Intervocalic t–d merger: Difference between revisions
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The merger does not occur when an intervocalic /t/ or /d/ is followed by a syllabic 'n', so ''written'' and ''ridden'' remain distinct. However, such words as "riding" and "writing" continue to be distinguished by the preceding vowel; though neutralized, the underlying voice distinction continues to select the allophone of the "long i" (/aI/) phoneme preceding it. |
The merger does not occur when an intervocalic /t/ or /d/ is followed by a syllabic 'n', so ''written'' and ''ridden'' remain distinct nor does it occur when when the /t/ or /d/ belongs to a second stressed syllable in the word, as in ''retail''. However, such words as "riding" and "writing" continue to be distinguished by the preceding vowel; though neutralized, the underlying voice distinction continues to select the allophone of the "long i" (/aI/) phoneme preceding it. |
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Revision as of 00:10, 23 February 2005
The intervocalic t/d merger is a merger that occurs in many dialects of English, especially American English, but absent in RP where intervocalic /t/ and intervocalic /d/ merge into a new phoneme /4/ which is the alveolar flap. For people with the merger these following words sound the same or almost the same:
- matter/madder
- grater/grader
- metal/medal
The merger does not occur when an intervocalic /t/ or /d/ is followed by a syllabic 'n', so written and ridden remain distinct nor does it occur when when the /t/ or /d/ belongs to a second stressed syllable in the word, as in retail. However, such words as "riding" and "writing" continue to be distinguished by the preceding vowel; though neutralized, the underlying voice distinction continues to select the allophone of the "long i" (/aI/) phoneme preceding it.
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