View source for English-language vowel changes before historic /l/

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{{English phonology topics}}
{{IPA notice}}
In the [[Phonological history of English vowels|history of English phonology]], there have been many [[historical linguistics|diachronic]] sound changes affecting vowels, especially involving [[phonemic differentiation|phonemic splits and mergers]]. A number of these changes are specific to vowels which occur before {{IPA|/l/}}, especially in cases where the {{IPA|/l/}} is at the end of a syllable (or is not followed by a vowel).

==Historical diphthongization before /l/==
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2014}}
[[Diphthongization]] occurred since [[Early Modern English]] in certain ''-al-'' and ''-ol-'' sequences before [[coronal consonant|coronal]] or [[velar consonant|velar]] [[consonant]]s, or at the end of a word or morpheme.  In these sequences, {{IPA|/al/}} became {{IPA|/awl/}} and then {{IPA|/ɑul/}}, while {{IPA|/ɔl/}} became {{IPA|/ɔwl/}} and then {{IPA|/ɔul/}}. Both of these merged with existing diphthongs: {{IPA|/ɑu/}} as in ''law'' and {{IPA|/ɔu/}} as in ''throw''.

At the end of a word or morpheme, this produced {{IPA|/ɑul/}} in ''all'', ''ball'', ''call'', ''fall'', ''gall'', ''hall'', ''mall'', ''small'', ''squall'', ''stall'', ''pall'', ''tall'', ''thrall'' and ''wall''; {{IPA|/ɔul/}} in ''control'', ''droll'', ''extol'', ''knoll'', ''poll'' (meaning a survey of people,) ''roll'', ''scroll'', ''stroll'', ''swollen'', ''toll'', and ''troll''.  The word ''shall'' did not follow this trend, and remains {{IPA|/ʃæl/}} today.

Before [[coronal consonant]]s, this produced {{IPA|/ɑul/}} in ''[[Alderney]]'', ''alter'', ''bald'', ''balderdash'', ''false'', ''falter'', ''halt'', ''malt'', ''palsy'', ''salt'', ''[[Wald (disambiguation)|Wald]]'' and ''[[Walter (disambiguation)|Walter]]'';  {{IPA|/ɔul/}} in ''bold'', ''cold'', ''fold'', ''gold'', ''hold'', ''molten'', ''mould/mold'', ''old'', ''shoulder'' (earlier ''sholder''), ''smolder'', ''told'', and ''wold'' (in the sense of "tract of land").  As with ''shall'', the word ''shalt'' did not follow this trend, and remains {{IPA|/ʃælt/}} today.

Before {{IPA|/k/}}, this produced {{IPA|/ɑul/}} in ''balk'', ''caulk/calk'', ''chalk'', ''[[Dundalk]]'', ''falcon'', ''stalk'', ''talk'' and ''walk''; {{IPA|/ɔul/}} in ''folk'', ''[[Polk (disambiguation)|Polk]]'', and ''yolk''.

This L-vocalization established a pattern that would influence the [[spelling pronunciation]]s of some relatively more recent loanwords like ''[[Balt]]'', ''[[Malta]]'', ''waltz'', ''[[Yalta]]'', and ''polder''.  It also influenced [[English spelling reform]] efforts, explaining the [[American English]] ''mold'' and ''molt'' vs. the traditional ''mould'' and ''moult''.

Certain words of more recent origin or coining, however, do not have the change and retain short vowels, including ''Al'', ''alcohol'', ''bal'', ''Cal'', ''calcium'', ''gal'', ''Hal'', ''mal-'', ''pal'', ''Sal'', ''talc'', ''Val'', ''doll'', ''Moll'', and ''Poll'' (a nickname for a parrot.)

The [[Great Vowel Shift]] altered the pronunciation of the diphthongs, with {{IPA|/ɑu/}} becoming the monophthong {{IPA|/ɔː/}}, and {{IPA|/ɔu/}} raising to {{IPA|/oʊ/}}.

===Historical ''L''-vocalization===
In ''-alk'' and ''-olk'' words, the {{IPA|/l/}} subsequently disappeared entirely in most accents (with the notable exception of [[Hiberno-English]]).  This change caused {{IPA|/ɑulk/}} to become {{IPA|/ɑuk/}}, and {{IPA|/ɔulk/}} to become {{IPA|/ɔuk/}}.  Even outside Ireland, some of these words have more than one pronunciation that retains the {{IPA|/l/}} sound, especially in American English where spelling pronunciations caused partial or full reversal of L-vocalization in a handful of cases:
* ''caulk/calk'' can be {{IPA|/ˈkɔːlk/}} or {{IPA|/ˈkɔːk/}}.
* ''falcon'' can be {{IPA|/ˈfælkən/}}, {{IPA|/ˈfɔːlkən/}} or {{IPA|/ˈfɔːkən/}}.
* ''yolk'' can be {{IPA|/ˈjoʊlk/}} or {{IPA|/ˈjoʊk/}}.  ''yoke'' as {{IPA|/ˈjoʊk/}} is only conditionally [[homophone|homophonous]].

Words like ''fault'' and ''vault'' did not undergo L-vocalization, but rather L-restoration, having previously been L-vocalized independently in [[Old French]] and lacking the {{IPA|/l/}} in Middle English, but having it restored by Early Modern English.  The word ''falcon'' existed simultaneously as homonyms {{lang|enm|fauco(u)n}} and ''falcon'' in Middle English.  The word ''moult/molt'' never originally had {{IPA|/l/}} to begin with, instead deriving from Middle English ''mout'' and related etymologically to ''mutate''; the {{IPA|/l/}} joined the word intrusively.

The loss of {{IPA|/l/}} in words spelt with ''-alf'', ''-alm'', ''-alve'' and ''-olm'' did not involve L-vocalization in the same sense, but rather the elision of the consonant and usually the [[compensatory lengthening]] of the vowel.

==Variation between /ɔːl/ and /ɒl/ before a consonant in ''salt'' and similar words==
Some words such as ''salt'', traditionally pronounced by most RP speakers with /ɔːl/ followed by a consonant, have alternative pronunciations with /ɒl/ that are used more frequently by younger British English speakers. This variation between /ɔːl/ and /ɒl/ occurs primarily before voiceless consonants, as in ''salt,'' ''false'' and ''alter''; less commonly, /ɒl/ may also be used in words where the /l/ comes before a voiced consonant, as in ''bald'', ''scald'' and ''cauldron''.<ref>Wells, John (2010). "[http://phonetic-blog.blogspot.com/2010/02/scolding-water.html scolding water]" (February 16). John Wells’s phonetic blog. Retrieved 2016-01-31.</ref><ref name=lindsey>{{cite book |last=Lindsey |first=Geoff |author-link=Geoff Lindsey |date=2019 |title=English After RP: Standard British Pronunciation Today|page=39-41, 125 |isbn=9783030043568}}</ref> In Great Britain, the /ɒl/ pronunciation was traditionally associated with Northern England and Wales,<ref>{{cite journal |last=Wells |first=John C. |date=June 1999 |title=British English pronunciation preferences: a changing scene |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44526231 |journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association |volume=29  |pages=36 |access-date=2023-09-01}}</ref> but has in recent decades become more widespread, including among younger speakers of RP.<ref name=lindsey/>

