From reid@xxxxxxxx.xxxx Sun Apr 11 10:36:15 1999 X-Digest-Num: 111 Message-ID: <44114.111.612.959273824@eGroups.com> Date: Sun, 11 Apr 1999 12:36:15 -0500 From: Christopher Reid Palmer Try as I might, I can't imagine (or remember - but my > memory is non-aural) any vowel sound that I can put > into both "top" and "father". Well, it's clear that we're speaking different dialects of English. :) Try putting your 'father' sound in place of the vowel for 'top', and you'll have an idea of what I sound like. And I think I know what you sound like... > crp> Any chance your 'top' is a lax 'o', similar to > crp> 'father' 'a' but a bit rounded ('off', ... > > Hmm. My "top" is as in > > "octet", "October", "off", "on", "conscious" > "ostensibly", "long", "monster" ... Yep -- for me, 'off' and 'on' have rounded low-mid back vowels, while the others you list have /a/, a low, mid-back vowel. Your having a single vowel for all (presumably the lax /O/, my 'off') is what I hear as a big part of RP. -- Chris _____________________________________________________________________________ Christopher Reid Palmer : reid@pconline.com : http://innerfire.visi.com/