I stumbld across this very interesting article about Phonemic differentiation and was wondering how all of you spoke English. Of course I could guess from your place of origin, but sometimes it isn't clear, like in my English.
For example, although I am not Irish, Welsh or Liverpudlian, I tend to differentiate the pronunciation of of "pane" and "pain".
Otherwise, my accent is probably closer to Southern British English or RP. I do merge the following sounds : pour-poor, toe-tow, horse-hoarse (all the long "o") and whine-wine.
But I certainly do NOT merge those sounds : father-bother, start-north, lot-cloth (how could that be pronounced the same way !) or furry-hurry.
As for most English people my "a" in words like bath, rather, after, can't, fast, half, calf are long to rhyme with "father" and not "trap". However, I found myself to shorten my "a" in such words as "example", "chance" and "branch" (basically those preceded by a "n" or "m") after listenning to too many American people or movies. So I sometimes say "exaaample" (mostly talking to British people), but find myself saying "exaemple" with other people.
Likewise, I have come to merge mary-marry-merry like Americans, although I used not to.
Has anyone of you experienced such pronunciation change ?
For example, although I am not Irish, Welsh or Liverpudlian, I tend to differentiate the pronunciation of of "pane" and "pain".
Otherwise, my accent is probably closer to Southern British English or RP. I do merge the following sounds : pour-poor, toe-tow, horse-hoarse (all the long "o") and whine-wine.
But I certainly do NOT merge those sounds : father-bother, start-north, lot-cloth (how could that be pronounced the same way !) or furry-hurry.
As for most English people my "a" in words like bath, rather, after, can't, fast, half, calf are long to rhyme with "father" and not "trap". However, I found myself to shorten my "a" in such words as "example", "chance" and "branch" (basically those preceded by a "n" or "m") after listenning to too many American people or movies. So I sometimes say "exaaample" (mostly talking to British people), but find myself saying "exaemple" with other people.
Likewise, I have come to merge mary-marry-merry like Americans, although I used not to.
Has anyone of you experienced such pronunciation change ?