==Modern ''L''-vocalization==
More extensive L-vocalization is a notable feature of certain dialects of [[English language|English]], including [[Cockney]], [[Estuary English]], [[New York City English|New York English]], [[New Zealand English]], [[Pittsburgh English|Pittsburgh]] and [[Philadelphia dialect|Philadelphia English]], in which an {{IPA|/l/}} sound occurring at the end of a word or before a consonant is pronounced as some sort of close back vocoid, e.g., {{IPA|[w]}}, {{IPA|[o]}} or {{IPA|[ʊ]}}.  The resulting sound may not always be rounded.  The precise phonetic quality varies.  It can be heard occasionally in the dialect of the English [[East Midlands]], where words ending in -old can be pronounced {{IPA|/oʊd/}}.  [[KM Petyt]] (1985) noted this feature in the traditional dialect of West Yorkshire but said it has died out.<ref>KM Petyt, ''Dialect & Accent in Industrial West Yorkshire'', John Benjamins Publishing Company, page 219</ref> However, in recent decades l-vocalization has been spreading outwards from London and the south east,<ref>Asher, R.E., Simpson, J.M.Y. (1993). ''The Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics''. Pergamon. p. 4043. {{ISBN|978-0080359434}}</ref><ref>Kortmann, Bernd et al. (2004). ''A Handbook of Varieties of English''. Mouton de Gruyter. p. 196. {{ISBN|978-3110175325}}.</ref>  [[John C. Wells]] (1982) argued that it was probable that it would become the standard pronunciation in England over the next one hundred years,{{sfnp|Wells|1982|p=259}} an idea which Petyt criticised in a book review.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Petyt |first1=KM |year=1982 |title=Reviews: JC Wells: Accents of English|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=104–112 |publisher=Cambridge |doi=10.1017/S0025100300002516 |s2cid=146349564 |url=http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=1796764&fulltextType=BR&fileId=S0025100300002516 |access-date=6 January 2013|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

In Cockney, Estuary English and New Zealand English, l-vocalization can be accompanied by [[phonemic differentiation|phonemic mergers]] of vowels before the vocalized {{IPA|/l/}}, so that ''real'', ''reel'' and ''rill'', which are distinct in most dialects of English, are homophones as {{IPA|[ɹɪw]}}.

Graham Shorrocks noted extensive L-vocalisation in the dialect of [[Bolton, Greater Manchester]] and commented, "many, perhaps, associate such a quality more with Southern dialects, than with Lancashire/Greater Manchester."<ref>{{cite book|last=Shorrocks|first=Graham|title=A Grammar of the Dialect of the Bolton Area. Pt. 2: Morphology and syntax|publisher=Peter Lang|page=255|location=Frankfurt am Main|year=1999|series=Bamberger Beiträge zur englischen Sprachwissenschaft; Bd. 42|isbn=3-631-34661-1}} (based on the author's thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sheffield, 1981)</ref>

In the accent of [[Bristol]], syllabic {{IPA|/l/}} can be vocalized to {{IPA|/o/}}, resulting in pronunciations like {{IPA|/ˈbɒto/}} (for ''bottle''). By [[hypercorrection]], however, some words originally ending in {{IPA|/o/}} were given an {{IPA|/l/}}: the original name of the town was ''Bristow'', but this has been altered by hypercorrection to ''Bristol''.<ref>{{OEtymD|Bristol}}</ref>

[[African-American English]] (AAE) dialects may have L-vocalization as well.  However, in these dialects, it may be omitted altogether (e.g. fool becomes {{IPA|[fuː]}}.  Some English speakers from San Francisco&nbsp;– particularly those of Asian ancestry&nbsp;– also vocalize or omit {{IPA|/l/}}.<ref>L Hall-Lew & RL Starr, ''Beyond the 2nd generation: English use among Chinese Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area'', English Today: The International Review of the English Language, Vol. 26, Issue 3, pp. 12-19. [http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayIssue?jid=ENG&volumeId=26&seriesId=0&issueId=03]</ref>

==''Salary–celery'' merger==
The '''''salary–celery'' merger''' is a conditioned merger of {{IPA|/æ/}} (as in ''bat'') and {{IPA|/ɛ/}} (as in ''bet'') when they occur before {{IPA|/l/}}, thus making ''salary'' and ''celery'' [[homophone]]s.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Cox, F. |author2=Palethorpe, S. | year = 2001 | chapter = The Changing Face of Australian Vowels | editor = Blair, D.B. |editor2=Collins, P | title = Varieties of English Around the World: English in Australia | publisher = John Benjamins Publishing, Amsterdam | pages = 17–44 }}</ref><ref name="Cox, F. M. and Palethorpe, S. 2004 1–14">{{cite journal 
|author1=Cox, F. M.  
|author2=Palethorpe, S. 
| title=The border effect: Vowel differences across the NSW–Victorian Border 
| journal=Proceedings of the 2003 Conference of the Australian Linguistic Society 
| year=2004 
| url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228950733 
| pages=1–14 
}}</ref><ref>{{cite conference 
|last1=Palethorpe 
|first1=Sallyanne 
|last2=Cox 
|first2=Felicity 
|date=2003
|title=Vowel Modification in Pre-lateral Environments 
|url=http://www.shlrc.mq.edu.au/~felicity/vowelmod_prelateral_environ.pdf 
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307162303/http://www.shlrc.mq.edu.au/~felicity/vowelmod_prelateral_environ.pdf
|archive-date=2008-03-07
|conference=International Seminars on Speech Production
|isbn=1-86408-871-0
}}</ref><ref name="Norfuk">Ingram, John. [http://emsah.uq.edu.au/linguistics/teaching/norfolk/Varieties-Norfolk-Phon-Ingram&Muhl.pdf Norfolk Island-Pitcairn English (Pitkern Norfolk)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225090557/http://emsah.uq.edu.au/linguistics/teaching/norfolk/Varieties-Norfolk-Phon-Ingram%26Muhl.pdf |date=2009-02-25 }}, ''[[University of Queensland]]'', 2006</ref> The merger is not well studied. It is referred to in various sociolinguistic publications, but usually only as a small section of the larger change undergone by vowels preceding {{IPA|/l/}} in articles about [[l-vocalization|''l''-vocalization]].

This merger has been detected in the English spoken in [[New Zealand English|New Zealand]] and in parts of the Australian state of [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], including the capital [[Melbourne, Victoria|Melbourne]].<ref name="sbs.com.au">[https://www.sbs.com.au/news/are-melburnians-mangling-the-language Are Melburnians mangling the language?]</ref><ref>[http://www.als.asn.au/proceedings/als2009/loakeshajekfletcher.pdf The /el/-/æl/ Sound Change in Australian English:  A Preliminary Perception Experiment, Deborah Loakes, John Hajek and Janet Fletcher, University of Melbourne]</ref>
The merger is also found in the [[Norfuk language|Norfuk dialect]] spoken on [[Norfolk Island]].<ref name="Norfuk"/> The salary-celery merger is also characteristic of [[Chicano English]] in Los Angeles and has been attested in the Chicano English of northern New Mexico and Albuquerque as well.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Penfield |first1=Joyce |title=Chicano English: an ethnic contact dialect |date=1985 |publisher=J. Benjamins Pub. Co |location=Amsterdam |isbn=9789027248657 |page=45}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Hernández|first=Pilar|year=1993|title=Vowel shift in Northern New Mexico Chicano English|journal=Mester|volume=22|issue=2 |pages=227–234|doi=10.5070/M3222014266|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis 
|last=Brumbaugh
|first=Susan
|date=2017
|title=Anglo and Hispanic Vowel Variation in New Mexican English
|type=PhD
|publisher=University of New Mexico
|url=https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/ling_etds/54
|access-date=March 15, 2022
}}</ref>
{{IPA|/ɛ/}} is also often lowered before {{IPA|/l/}} in El Paso, but not all speakers show a merger.<ref>{{Cite thesis |url=https://scholarworks.utep.edu/open_etd/2811 |last=Williams |first=Lance Levi |date=2010 |title=/ӕ/ and /e/ in El Paso English |type=MA |publisher=University of Texas at El Paso}}</ref>
In varieties with the merger, ''salary'' and ''celery'' are both pronounced {{IPA|/sæləri/}}.<ref name="Cox, F. M. and Palethorpe, S. 2004 1–14"/>

