trap-bath split

English

An example of the trap–bath split

Pronunciation

With the split — enPR: trăp′ bäth′ splĭt′

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹæp ˈbɑːθ ˌsplɪt/
• (Standard Southern British) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹap ˈbɑːθ ˌsplɪt/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹæp ˈbɐːθ ˌsplɪt/

  • Audio (General Australian):

    (file)

• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹɛp ˈbaːθ ˌsplət/
• (India) IPA^(key): /ˈʈɾæp ˈbaːt̪ ˌspliʈ/

Without the split — enPR: trăp′ băth′ splĭt′

• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹæp ˈbæθ ˌsplɪt/
• (Northern England) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹap ˈbaθ ˌsplɪt/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈtɾap ˈbaθ ˌsplɪt/

Noun

the trap–bath split (uncountable)

2. (linguistics) A vowel split in some varieties of English (such as British English as spoken in southern England, American English spoken in Boston, and Australian, New Zealand and South African English) in which the phoneme /æ/ (AHD: ă), as pronounced in other varieties of English, is pronounced in some words as /ɑː/ (AHD: ä).

See also

• æ-tensing
• bad-lad split