wine-whine merger

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Noun 1.2.1 See also 1.2.2 References

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /(ðə) waɪnˈʍaɪn ˌmɜːʤə/

[edit] Noun

wine-whine merger (plural wine-whine mergers)

1. (phonology) A merger in which [ʍ] (the sound heard at the beginning of the word whine in a Scottish accent) becomes [w] (the sound heard at the beginning of the word wine); in accents where this merger occurs, whine and wine are homophones.

[edit] See also

• hole-whole merger
• wh-labiodentalization

[edit] References

Phonological history of wh on Wikipedia.Wikipedia:Phonological history of wh