The study presented by Cox and Palethorpe at a 2003 conference tested just one group of speakers from Victoria: 13 fifteen-year-old girls from a Catholic girls' school in [[Wangaratta, Victoria|Wangaratta]]. Their pronunciations were compared with those of school girl groups in the towns of [[Temora, New South Wales|Temora]], [[Junee]] and [[Wagga Wagga]] in [[New South Wales]]. In the study conducted by Cox and Palethorpe, the group in Wangaratta exhibited the merger while speakers in Temora, Junee and Wagga Wagga did not.<ref name="Cox, F. M. and Palethorpe, S. 2004 1–14"/>

Deborah Loakes from Melbourne University has suggested that the salary-celery merger is restricted to Melbourne and southern Victoria, not being found in northern border towns such as Albury-Wodonga or Mildura.<ref name="sbs.com.au"/>

In the 2003 study Cox and Palethorpe note that the merger appears to only involve lowering of /e/ before /l/, with the reverse not occurring, stating that "There is no evidence in this data of raised /æ/ before /l/ as in 'Elbert' for 'Albert', a phenomenon that has been popularly suggested for Victorians."<ref name="Cox, F. M. and Palethorpe, S. 2004 1–14"/>

{{Harvp|Horsfield|2001}} investigates the effects of postvocalic {{IPA|/l/}} on the preceding vowels in [[New Zealand English]]; her investigation covers all of the [[New Zealand English]] vowels and is not specifically tailored to studying mergers and neutralizations, but rather the broader change that occurs across the vowels. She has suggested that further research involving minimal pairs like ''telly'' and ''tally'', ''celery'' and ''salary'' should be done before any firm conclusions are drawn.

A pilot study of the merger was done, which yielded perception and production data from a few [[New Zealand]] speakers. The results of the pilot survey suggested that although the merger was not found in the speech of all participants, those who produced a distinction between {{IPA|/æl/}} and {{IPA|/el/}} also accurately perceived a difference between them; those who merged {{IPA|/æl/}} and {{IPA|/el/}} were less able to accurately perceive the distinction. The finding has been interesting to some linguists because it concurs with the recent understanding that ''losing a distinction between two sounds involves losing the ability to produce it as well as to perceive it'' (Gordon 2002). However, due to the very small number of people participating in the study the results are not conclusive.

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ class="nowrap" | Homophonous pairs
! {{IPA|/æl/}}
! {{IPA|/ɛl/}}
! IPA
! Notes
|-
| [[Allen (disambiguation)|Allan]] || [[Ellen (disambiguation)|Ellen]] || {{IPA|ælən}}
|-
| bally || belly || {{IPA|bæli}}
|-
| dally || [[Delhi]] || {{IPA|dæli}}
|-
| dally || deli || {{IPA|dæli}}
|-
| fallow || fellow || {{IPA|fæloʊ}}
|-
| [[Hal (disambiguation)|Hal]] || hell || {{IPA|hæl}}
|-
| mallow || mellow || {{IPA|mæloʊ}}
|-
| [[Sal (disambiguation)|Sal]] || cel || {{IPA|sæl}}
|-
| [[Sal (disambiguation)|Sal]] || cell || {{IPA|sæl}}
|-
| [[Sal (disambiguation)|Sal]] || sell || {{IPA|sæl}}
|-
| salary || celery || {{IPA|sæləri}}
|-
| [[shall]] || shell || {{IPA|ʃæl}}
|}

==''Fill–feel'' merger==
[[File:Il-iyl.svg|thumb|The areas marked in red are where the ''fill–feel'' merger is most consistently present in the local accent. Map based on Labov, Ash, and Boberg (2006: 71).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ling.upenn.edu/phono_atlas/maps/Map4.html |title=Map 4 |publisher=Ling.upenn.edu |access-date=2011-03-02}}</ref>]]
The '''''fill–feel'' merger''' is a conditioned merger of the vowels {{IPA|/ɪ/}} and {{IPA|/iː/}} before {{IPA|/l/}} that occurs in some accents. In Europe, it is commonly found in [[Estuary English]]. Otherwise it is typical of certain accents of [[American English]]. The heaviest concentration of the merger is found in, but not necessarily confined to, [[Southern American English]]: in [[North Carolina]], eastern [[Tennessee]], northern [[Alabama]], [[Mississippi]], northern and central [[Louisiana]] (but not [[New Orleans]]), and west-central [[Texas]] (Labov, Ash, and Boberg 2006: 69-73). This merger, like many other features of Southern American English, can also be found in [[African-American English|AAE]].

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ class="nowrap" | Homophonous pairs
! {{IPA|/ɪl/}}
! {{IPA|/iːl/}}
! IPA
! Notes
|-
| dill || deal || {{IPA|dɪl}}
|-
| fill || feel || {{IPA|fɪl}}
|-
| filled || field || {{IPA|fɪld}}
|-
| hill || heal || {{IPA|hɪl}}
|-
| hill || heel || {{IPA|hɪl}}
|-
| hill || he'll || {{IPA|hɪl}}
|-
| ill || eel || {{IPA|ɪl}}
|-
| [[Jill]] || geal || {{IPA|dʒɪl}}
|-
| kill || keel || {{IPA|kɪl}}
|-
| lil || leal || {{IPA|lɪl}}
|-
| lil || [[Lille]] || {{IPA|mɪl}}
|-
| mill || meal || {{IPA|mɪl}}
|-
| nil || kneel || {{IPA|nɪl}}
|-
| nil || [[Neil]] || {{IPA|nɪl}}
|-
| [[Philip (disambiguation)|Phil]] || feel || {{IPA|fɪl}}
|-
| pill || peal || {{IPA|pɪl}}
|-
| pill || peel || {{IPA|pɪl}}
|-
| rill || real || {{IPA|rɪl}}
|-
| rill || reel || {{IPA|rɪl}}
|-
| shill || she'll || {{IPA|ʃɪl}}
|-
| shilled || shield || {{IPA|ʃɪld}}
|-
| sill || ceil || {{IPA|sɪl}}
|-
| sill || seal || {{IPA|sɪl}}
|-
| silly || [[Seely]] || {{IPA|sɪli}}
|-
| spill || spiel || {{IPA|spɪl}} || When ''spiel'' is not pronounced with initial /ʃ-/
|-
| still || steal || {{IPA|stɪl}}
|-
| still || steel || {{IPA|stɪl}}
|-
| till || teal || {{IPA|tɪl}}
|-
| will || we'll || {{IPA|wɪl}}
|-
| will || wheel || {{IPA|wɪl}} || With [[wine-whine merger]].
|-
| willed || wield || {{IPA|wɪld}}
|}

