); whereas, after /ɹ/ breaking, the /ɹ/ remains a separate syllable (tourist has three syllables, /ˈtu.ɚ.ɪst/, as does hiring /ˈhaɪ.ɚ.ïŋ/).

Syllabic 〈l〉

You may have noticed that /ʌl/ (e.g., hull) and /ʊl/ (e.g., pull) are missing from the above table; that's because I pronounce both of those as syllabic /l̩/ (that is, no vowel). (Or maybe I pronounce them as something like [ɤɫ], with a vowel influenced by the darkness of the /l/.) /ʌl/ and /ʊl/ are fully merged in my idiolect; I had to look up those words to make sure my examples were correct. This sounds very similar to, but not exactly the same as, /ol/, so pull and pole are nearly homophones.

There are a few exceptions to this, namely 〈color〉 /ˈkʌ.lɚ/ and 〈lullaby〉 /ˈlʌ.lə.baɪ/; I think in those cases the /l/ is part of the next syllable.

Similarly, /ʌɹ/ doesn't occur in my idiolect; hurry is /hɚ.i/ (that's the NURSE vowel), and I have the hurry–furry merger.

CURE split

Words in the CURE lexical set (i.e., those that have the same vowel as "cure" in most dialects), in my idiolect can be pronounced one of four ways, depending on the word:

• In some words, like poor, the sound is the same as NORTH and FORCE (/oɹ/, or maybe it's actually /ɔɹ/, I'm not sure)
• In other words, like sure, the sound is the same as NURSE (/ɹ̩/, also written as /ɚ/)
• In words that have a y (/j/) sound after yod-dropping, such as cure and pure, the sound is very similar to NEAR (so pure and peer are near-homophones for me) (something like /jɪɹ/)
• In a few words, like tour, the sound is two syllables: a syllable with oo (like who), followed by a syllable with syllabic r (like letter) (something like /u.ɹ̩/, also written /u.ɚ/)

That is, for me, none of the words poor, tour, cure, sure have the same vowel.

Words in the same column in the following table have the same vowel in my dialect (the last column is something like /uɹ/, and has words I use very infrequently or not at all—if I actually said them, I might use one of the other vowels):

Other

The names of the Greek letters "psi" and "xi" have clearly-pronounced /ps/ and /ks/ clusters, even though I don't usually use those clusters at the beginning of words otherwise.

I'm not sure whether I keep two different weak vowels distinct normally, but I do distinguish them at the ends of words before the plural or past tense suffix, so Rosa's /ˈɹoʊ.zəz/, roses /ˈɹoʊ.zɪz/, and Rosie's /ˈɹoʊ.ziz/ are all distinct. Schwa at the ends of words sounds like /ʌ/ (STRUT vowel). (I sort of wonder if the -a in Rosa, comma, etc., isn't actually a weak vowel in my idiolect...)

I definitely can pronounce /x/ in loch and Bach, but I don't think I would be inclined to do so in normal speech (not sure about that though).

I think in some contexts (including in isolation) I pronounce /ʊ/ as a centering diphthong, something like /ʊə/; not sure which contexts though.

After a consonant, I pronounce /ju/ as something like /iʊ/ (and was surprised when my dictionary listed view as /vju/ rather than with a separate diphthong). I distinguish /ju/ and /iʊ/ only in the words you/yew vs. ew; I know that ewe is supposed to be pronounced like you, but my natural inclination when seeing it written is to pronounce it like ew.

