Vowels and diphthongs SQUARE and NURSE

Whilst in RP SQUARE is pronounced with /ε:/ and NURSE with the central vowel /ə:/ , the two sets are merged in certain dialects within the North. In Liverpool, words from either of these sets can be pronounced either as [ε:] or [з:] , thus fur and fair can both be heard as [fε:] or [з:]. The [з:] pronunciation in SQUARE words is typical of traditional Lancashire dialects, and so can be heard in e.g. Wigan and Bolton, but is less common in the city of Manchester. Since Liverpool was in the old county of Lancashire, the [з:] pronunciation is perhaps a more traditional variant, and is heard in smaller Merseyside towns such as St Helens. However, [ε:] in NURSE is also found in Hull and Middlesbrough on the East coast, but not north of the Teesside conurbation. More research needs to be carried out on the history of northern dialects of English before we can know whether this distribution is significant. In each locality, the [ε:] in NURSE acts as a local shibboleth, distinguishing Liverpool from Lancashire, Hull from the rest of Yorkshire, and Teesside from the rest of the North-east.