==''Fell–fail'' merger==
The same two regions show a closely related merger, namely the '''''fell–fail'' merger''' of {{IPA|/ɛ/}} and {{IPA|/eɪ/}} before {{IPA|/l/}} that occurs in some varieties of [[Southern American English]] making ''fell'' and ''fail'' homophones. In addition to North Carolina and Texas, these mergers are found sporadically in other Southern states and in the Midwest and West.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ling.upenn.edu/phono_atlas/maps/Map7.html |title=Map 7 |publisher=Ling.upenn.edu |access-date=2011-03-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ling.upenn.edu/phonoatlas/Atlas_chapters/Ch9/Ch9.html |title=Chapter 11 |website=www.ling.upenn.edu |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061028164228/http://www.ling.upenn.edu/phonoatlas/Atlas_chapters/Ch9/Ch9.html |archive-date=28 October 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ class="nowrap" | Homophonous pairs
! {{IPA|/ɛl/}}
! {{IPA|/eɪl/}}
! IPA
! Notes
|-
| bell || bail || {{IPA|bɛl}}
|-
| bell || bale || {{IPA|bɛl}}
|-
| belle || bail || {{IPA|bɛl}}
|-
| belle || bale || {{IPA|bɛl}}
|-
| cell, cel || sail || {{IPA|sɛl}}
|-
| cell, cel || sale || {{IPA|sɛl}}
|-
| dell || dale || {{IPA|dɛl}}
|-
| ell || ail || {{IPA|ɛl}}
|-
| ell || ale || {{IPA|ɛl}}
|-
| fell || fail || {{IPA|fɛl}}
|-
| gel || gaol, jail || {{IPA|dʒɛl}}
|-
| geld || galed || {{IPA|gɛld}}
|-
| held || hailed || {{IPA|hɛld}}
|-
| hell || hail || {{IPA|hɛl}}
|-
| hell || hale || {{IPA|hɛl}}
|-
| knell || nail || {{IPA|nɛl}}
|-
| L, ell || ail || {{IPA|ɛl}}
|-
| L, ell || ale || {{IPA|ɛl}}
|-
| [[Mel (disambiguation)|Mel]] || mail || {{IPA|mɛl}}
|-
| [[Mel (disambiguation)|Mel]] || male || {{IPA|mɛl}}
|-
| meld || mailed || {{IPA|mɛld}}
|-
| [[Nell (disambiguation)|Nell]] || nail || {{IPA|nɛl}}
|-
| quell || quail || {{IPA|kwɛl}}
|-
| sell || sail || {{IPA|sɛl}}
|-
| sell || sale || {{IPA|sɛl}}
|-
| shell || shale || {{IPA|ʃɛl}}
|-
| swell || swale || {{IPA|swɛl}}
|-
| tell || tail || {{IPA|tɛl}}
|-
| tell || tale || {{IPA|tɛl}}
|-
| weld || wailed || {{IPA|wɛld}}
|-
| well || wail || {{IPA|wɛl}}
|-
| well || wale || {{IPA|wɛl}}
|-
| wells || wales || {{IPA|wɛlz}}
|-
| wells || [[Wales]] || {{IPA|wɛlz}}
|-
| well || whale || {{IPA|wɛl}} || With [[wine-whine merger]].
|-
| wells || wails || {{IPA|wɛlz}}
|-
| wells || whales || {{IPA|wɛlz}} || With [[wine-whine merger]].
|-
| yell || [[Yale]] || {{IPA|jɛl}}
|}

==''Full–fool'' merger==
The '''''full–fool'' merger''' is a conditioned merger of {{IPA|/ʊ/}} and {{IPA|/uː/}} before {{IPA|/l/}}, making pairs like ''pull''/''pool'' and ''full''/''fool'' homophones. The main concentration of the ''pull–pool'' merger is in [[Western Pennsylvania English]], centered around [[Pittsburgh]]. The merger is less consistently but still noticeably present in some speakers of surrounding [[Midland American English]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ling.upenn.edu/phono_atlas/maps/Map5.html |title=Map 5 |publisher=Ling.upenn.edu |access-date=2011-03-02}}</ref> ''[[The Atlas of North American English]]'' also reports this merger, or near-merger, scattered sporadically throughout [[Western American English]], with particular prevalence in some speakers of urban Utahn, [[Californian English|Californian]], and [[New Mexican English]].<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Labov|Ash|Boberg|2006|pp=70}}</ref> Accents with [[L-vocalization|''L''-vocalization]], such as [[New Zealand English]], [[Estuary English]] and [[Cockney]], may also have the ''full–fool'' merger in most cases, but when a suffix beginning with a vowel is appended, the distinction returns: Hence 'pull' and 'pool' are {{IPA|[pʊo]}}, but 'pulling' is {{IPA|/ˈpʊlɪŋ/}} whereas 'pooling' remains {{IPA|/ˈpuːlɪŋ/}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/estuary/transcree-uni.htm |title=Transcribing Estuary English |publisher=Phon.ucl.ac.uk |access-date=2011-03-02}}</ref>

The ''fill–feel'' merger and ''full–fool'' merger are not unified in American English; they are found in different parts of the country, and very few people show both mergers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ling.upenn.edu/phono_atlas/maps/Map6.html |title=Map 6 |publisher=Ling.upenn.edu |access-date=2011-03-02}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ class="nowrap" | Homophonous pairs
! {{IPA|/ʊl/}}
! {{IPA|/uːl/}}
! IPA (using {{angbr IPA|uː}} for the merged vowel)
|-
| bull || boule || {{IPA|buːl}}
|-
| full || fool || {{IPA|fuːl}}
|-
| pull || pool || {{IPA|puːl}}
|}

==''Hull–hole'' merger==
The '''''hull–hole'' merger''' is a conditioned merger of {{IPA|/ʌ/}} and {{IPA|/oʊ/}} before {{IPA|/l/}} occurring for some speakers of [[English English]] with [[l-vocalization|''l''-vocalization]]. As a result, "hull" and "hole" are homophones as {{IPA|[hɔʊ]}}. The merger is also mentioned by Labov, Ash, and Boberg (2006: 72) as a merger before {{IPA|/l/}} in [[North American English]] that might require further study.  The latter merger can also involve {{IPA|/ʊ/}} or {{IPA|/ə/}} before {{IPA|/l/}}.

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ class="nowrap" | Homophonous pairs
! {{IPA|/ʌl/}}
! {{IPA|/oʊl/}}
! {{IPA|/ʊl/}}
! {{IPA|/əl/}}
! IPA
! Notes
|-
| adult || a dolt ||  ||  || {{IPA|əˈdVlt}} || ''Adult'' as {{IPAc-en|ə|ˈ|d|ʌ|l|t|}}.
|-
|  || bold || bulled ||  || {{IPA|bVld}}
|-
|  || bowl || bull ||  || {{IPA|bVl}}
|-
|  || bowled || bulled ||  || {{IPA|bVld}}
|-
| culled || cold ||  ||  || {{IPA|kVld}}
|-
| cull || coal ||  ||  || {{IPA|kVl}}
|-
| cull || cole ||  ||  || {{IPA|kVl}}
|-
| cult || colt ||  ||  || {{IPA|kVlt}}
|-
| dull || dole ||  ||  || {{IPA|dVl}}
|-
|  || foal || full ||  || {{IPA|fVl}}
|-
|  || foaled || fulled ||  || {{IPA|fVld}}
|-
|  || fold || fulled ||  || {{IPA|fVld}}
|-
| gull || goal ||  ||  || {{IPA|ɡVl}}
|-
| hull || hole ||  ||  || {{IPA|hVl}}
|-
| hull || whole ||  ||  || {{IPA|hVl}}
|-
| hulled || hold ||  ||  || {{IPA|hVld}}
|-
| hulled || holed ||  ||  || {{IPA|hVld}}
|-
| mull || mole ||  ||  || {{IPA|mVl}}
|-
| mulled || mold ||  ||  || {{IPA|mVld}}
|-
| mulled || mould ||  ||  || {{IPA|mVld}}
|-
| null || gnoll ||  ||  || {{IPA|nVl}}
|-
| null || knoll ||  ||  || {{IPA|nVl}}
|-
|  || pole || pull ||  || {{IPA|pVl}}
|-
|  || poll || pull ||  || {{IPA|pVl}}
|-
|  || [[Seminole]] ||  || seminal || {{IPA|ˈsɛmɪnVl}}
|-
| skulled || scold ||  ||  || {{IPA|skVld}}
|-
| sull || sole ||  ||  || {{IPA|sVl}}
|-
| sull || soul ||  ||  || {{IPA|sVl}}
|-
| sulled || sold ||  ||  || {{IPA|sVld}}
|-
| sulled || soled ||  ||  || {{IPA|sVld}}
|-
| sulled || souled ||  ||  || {{IPA|sVld}}
|}

