Back Vowel Phonemes

[Douglas G. Wilson]

Another example: myself (SE MI):

[/a/ unrounded; /)/ rounded and farther back]

cop, cob, cot, cod, cock = a
[caught, caudal, caulk = )]
cog, dog, frog = )
lost, loss, toss = )
horror = )
on = ) ... but definitely sometimes a
upon = ) ... maybe sometimes a
off = )
water = a
wash = )
watch, swatch, swat = a
Chicago = a

When I thought about this subject and tried a few examples, I realized that
I use

gothic [gothic typeface, gothic horror story] = a
Goth, Gothic [Gothic language, Gothic tribes] = )

Probably this is merely an idiosyncratic error, but I've never been called
on it. I suppose I knew 'gothic' before I ever heard of Goths. For comparison

moth, sloth, broth = )
apothecary, hypothesis = a

-- Doug Wilson