Re: USAGE: [YAEPT] (was Re: "To whom")

On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 21:58:44 +1100, Tristan McLeay
<conlang@...> wrote:

>I don't know that the glottal stop is phonemic (and I've heard evidence
>that the phoneme for US [4] is actually /t/, so 'meddle' and 'mettle'
>are both homophones as (what I suppose is) /mEtl=/, contrary to
>intuition).
I seem to pronounce both as /'mEdl=/.  Sometimes, at least, I think the /d/
is retroflex.  At least "IMD", [4] is not really an allophone of /d/
& /t/.  But there's only a subtle distinction there, I think.

Someone else brought up "mitten" vs. "midden".  I pronounce them as ['mI?
n=] and ['mIdn=], respectively.  Who here also pronounces "mountain" as
['maU?n=]? :b

Finally, I read that there's phonetic (but not phonemic) lengthening of
vowels in closed syllables ending with voiced stops.  After listening to
how I pronounce "bet" vs. "bed", I can say that that's true with some
English speakers.  The former is [bEt_h] or [bE?] ~ [bE?_h] and the latter
[bE:d], for me.  (Is there such a thing as an aspirated glottal stop?)

- Rob

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