PRONUNCIATION
KEY VOWELS
MAGIC PHRASE: I prefer the thought of dancing cats in dreary yellow top hats!
1..BATH – [ɑ] or [ɑ̟]
- open, back, unrounded vowel – often slightly advanced
- note for accents with BATH-TRAP merger: in this accent, there is a BATH – TRAP split.
Practice Sentence: I can’t ask him to dance on such an enchanting evening!
2. TRAP – [æ]
- open, front, unrounded vowel – shimmers around [æ]
Practice Sentence: It’s hard to stand when you’re batting in this maddening heat!
3. LOT – [ɒ̝]
- open, back, rounded vowel – slightly raised
Practice Sentence: What a phenomenal jog, though I did get quite lost!
4. THOUGHT / FORCE / NORTH merger – [o̞̹]
- coupled with the non-rhoticity of this accent, NORTH and FORCE merge with THOUGHT, and all are realized as a close-mid, back, rounded vowel – slightly lowered, with additional lip rounding
I invite you to take a look at how rounded the lips are on the words small and four:
Practice Sentence: I thought I saw you on my important walk this morning at dawn!
5. NEAR – [ɪˑ]
- near-close, near-front, unrounded vowel – held for just slightly longer than most other monophthongs in this accent
Practice Sentence: I’m over here crying happy tears with my peers
6. NURSE – [ɜ̝̠]
- open-mid, central, unrounded vowel – raised and retracted
Practice Sentence: I love learning about ferns and birds!
7. GOAT – [əʊ̝̟]
- schwa (mid central unrounded vowel) into a raised and slightly advanced near-close near-back rounded vowel
Practice Sentence: Don’t go to the Roman baths this October