Specific words

• ambiguity /æm.bə.ˈɡɪu.ɪt.i/
• aural /ˈɑɹ.l̩/ (because /ɑ/ is the normal pronunciation of 〈au〉 in my dialect, and this makes it distinct from oral)
• bury /ˈbeɹ.i/ (homophone of berry, and also of Barry)
• caramel /ˈkɑɹ.ml̩/, though I sort of think of /ˈkɑɹ.ml̩/ and /ˈkeɹ.ə.mɛl/ as different words with slightly different meanings (I feel like I've heard the three-syllable version used as a count noun, caramels, whereas I always use it as a mass noun)
• caterpillar /kætɚpɪlɚ/, definitely with both r's
• char (the C/Java data type) /ˈtʃɑɹ/ (like the word "char", not like the word "character")
• cicada /sɪ.ˈkeɪ.də/
• citizen /ˈsɪt.ə.zn̩/ (at least that's how it's represented in my head; it might come out with an /s/)
• clothes /kloʊðz/, but I think I initally learned /kloʊz/ and might still use it sometimes
• comforter /kʌmfɚtɚ/, definitely with both r's
• coordinate /ˈkoɹd.ɪ.nət~ˈkwoɹd.ɪ.nət/ (/-neɪt/ for the verb)
• coupon /ˈku.pɑn/ (but /ˈkju.pɑn/ doesn't sound weird at all)
• crayon /ˈkɹeɪ.ɑn/, but when I was younger /ˈkɹaʊn/ (homophone of "crown") (or at least people around me pronounced it that way)
• creek /ˈkɹik/ (as spelled, not "crick")
• envelope (noun) /ˈɛn.və.loʊp/ (the /ɑn/ pronunciation used to annoy me a lot as a kid)
• especially /ə.ˈspɛʃ.li/
• et cetera /ɛt.ˈsɛɾ.ɚ.ə/
• exit /ˈeɪɡz.ɪt/ (not /ˈɛks.ɪt/)
• February /ˈfɛb.ju.eɹ.i/
• furnature /ˈfɹʌn.ɪ.tʃɚ/ ("frunature")
• get /ɡɛt/, forget /fɚ.ˈɡɛt/ or /foɹ.ˈɡɛt/
• GIF: I don't have a consistent pronunciation
• governer /ˈɡʌv.ɚ.nɚ/ or /ˈɡʌv.ə.nɚ/ (I think with both r's in careful speech)
• grocery /ˈɡɹoʊʃ.ɹi/
• grocer /ˈɡɹoʊʃ.ɚ/ (by analogy with grocery, though I'm not sure I've heard the word spoken before)
• have to /ˈhæf.tu/, has to /ˈhæs.tu/, had to /ˈhæd.tu/, having to /ˈhæv.ïŋ.tu/ (when talking about obligation)
• hurricane /ˈhɚ.ə.keɪn/
• idea /aɪ.ˈdi.ə/ (three syllables, no r, very different than eye deer)
• infrared /ˈɪn.fɹə.ˈɹɛd/ (but I don't say it that often)
• milk /mɛlk/ or /mɪlk/; I think I first learned /mɛlk/, but might say /mɪlk/ now due to spelling; silk and ilk clearly have /ɪ/
• mirror /ˈmɪɹ.ɚ/ (rhymes with nearer), but I think at one point I used /mɪɹ/ (homophone with meer); terror and horror I'm pretty sure I've always used two syllables
• monster /ˈmɑns.tɚ/
• mature /mə.ˈtʃɚ/
• Newfoundland /ˈnu.fn̩.ln̩d/ (first syllable stressed)
• noir /noʊ.ˈɑɹ/ (two syllables, "no R")
• often /ˈɑf.n̩/ or /ˈɑf.tn̩/ (either, I think I'm probably more likely to pronounce the t when it's stressed)
• orangutan /ə.ˈɹæɪŋ.ə.tæɪŋ/ (as if spelled "orangutang"), though there have probably been times when I said /ə.ˈɹæɪŋ.ə.tæn/ due to the spelling
• ostrich /ˈɑst.ɹɪdʒ/
• pajamas /pə.ˈdʒæm.əz/ (though I usually say "jammies")
• particular /pɹə.ˈtɪk.jə.lɚ/ ("praticular", with metathesis)
• pecan /pi.ˈkɑn/ (second-syllable stress)
• quart /kwoɹt/ (at least in careful speech; I'm not sure if I'd drop the /w/ when talking less carefully)
• real, reel /ɹi.l̩/ (homophones with each other, but not with rill if that were actually a word in my vocabulary)
• really /ɹɪl.i/
• schedule /ˈskɛdʒ.jl̩/, or sometimes /ˈskɛdʒ.ju.l̩/
• solder /ˈsɑd.ɚ/ ("sodder")
• spinach /ˈspɪn.ɪtʃ/
• stalactite /stə.ˈlæɪɡ.taɪt/ (differs from stalagmite only in the last syllable, meaning the c = ceiling mnemonic doesn't work as well for me)
• sudo (Unix command) /ˈsu.doʊ/ (like pseudo, not sue-do)
• surprise /səpraɪz/ (but maybe sometimes with /ɚ/)
• talk /ˈtɑk/ (same as the tock in tick tock)
• twenty /ˈtwɛn.ti/ or /ˈtwɛɾ̃.i/ (definitely /ɛ/, not /ʌ/; I didn't realize that the title text in xkcd 1753 (Thumb War) was supposed to rhyme)
• toward /ˈtwoɹd~ˈtoɹd/
• vehicle /ˈvi.(h)ɪ.kl̩/ (three syllables)
• violence /ˈvaɪ.ə.ln̩s/ (three syllables)
• walk /ˈwɑk/ (rhymes with sock)
• Wednesday /ˈwenz.deɪ/
• yeah /jæ/
• 1901 "nineteen oh one"

from, what, was, of, because (but not the noun or verb cause), -body, want have /ʌ/ (STRUT vowel) in my idiolect. Got has /ɑ/. I'd probably pronounce wont as /wɑnt/, but I never use that word and it might be a spelling pronunciation.

Schwa deletion before r

Spelling/writing

I generally use American spellings; however, I have some inclination to use British-style double l's (e.g. travelling), and I'm not particularly consistent.

I tend to put punctuation outside quotation marks, unless it's part of the quoted sentence.

Specific words:

• blond (I don't do the masculine/feminine distinction (I'm not speaking French!), and I've made a conscious decision to use blond exclusively)
• gray
• judgement (the spelling judgment violates the rule about when g says which sounds)