Foot-Strut Split in England

The foot-strut split refers to the different vowels in the words foot and strut. In early modern English the vowel of strut changed from rounded to unrounded. The foot-strut split is common in most varieties of English. However, in England many speakers do not have the split.

In southern England, the vowels of foot and strut are different. However, in central and northern England, the words are pronounced with the same vowel. It is the back unrounded vowel of book. The dialects of central and northern England retain an older form of English. The words foot and strut have the same vowel because words such as strut preserve the original foot vowel.

The following words have the foot vowel in the dialects of central and northern England:

but
cup
enough
flood
love
luck
nut
one
plum
us

Most dialects of English have the foot-strut split. In central and northern England, however, the split does not occur. Though the split is common in Ireland, it is neutralized by many Irish speakers. Speakers of central and northern England lack the foot-strut split because they preserve the original foot vowel.