Variation in Trap-Bath Split

The trap-bath split is one of the most distinctive features of English dialects. Speakers who have the split use different vowels in trap and bath, and those who do not have the split use the same vowel. However, the trap-bath split exhibits variation.

In Northern England, the words aunt,banana, calf, can't, half and rather are pronounced with a back vowel. However, in Canada and the United States, banana, calf, can't and half are pronounced by a front vowel by almost all speakers. The words aunt and rather vary. Many North Americans pronounce them with a front vowel, but the back vowel is also used, especially with the word aunt.

Australia also exhibits variation with the trap-bath split. The word castle can be pronounced with a front vowel or back vowel. Words which come before /m/ and /n/ are pronounced with the front vowel as in dance, example and plant. In southern Australia, the back vowel is used more than in the rest of the country.

English dialects have a number of distinctive features. One of them is rhoticity. Rhotic speakers pronounce the /r/ in all positions, but non-rhotic speakers do not. Another is the trap-bath split. In southern England, the trap-bath split applies and the words trap and bath are realized with different vowels. Other speakers also have the trap-bath split, but the application varies.