==''Gulf-golf'' merger==
The ''gulf-golf'' merger is the merger of the diaphonemes {{IPA|/ʌ/}} and {{IPA|/ɒ/}} before /lC/, where C denotes a consonant. It is attested in Australian English, in which it can co-occur with the [[Doll-dole merger]]. In Australian English the result of this 2-3 way merger is [ɔ], the vowel of {{sc2|LOT}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lewis |first=Eleanor |title=/ɐlC/-/ɔlC/ Sound change in Australian English: Preliminary res[ɔ]lts |url=https://www.academia.edu/3433266}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ class="nowrap" | Homophonous pairs
! {{IPA|/ʌl/}}
! {{IPA|/ɒl/}}
! IPA (using {{angbr IPA|ɒ}} for the merged vowel)
! Notes
|-
| cult || colt || {{IPA|kɒlt}} || With the [[doll-dole merger|''doll''-''dole'' merger]]
|-
| exult || exalt || {{IPA|ɪgˈzɒlt}} || 
|-
| gulf || golf || {{IPA|gɒlf}} || 
|}

== ''Doll–dole'' merger ==
The '''''doll–dole'' merger''' is a conditioned merger for many [[Southern England English]],  [[Australian English]]<ref>{{cite book|title=A Handbook of Varieties of English Volume 1: Phonology|editor=Bernd Kortmann and Edgar W. Schneider |last=Burridge | first1 = Kate |publisher=De Gruyter|year=2004|pages=1090}}</ref> and [[New Zealand English]]<ref>{{cite book|title=A Handbook of Varieties of English Volume 1: Phonology|editor=Bernd Kortmann and Edgar W. Schneider |last1=Bauer | first1 = Laurie| last2=Warren| first2 = Paul |publisher=De Gruyter|year=2004|pages=589}}</ref> speakers, of {{IPA|/ɒ/}} and {{IPA|/əʊ/}} before syllable-final (or non-prevocalic) {{IPA|/l/}}, resulting in homophony between pairs like ''doll'' and ''dole''.<ref name="wells_317">{{Harvp|Wells|1982|p=317}}</ref> The distinction between {{IPA|/ɒ/}} and {{IPA|/əʊ/}} is maintained in derived forms containing prevocalic {{IPA|/l/}}, such as ''d{{IPA|[ɒ]}}lling herself up''  vs. ''d{{IPA|[ɒʊ]}}ling it out'', which means that the underlying vowel is recoverable if the {{IPA|/l/}} is morpheme-final, as in ''doll'' and ''dole''.<ref name="wells_317" /> But when the {{IPA|/l/}} is followed by a consonant within the same morpheme, as in ''solve'', the distinction is not recoverable; this may be the cause, via [[hypercorrection]], of pronunciations such as {{IPA|[səʊlv]}} for ''solve'' in place of RP {{IPA|[sɒlv]}}.<ref name="wells_317"/>

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ class="nowrap" | Homophonous pairs
! {{IPA|/ɒl/}}
! {{IPA|/oʊl/}}
! IPA (using {{angbr IPA|ɒ}} for the merged vowel)
! Notes
|-
| [[Balt]] || bolt || {{IPA|bɒlt}} || When ''Balt'' is not pronounced as /bɔːlt/{{efn|name=alt|Words like ''Balt'', ''halt'', ''malt'', paltry and ''vault'' can be pronounced with /ɒlt/ or /ɔːlt/ in British English, but the /ɒlt/ pronunciation is used by the majority of younger speakers, see [[#Variation between /ɔːl/ and /ɒl/ before a consonant in salt and similar words]].}}
|-
| doll || dole || {{IPA|dɒl}} || 
|-
| halt || holt || {{IPA|hɒlt}} || When ''halt'' is not pronounced as /hɔːlt/{{efn|name=alt}}
|-
| malt || moult || {{IPA|mɒlt}} || When ''malt'' is not pronounced as /mɔːlt/{{efn|name=alt}}
|-
| moll || mole || {{IPA|mɒl}} || 
|-
| paltry || poultry || {{IPA|pɒltri}} || When ''paltry'' is not pronounced as /pɔːltri/{{efn|name=alt}}
|-
| poll || pole || {{IPA|pɒl}} || Already homophonous in dialects that pronounce poll as /poʊl/{{efn|''Poll'' is variably pronounced as /pɒl/ and /poʊl/ in British English, while ''pole'' is always pronounced /poʊl/ by speakers without the merger.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/poll|title=POLL <nowiki>|</nowiki> English meaning|publisher=[[Cambridge Dictionary]]|accessdate=2023-09-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/pole|title=POLE <nowiki>|</nowiki> English meaning|publisher=[[Cambridge Dictionary]]|accessdate=2023-09-03}}</ref>}}
|-
| sol || sole || {{IPA|sɒl}} || 
|-
| sol || soul || {{IPA|sɒl}} || 
|-
| vol || vole || {{IPA|vɒl}} || 
|-
| vault || volt || {{IPA|vɒlt}} || When ''vault'' is not pronounced as /vɔːlt/{{efn|name=alt}}
|}

== ''Goat'' split ==
The '''''goat'' split''' is a process that has affected [[London]] dialects, [[Australian English]], and [[Estuary English]].<ref name="wells_312">{{Harvp|Wells|1982|pp=312–313}}</ref><ref>
{{cite book |last=Altendorf |first=Ulrike |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eHDbDUs5t48C |title=Estuary English: Levelling at the Interface of RP and South-Eastern British English |publisher=Gunter Narr Verlag |year=2003 |isbn=3-8233-6022-1 |location=Tübingen |page=34}}
</ref> In the first phase of the split, the diphthong of ''goat'' {{IPA|/əʊ/}} developed an [[allophone]] {{IPA|[ɒʊ]}} before "dark" (nonprevocalic) {{IPA|/l/}}. Thus ''goal'' no longer had the same vowel as ''goat'' ({{IPA|[ɡɒʊɫ]}} vs. {{IPA|[ɡəʊʔ]}}).<ref name="wells_312" /> In the second phase, the diphthong {{IPA|[ɒʊ]}} spread to other forms of affected words. For example, the realization of ''rolling'' changed from {{IPA|[ˈɹəʊlɪŋ]}} to {{IPA|[ˈɹɒʊlɪŋ]}} on the model of ''roll'' {{IPA|[ɹɒʊɫ]}}. This led to the creation of a [[minimal pair]] for some speakers: ''wholly'' {{IPA|/ˈhɒʊli/}} vs. ''holy'' {{IPA|/ˈhəʊli/}} and thus to phonemicization of the split. The change from {{IPA|/əʊ/}} to {{IPA|/ɒʊ/}} in derived forms is not fully consistent; for instance, in cockney, ''polar'' is pronounced with the {{IPA|/əʊ/}} of ''goat'' even though it is derived from ''pole'' {{IPA|/ˈpɒʊl/}}.

