[Ads-l] The pronunciation of "dwarf"

W Brewer brewerwa at GMAIL.COM
Fri Apr 5 04:31:53 UTC 2019


[dwoɹf] > [dɰɤɹɸ]
There are two ways to investigate this problem.
(1) Pretend you are a ventriloquist, and try to say "dwarf".
(2) Inject novocaine into your cheek or gum, and try to say "dwarf".
You should observe no visible lip-rounding, and yet the interlocutor still
understands "dwarf".
Evidently, the /w/ in these environments is de-rounded to [ɰ], /o/ > [ɤ]
(ram's horns), and /f/ becomes unrounded [ɸ] (phi).
The /w/ is still there, but as an unrounded allophone in an lip-spreading
environment.
Believe it. (Or not.)

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