Saturday, 10 November 2018

Minimal pairs: /æ/ and /ɑː/ + British/American English

Ex. 1. Look at the following words containing the short vowel /æ/ and find their counterparts containing the long vowel /ɑː/. Are these words minimal pairs in Standard American English?

at (full form), back, bad, badge, ban, bat, cat, cattle, chat, Dan, hat, lack, lad, mac, mat, pat, tat

Ex. 2. Which words have /æ/ in American English and /ɑː/ in Received Pronunciation? How about the vowels in the remaining words?

gas, aunt, pass, bath, father, pat, class, math(s), mass, answer, example, ask, can't, task, mask, last, clap, barn


KEY: Ex. 1. art, bark, bard, barge, barn, Bart, cart, cartel, chart, darn, heart, lark, lard, mark, mart, part, tart These words also contain /r/ in Standard US English, so they aren't minimal pairs.

Ex. 2. /æ/ in American English and /ɑː/ in RP: aunt, pass, bath, class, math(s), answer, example, ask, can't, task, mask, last 
/æ/ in both: gas, pat, mass, clap   /ɑː/ in both: father, barn (+ /r/ in US English)

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