Vowels PALM

Data from the BCDP, Hughes and Trudgill (1996: 55) and Mathisen (1999: 109) suggest that the WM dialect typically has [a:]; Wells (1982: 360) claims this is typical of the Midland cities. Chinn and Thorne (2001: 23) similarly maintain that Bm speakers’ realization here is typically long ([a:]), e.g. half, aunt, laugh, laughter.

Painter (1963: 30) has BC /a/, realized as [a], apparently alternating with /a:/, realized as .

There is written evidence for a BC pronunciation of (grand)father possibly in the region of , with spellings <faerther>, <fai(r)ther> and <grandferther> (as for NURSE and FACE).