Twelve Pronunciations of Water

English is a language with many dialects. One of the characteristics which distinguishes these dialects is pronunciation. Dialects can be classified as rhotic and non-rhotic. Other differences are in the vowels and in the use of the flap in certain dialects. These differences can be illustrated by the pronunciation of the word water. Here are twelve pronunciations:

1) [wɔ:tə] 
2) [wɔ:ʔə] 
3) [wɑʔɚ]
4) [wɑtə]
5) [wɑtɚ]
6) [wɑt̬ɚ]
7) [wɑɾɚ]
8) [wɔɾɚ]
9) [wɔɾə]
10) [wʊɾɚ]
11) [wo:ɾə]
12) [wo:tə]

The first pronunciation is the pronunciation of RP. It can be considered Standard British English. The second pronunciation also occurs in British English, especially in the south of England. The third pronunciation is common in southwestern England and the fourth pronunciation is typical of northern England.

The fifth pronunciation is common in Scotland and Ireland. The sixth pronunciation occurs in Irish English and has a voiceless apico-alveolar fricative.

Number 7 is common in North America. This is followed by a pronunciation which is typical of New York. Number 9 is also typical of New York but is a non-rhotic pronunciation. Number 10 is a pronunciation which is associated with Philadelphia. Here the first vowel is the vowel of put.

The last two pronunciations are typical of Australia and New Zealand. The eleventh pronunciation has a flap and the twelfth has an alveolar plosive. The twelfth pronunciation is more formal than the eleventh.

The examples illustrate the variation in English pronunciation. Though the word water has only four segments, it can be pronounced in many ways. The different pronunciations indicate that English has several dialects.