[Ads-l] Pronunciation of "faith" and "also" in parts of Alabama

[Charles Law]

I’ve recently been going to a Presbyterian church in Georgia where several of the pastors are native Alabamans. I’ve noticed that all three of them pronounce “faith” as if there were a “t” prior to the “th”, something like this: [feɪtθ] “feytth". It’s as if they’re saying “fate” but with a “th” added at the end. 

Also, when they say the word “also”, it sounds as if a “t” is inserted prior to the “s”, producing something like this: [ˈɔlt·soʊ] “awltso”.

(I can’t really remember my IPA, but I hope you get the idea.)

What’s going on with this? What’s the geographical range for these pronunciations? I don’t know where in Alabama these folks are from, but I've heard someone else use both of these pronunciations. I asked where she was from and, sure enough: Alabama. She said she had grown in several different parts of the state (child of a Methodist minister; they often move every four years).

Thanks.

-chaslaw


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