In broad Cockney, the phonetic difference between the two phonemes may be rather small and they may be distinguished by nothing more than the openness of the first element, so that ''goat'' is pronounced {{IPA|[ɡɐɤʔ]}} whereas ''goal'' is pronounced {{IPA|[ɡaɤ]}}.<ref name="wells_312" />

==''Goose'' split==

Similar to the [[Goat split|''Goat'' split]], the ''Goose'' vowel has developed contrasting phonetic outcomes before /l/ in some Southeastern English dialects, exhibited by the pair  ''ruler'' (measuring instrument), pronounced with a fronter vowel that can be transcribed {{IPA|[yː]}}<ref name=newlyminimal>{{cite web|last1=Wells|first1=John|title=newly minimal|url=http://phonetic-blog.blogspot.com/2012/02/newly-minimal.html|website=John Wells’s phonetic blog|date=3 February 2012|access-date=19 April 2023}}</ref> or {{IPA|[ʉw]}},<ref name=goosebacking>{{cite web|last1=Lindsey|first1=Geoff|title=GOOSE backing|url=https://www.englishspeechservices.com/blog/goose-backing/|website=Speech Talk blog|date=24 December 2013|access-date=19 April 2023}}</ref> and ''ruler'' ('one who rules'), pronounced with a backer vowel that can be transcribed {{IPA|[uː]}},<ref name=newlyminimal></ref> {{IPA|[ʊw]}} or {{IPA|[oː]}}.<ref name=goosebacking></ref> This contrast developed from an allophonic distribution where a back variant of the ''goose'' vowel is used before tautosyllabic /l/, as in ''rule'' {{IPA|/ˈruːl/}} {{IPA|[ˈɹuːɫ]}}, but a fronted variant closer to {{IPA|[yː]}} is used elsewhere, as in ''ruler'' (instrument) {{IPA|/ˈruː.lə/}} {{IPA|[ˈɹyː.lə]}}.

This distribution has become complicated by morphology in a way that is leading to a phonemic split in words with pre-vocalic /l/: those where the /l/ is stem-final are pronounced with the phonetically back vowel {{IPA|[uː]}} (as in ''ruler'' (monarch), a morphologically transparent derivative of ''rule''), whereas those where the /l/ is stem-medial are pronounced with a fronted vowel {{IPA|[yː]}} (as in ''ruler'' (measuring instrument), which is treated as an unanalyzable unit). The difference in vowel quality is presumably accompanied by a difference in the pronunciation of the following /l/<ref name=newlyminimal></ref> ([ɫ] after {{IPA|[uː]}}, [l] after {{IPA|[yː]}}).

The ''Goose'' split has spread out from [[South East England]] due to media influence, sometimes merging with pre-existing high-back vowels in other dialects such as the [ʊw] diphthong present in the words ''go'', ''don't'', ''won't'' and a few others in the [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]] (a holdover from a historic ''toe''-''tow'' distinction). In those areas, there is a more robust contrast between the usual ''Goose'' vowel (approximately [ɵɥ]) in words like ''goose'' and ''through'', a high back vowel [ʊw] in ''ghoul'' and ''don't'', and a third vowel arising from l-vocalisation in words like ''gull'' which is often realised as [ɤw], and they are all better analysed as separate lexical sets.

A similar backing change has occurred in many North American dialects,<ref>{{Citation |title=William Labov: The Changing Patterns of Philadelphia English |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPfG-iDcs10 |language=en |access-date=2022-09-26}}</ref> but this has remained allophonic. For example, in [[California English]], the ''Goose'' vowel is realized as a back vowel in words such as ''school'' where it is followed by /l/, but is fronted in words where it is not followed by /l/, such as ''new.''<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.stanford.edu/~eckert/vowels.html| title = Vowel Shifts in California and the Detroit Suburbs | last = Eckert | first = Penelope | access-date = July 5, 2023}}</ref>

==''Fool–fall'' merger==

For some English speakers in the UK, the vowels of ''goose'' and ''thought'' may be merged before dark syllable-final {{IPA|/l/}} due to the phonetically raised pronunciation of the ''thought'' vowel in southern England (rather than {{IPA|[ɔː]}}, the contemporary pronunciation of this vowel in Standard Southern British English is more accurately transcribed as {{IPA|[oː]}} or {{IPA|[ʊː]}}) in combination with the backing of the ''goose'' vowel before {{IPA|/l/}} as part of the [[Goose split|''Goose'' split]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last1=Lindsey|first1=Geoff|title=People fool in love (extended mix)|url=http://englishspeechservices.com/blog/people-fool-in-love-extended/|website=Speech Talk Blog|date=11 September 2016|access-date=25 March 2018}}</ref> This neutralization has been found to exist for clusters of speakers in the southern UK, especially for speakers from areas of the south coast and the Greater London area.<ref>{{cite web|last1=MacKenzie|first1=Laurel|last2=Bailey|first2=George|last3=Turton|first3=Danielle|title=Who pronounces 'fool' and 'fall' the same?|url=https://www.ourdialects.uk/maps/fool-fall/|website=Our Dialects: Mapping variation in English in the UK|access-date=3 July 2024|date=2016}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ class="nowrap" | Homophonous pairs
! GOOSE
! THOUGHT
! IPA (using {{angbr IPA|oː}} for the merged vowel)
|-
| boule || ball || {{IPA|boːl}}
|-
| boule || bawl || {{IPA|boːl}}
|-
| cool || call || {{IPA|koːl}}
|-
| cruel || crawl || {{IPA|koːl}}
|-
| drool || drawl || {{IPA|droːl}}
|-
| fool || fall || {{IPA|foːl}}<ref name=goosebacking/>
|-
| ghoul || gall || {{IPA|goːl}}
|-
| ghoul || [[Gaul]] || {{IPA|goːl}}
|-
| pool || pall || {{IPA|poːl}}
|-
| pool || Paul || {{IPA|poːl}}
|-
| schooled || scald || {{IPA|skoːld}}
|-
| stool || stall || {{IPA|stoːl}}
|-
| tool || tall || {{IPA|toːl}}
|-
| Yule || yawl || {{IPA|joːl}}
|}

==''Vile–vial'' merger==
{{more citations needed section|date=April 2018}}
The '''''vile–vial'' merger''' is where the words in the ''vile'' set ending with {{IPA|/-ˈaɪl/}} (''bile'', ''file'', ''guile'', ''I'll'', ''Kyle'', ''Lyle'', ''mile'', ''Nile'', ''pile'', ''rile'', ''smile'', ''stile'', ''style'', ''tile'', ''vile'', ''while'', ''wile'') rhyme with words in the ''vial'' set ending with {{IPA|/-ˈaɪəl/}} (''decrial'', ''denial'', ''dial'', ''espial'', ''Niall'', ''phial'', ''trial'', ''vial'', ''viol'').<ref>According to Dictionary.com,  [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dial dial], [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/trial trial] and [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/vial vial] all specify variable {{IPA|/-ˈaɪəl/}} or {{IPA|/-ˈaɪl/}} pronunciations, while words like [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bile bile] and [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/style style] only specify {{IPA|/-ˈaɪl/}} pronunciations.</ref>  This merger involves the dephonemicization of [[schwa]] that occurs after a vowel and before {{IPA|/l/}}, causing the vowel-{{IPA|/l/}} sequence to be pronounced as either one or two syllables.

