"Have" has the lax vowel of "can" (be able), while "halve" has the tense vowel of "can" (= BrE tin). Sorry, Richard, I just don't get it. Not always the teacher's fault. Color to a blind man, or some

You say you're not MINMINM? To my ear, your three "Mary", "marry", and "merry" vowels all sound very different. To mine, my "Mary" and my "marry" sound alike. how could a MINMINM person not

What about "spa" and "starry"? (The question was addressed to me, I think, and asking what vowels I use.) In 'starry' I use /A/; I'll have to catch myself saying "spa" naturally some time and let you know.

MC'S LAW: "Post a question in aue and sooner or ... inference that was never implied, or all of the above." Not angry. But the premise of the question was an error. QED! You have assumed that "everyone" is keyed into

Thus spake MC: Thus spake Mike Barnes: I was going to reply that ... we care a jot about her and her strange name. MC'S LAW: "Post a question in aue and sooner or later someone will either correct you, denounce the premise of ... or

Do you know roughly when this sound change is supposed to have happened? Not off the top of my head, but my guess is early post-Shakespeare. Perhaps earlier than that. The nature of ... /rOl/, became /rOUl/ - which is essentially the same as the

MWCD10 gives three pronunciations for "want": /wOnt/, also /wAnt/, /w@nt/ ... "also" means "the ones that follow are significantly less common".) I say "want" as /wAnt/; I'm surprised to learn that it is

MWCD10 gives three pronunciations for "want": /wOnt/, also /wAnt/, /w@nt/ ... "also" means "the ones that follow are significantly less common".) I say "want" as /wAnt/; I'm surprised to learn that it is

MWCD10 gives three pronunciations for "want": /wOnt/, also /wAnt/, /w@nt/ ... "also" means "the ones that follow are significantly less common".) I say "want" as /wAnt/; I'm surprised to learn that it is