Iowa

[Mark_Mandel at DRAGONSYS.COM]

Anne Lambert <annelamb at GNV.FDT.NET> wrote:

>>>
Iowa isn't pronounced with an /o/ but /^/.

[Ron Butters sent in:]

> *People from other states love to hear you say "Iowa" and other words
>  with   "Os" in them.
<<<

But it's WRITTEN with an "o".

Besides, I don't think [@w] and [o] (@=schwa) are really distinct. So "Iowa" =
[ay'.o.(w@)] = [ay'. at .w@].

Hmph. Now that I've written that, my guardian unconscious throws "Hiawatha" up
at me, and I think I do back the pre-/w/ vowel of "Iowa" but not that of
"Hiawatha".

But I still don't know what difference would amuse non-Iowans. Enlighten,
please?

-- Mark