This merger may also be encountered with other vowel rhymes too, including:
* {{IPA|/-ˈeɪl/}} (''jail'', ''sale'', ''tail'', etc.) and {{IPA|/-ˈeɪəl/}} (''betrayal'', ''Jael''), usually skewing towards two syllables.
* {{IPA|/-ˈɔɪl/}} (''coil'', ''soil'', etc.) and {{IPA|/-ˈɔɪəl/}} (''loyal'', ''royal''), usually skewing towards two syllables.
* {{IPA|/-ˈiːl/}} (''ceil'', ''feel'', ''steal'', etc.) and {{IPA|/-ˈiːəl/}} (''real''), usually skewing towards two syllables.
* {{IPA|/-ˈɔːl/}} (''all'', ''drawl'', ''haul'', etc.) and {{IPA|/-ˈɔːəl/}} (''withdrawal''), usually skewing towards one syllable.
* {{IPA|/-ˈoʊl/}} (''bowl'', ''coal'', ''hole'', ''roll'', ''soul'', etc.) and {{IPA|/-ˈoʊəl/}} (''Joel'', ''Noel''), usually skewing towards one syllable.
* {{IPA|/-ˈuːl/}} (''cool'', ''ghoul'', ''mewl'', ''rule'', ''you'll'', etc.) and {{IPA|/-ˈuːəl/}} (''cruel'', ''dual'', ''duel'', ''fuel'', ''gruel'', ''jewel''), usually skewing towards one syllable.
* {{IPA|/-ˈaʊl/}} (''owl'', ''scowl'', etc.) and {{IPA|/-ˈaʊəl/}} (''bowel'', ''dowel'', ''Powell'', ''towel'', ''trowel'', ''vowel''), inconsistently skewing towards either one or two syllables.  Some words may wander across this boundary even in some non-merging accents, such as ''owl'' with {{IPA|/-ˈaʊəl/}}, and ''bowel'' with {{IPA|/-ˈaʊl/}}.
* In some [[rhotic and non-rhotic accents|rhotic]] accents, {{IPA|/-ˈɜrl/}} (''girl'', ''hurl'', ''pearl'', etc.) and {{IPA|/-ˈɜrəl/}} (''referral''), usually skewing towards two syllables.  This historically happened to the word ''squirrel'', which was previously {{IPA|/ˈskwɪrəl/}} (and still is in certain accents) but became one syllable {{IPA|/ˈskwɜrl/}} in [[General American]] today.  Some accents with one-syllable ''squirrel'' later broke it into two syllables again, as {{IPA|/ˈskwɜrəl/}}.
* In some rhotic [[father–bother merger|''father–bother'']] merged accents, {{IPA|/-ˈɑrl/}} (''Carl'', ''marl'', etc.) and {{IPA|/-ˈɑrəl/}} (''coral'', ''moral''), usually skewing towards two syllables.

For many speakers, the vowels in ''cake'', ''meet'', ''vote'' and ''moot'' can become centering diphthongs before {{IPA|/l/}}, leading to pronunciations like {{IPA|[teəl]}}, {{IPA|[tiəl]}}, {{IPA|[toəl]}} and {{IPA|[tuəl]}} for ''tail'', ''teal'', ''toll'' and ''tool''.

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ class="nowrap" | Homophonous pairs
! /l/
! /əl/
! IPA
! Notes
|-
| file || phial || {{IPA|ˈfaɪ.əl}}
|-
| howl || [[Howell (name)|Howell]] || {{IPA|ˈhaʊ(ə)l}}
|-
| [[Joule]] || dual || {{IPA|ˈdʒuːl}} || with [[yod-coalescence]]
|-
| [[Joule]] || duel || {{IPA|ˈdʒuːl}} || with [[yod-coalescence]]
|-
| [[Joule]] || jewel || {{IPA|ˈdʒuːl}}
|-
| knoll || Noel || {{IPA|ˈnoʊl}}
|-
| [[Nile]] || Niall || {{IPA|ˈnaɪ.əl}}
|-
| reel || real || {{IPA|ˈriːəl}}
|-
| [[Royle]] || royal || {{IPA|ˈrɔɪ.əl}}
|-
| vile || vial || {{IPA|ˈvaɪ.əl}}
|}

==Merger of non-prevocalic {{IPA|/ʊl/}}, {{IPA|/uːl/}}, {{IPA|/əl/}}, {{IPA|/ɔːl/}} with morpheme-internal {{IPA|/ɔː/}}==
[[Cockney]] features a [[Phonological history of English open back vowels#THOUGHT split|THOUGHT-split]] whereby the {{IPA|/ɔː/}} (the {{sc2|THOUGHT}}-{{sc2|NORTH}}-{{sc2|FORCE}} vowel) is pronounced differently depending on its position in the syllable structure: {{IPA|[oː]}} in morpheme-internal checked syllables and {{IPA|[ɔə]}} in free syllables or morpheme-finally. Thus, ''paw'' ({{IPA|[pɔə]}}) has a different vowel from ''pause'' ({{IPA|[poːz]}}), so ''paws'' ({{IPA|[pɔəz]}}''')''' and ''pause'' ({{IPA|[poːz]}}) become non-homophonous.

The [[#Modern L-vocalization|L-vocalization]] of Cockney can lead to non-prevocalic /l/ being pronounced with a quality around {{IPA|[o]}}, resulting in it being entirely absorbed by the preceding {{IPA|[oː]}} when it follows a (by definition, morpheme-internal checked syllable) {{sc2|THOUGHT}} vowel in words such as ''bald'', ''call'' and ''Paul'', leading to homophonous pairs such as ''bald'' and ''board'' ({{IPA|[boːd]}}), ''called'' and ''cord'' ({{IPA|[koːd]}}), ''Paul's'' and ''pause'' ({{IPA|[poːz]}}).{{sfnp|Wells|1982|p=314}}

Such homophones can only arise when the word ''without'' a historic /l/ also has the {{sc2|THOUGHT}}-{{sc2|NORTH}}-{{sc2|FORCE}} vowel in a morpheme-internal position, as in morpheme-final positions it will be pronounced as {{IPA|[ɔə]}} rather than {{IPA|[oː]}}, thus ''Paul's'' ({{IPA|[poːz]}}) and ''paws'' ({{IPA|[pɔəz]}}), ''bald'' ({{IPA|[boːd]}}) and ''bored'' ({{IPA|[bɔəd]}}) etc remain distinct.

The [[#Full-fool merger|''full''-''fool'']] and [[#Fool–fall merger|''fool''-''fall'']] mergers, both of which are common in Cockney, can cause {{IPA|/ʊl/}} and {{IPA|/uːl/}} to also merge with morpheme-internal {{IPA|/ɔː/}}, leading to homophonous pairs such as ''wolf'' and ''wharf'' {{IPA|[woːf]}} and ''cools'' and ''cause'' {{IPA|[koːz]}}; and ''pulls'', ''pools'', ''Paul's'' and ''pause'' all becoming homophonous as {{IPA|[poːz]}}.{{sfnp|Wells|1982|p=316}}

Non-prevocalic {{IPA|/əl/}} (as in ''bott'''le''''') can also merge with morpheme-interal {{IPA|/ɔː/}}, leading to ''musical'' being homophonous with ''music hall'' as {{IPA|[ˈmjuːzɪkoː]}}. Cockney speakers usually regard both syllables of ''awful'' as rhyming: {{IPA|[ˈoːfoː]}}.{{sfnp|Wells|1982|p=314}}

In the following list, the only homophonous pairs that are included are those involving a word with /l/ and a word  without. As the merger is restricted to non-rhotic accents, morpheme-internal {{IPA|/ɔː/}} in the fifth column is assumed to cover not only {{sc2|THOUGHT}} but also {{sc2|NORTH}} and {{sc2|FORCE}}.

