How the OED pronounces "lot" and "cloth"

[Michael Quinion]

Joel Berson wrote in reply to Paul Johnston:

> Do you mean RP speakers pronounce "cloth" like "cot" -- klahth? Or that
> they pronounce "lot" like "moth" -- lawt?  Both are odd to my (American)
> ear.  I would receive them as pretentious -- but perhaps that's what RP
> stands for.  :-)

Come over this side of the Atlantic and say that again, mister! As an
elderly southern British speaker, I do pronounce "lot", "cloth", "hot",
and "moth" with the same vowel. Quite unpretentiously, I do declare.

--
Michael Quinion
Editor, World Wide Words
Web: http://www.worldwidewords.org

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