Cot-Caught Merger in Newfoundland English

The cot-caught merger is nearly universal in Canada. However, in Newfoundland English, the merger is not universal. A few speakers maintain a contrast.

In Newfoundland English, the vowel of cot is either a central or back unrounded vowel. It has a more advanced articulation than in other varieties of Canadian English. The vowel of caught is more retracted or longer for those speakers who do not have the merger. The majority of speakers, however, have the merger and pronounce both words with a central unrounded vowel.

The more advanced articulation of the low vowel in Newfoundland English resembles that of the cities in the USA that have undergone the Northern Cities Shift. The advanced articulation distinguishes Newfoundland English from standard Canadian English. For those speakers who do not have the cot-caught merger, the distinction of cot and caught is realized with either a more retracted vowel or a longer vowel in the word caught.