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|+ class="nowrap" | Potentially homophonous pairs
! {{IPA|/ʊl/}}
! {{IPA|/uːl/}}
! {{IPA|/ɔːl/}}
! Morpheme-internal {{IPA|/ɔː/}}
! IPA (using {{IPA|{{angbr|oː}}}} for the merged vowel)
! Notes
|-
|
|
| Alt
| ought
| {{IPA|ˈoːt}}
| When ''alt'' is not pronounced {{IPA|/ˈɒlt/}}
|-
|
|
| assault
| assort
| {{IPA|ˈoːt}}
| When ''assault'' is not pronounced {{IPA|/əˈsɒlt/}}
|-
|
|
| [[Balt]]
| bought
| {{IPA|ˈboːt}}
| When ''Balt'' is not pronounced {{IPA|/ˈbɒlt/}}
|-
| bulled
|
| bald
| board
| {{IPA|ˈboːd}}
|
|-
| 
|
| baldy
| bawdy
| {{IPA|ˈboːdi}}
|
|-
| bulled
|
| balled
| board
| {{IPA|ˈboːd}}
|
|-
| bulled
|
| bawled
| board
| {{IPA|ˈboːd}}
|
|-
| 
|
| brawled
| broad
| {{IPA|ˈbroːd}}
|
|-
|
| coolled
| called
| cord
| {{IPA|ˈkoːd}}
|
|-
|
| cools
| calls
| cause
| {{IPA|ˈkoːz}}
|
|-
|
|
| false
| force
| {{IPA|ˈfoːs}}
| When ''false'' is not pronounced {{IPA|/ˈfɒls/}}
|-
|
|
| fault
| fort
| {{IPA|ˈfoːt}}
| When ''fault'' is not pronounced {{IPA|/ˈfɒlt/}}
|-
|
|
| fault
| fought
| {{IPA|ˈfoːt}}
| When ''fault'' is not pronounced {{IPA|/ˈfɒlt/}}
|-
|
|
| fault
| thought
| {{IPA|ˈfoːt}}
| With [[th-fronting]], when ''fault'' is not pronounced {{IPA|/ˈfɒlt/}}.
|-
|
|
| faulty
| forty
| {{IPA|ˈfoːt}}
| When ''faulty'' is not pronounced {{IPA|/ˈfɒlti/}}
|-
| fulled
| fooled
|
| ford
| {{IPA|ˈfoːd}}
|
|-
| 
| 
| galled
| gourd
| {{IPA|ˈgoːd}}
| With [[cure-force merger]]
|-
|
|
| halls
| Hawes
| {{IPA|ˈhoːz}}
|
|-
|
|
| hauls
| Hawes
| {{IPA|ˈhoːz}}
|
|-
| 
|
| hauled
| hoard
| {{IPA|ˈhoːd}}
|
|-
|
|
| [[New Malden|Malden]]
| [[Morden]]
| {{IPA|ˈmoːdən}}
| 
|-
|
|
| malt
| mort
| {{IPA|ˈmoːt}}
| When ''malt'' is not pronounced {{IPA|/ˈmɒlt/}}
|-
|
|
| [[Malta]]
| mortar
| {{IPA|ˈmoːtə}}
| When ''malt'' is not pronounced {{IPA|/ˈmɒltə/}}
|-
|
|
| mauled
| Maud
| {{IPA|ˈmoːt}}
| When ''malt'' is not pronounced {{IPA|/ˈmɒlt/}}
|-
| pulls
| pools
| Paul's
| pause
| {{IPA|ˈpoːz}}
|
|-
|
|
| salt
| sort
| {{IPA|ˈsoːt}}
| When ''salt'' is not pronounced {{IPA|/ˈsɒlt/}}
|-
|
|
| salt
| sought
| {{IPA|ˈsoːt}}
| When ''salt'' is not pronounced {{IPA|/ˈsɒlt/}}
|-
| wolf
|
|
| wharf
| {{IPA|ˈwoːf}}
|
|-
|
|
| Walt
| wart
| {{IPA|ˈwoːt}}
| When ''Walt'' is not pronounced {{IPA|/ˈwɒlt/}}
|-
|
|
| Walter
| water
| {{IPA|ˈwoːtə}}
| When ''Walter'' is not pronounced {{IPA|/ˈwɒltə/}}
|}

==Other mergers==
Labov, Ash, and Boberg (2006:73) mention four mergers before {{IPA|/l/}} that may be under way in some accents of [[North American English]], and which require more study:<ref>{{cite book | author1=[[William Labov|Labov, William]] |author2=Sharon Ash |author3=Charles Boberg | year=2006 | title=The Atlas of North American English | location=Berlin | publisher=Mouton-de Gruyter | isbn=3-11-016746-8}}</ref>
* {{IPA|/ʊl/}} and {{IPA|/oʊl/}} (''bull'' vs ''bowl'')
* {{IPA|/ʌl/}} and {{IPA|/ɔːl/}} (''hull'' vs ''hall'')
* {{IPA|/ʊl/}} and {{IPA|/ʌl/}} (''bull'' vs ''hull'') (effectively undoing the [[foot-strut split]] before {{IPA|/l/}})
* {{IPA|/ʌl/}} and {{IPA|/oʊl/}} (''hull'' vs ''bowl'')

==See also==
* [[Phonological history of English]]
* [[Phonological history of English vowels]]
* [[English-language vowel changes before historic r]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==

{{Reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Citation
|last1=Gordon
|first1=Elizabeth
|last2=Maclagan
|first2=Margaret
|year=2004
|chapter=Regional and social differences in New Zealand: phonology
|editor-last=Schneider
|editor-first=Edgar W.
|editor2-last=Burridge
|editor2-first=Kate
|editor3-last=Kortmann
|editor3-first=Bernd
|editor4-last=Mesthrie
|editor4-first=Rajend
|editor5-last=Upton
|editor5-first=Clive
|title=A handbook of varieties of English
|volume=1: Phonology
|publisher=Mouton de Gruyter
|pages=603–613
|isbn=3-11-017532-0
|doi=10.1515/9783110197181-039
}}
* {{cite thesis
|last=Horsfield 
|first=Rachel 
|date=2001
|title=The Changing Vowels of New Zealand English
|publisher=University of Otago
}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Labov |first1=William |author-link=William Labov |last2=Ash |first2=Sharon |last3=Boberg |first3=Charles |author3-link=Charles Boberg |year=2006 |title=The Atlas of North American English |location=Berlin |publisher=Mouton de Gruyter |isbn=978-3-11-016746-7}}
* {{cite book 
|last1=Wells 
|first1=John C. 
|author1-link=John C. Wells 
|title=Accents of English 
|date=1982
|publisher=Cambridge University Press 
|location=Cambridge
|isbn=9780521246484
}}

{{refend}}

{{History of English}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:English-Language Vowel Changes Before Historic L}}
[[Category:Australian English]]
[[Category:New Zealand English]]
[[Category:American English]]
[[Category:Splits and mergers in English phonology]]