Rounding of the Back Vowel in Canadian and American English

The back vowel in words such as bother and daughter shows variation in rounding. In Received Pronunciation, the back vowel is rounded. In Canada and the United States, however, this varies according to the region.

In western Canada, central Canada and the northeastern United States, the rounded vowel is common. The unrounded vowel is common in the western United States, the southern United States and Atlantic Canada. In other regions, the use of the rounded and unrounded vowels varies more. For example, the rounded vowel is common in western Pennyslvania, but the unrounded one is common in eastern Pennsylvania.

Though Received Pronunciation consistenly uses a back rounded vowel in words such as bother and daughter, this is not the case in Canada and the United States. In Canada, the rounded vowel is common in the west and the unrounded in the east. In the United States, the unrounded vowel is common in the west, but in the east many speakers use the rounded vowel. The back vowel exhibits variation in rounding in Canada and the United States.