'sorry' and 'starry' - same or different vowel in American

Michal Ryszard Wojcik   Tuesday, August 26, 2003, 19:03 GMT
Is it possible for the words 'sorry' and 'starry' to have the same vowel in American English?

Do the words 'cot' and 'cart' have the same vowel in American English?
Clark   Tuesday, August 26, 2003, 19:21 GMT
"Ir was a starry night" I think could be an example. I am pretty sure that "starry" means a dark or foggy something or other. If I am wrong, sorry.

However, if I am right, then in American English, the "a" in "starry" sounds more like the "e" in "get" od the "ea" in "heavy."

In British and American English the "o" in "cot" and the "a(r)" in "cart" have the same sound essentially.
Jacob   Tuesday, August 26, 2003, 19:21 GMT
Hi, Michal. Listening to myself pronounce `sorry' and `starry' I think that yes, I'm using (almost?) exactly the same vowel sound. If there's a difference, I couldn't tell you what it is.

I think the answer is the same for `cot' and `cart' but the vowel is so strongly shaped by the presence of the `r' in the latter that comparing them is difficult.
Clark   Tuesday, August 26, 2003, 19:33 GMT
Jacob, are you British? American? Australian? Canadian?

Since I cannot post for another 60 seconds, I might as well ask a French question. I was just looking at the Yahoo France homepage, and I see an expression "au pieds du mur;" does anyone know what this means? I know what the words mean, but it seems to me that this is probably an idiomatical expression.
Jacob   Tuesday, August 26, 2003, 19:39 GMT
Sorry, I should have said. I'm American; grew up in Maryland, inrural Appalachia, but my parents raised me to try to avoid a lot of the speech habits that are common to the area (speech habits which can make a person look uneducated to an outsider). I live in Virginia now and as an adult have probably chosen to pick up a little more of the local accent than I had when I was younger.

I'm told that when I travel I'm quick to acquire a good approximation of the local accent.
Julian   Tuesday, August 26, 2003, 19:47 GMT
Clark, a starry night would mean that there were a gazillion stars twinkling in the sky that evening.

And, yes, Michal, I pronounce sorry and starry with the same vowel sound, just as I pronounce cot and cart with the same vowel sound. But this isn't the case with my fellow Americans out on the other coast. (I'm from California, btw.)
Jacob   Tuesday, August 26, 2003, 19:48 GMT
>But this isn't the case with my fellow Americans out on the other coast.

It all depends... Massachusetts isn't Georgia, after all.
Michal Ryszard Wojcik   Tuesday, August 26, 2003, 20:13 GMT
Thank you, guys.

My conclusion is that the vowels in 'cot' and 'cart' are essentially the same - the presence of the 'r' making it hard to simply state that they are identical; and that perhaps there are American accents which distinguish between these two.
Clark   Tuesday, August 26, 2003, 20:14 GMT
That is interesting as I pronounce "starry" as "sterry." Maybe it is peculiar to the area of S. California I am from. I shall have to ask around.
Clark   Tuesday, August 26, 2003, 20:15 GMT
There is no difference between the vowel sounds, and the British do not pronounce the "r" in "cart," so "cot" and "cart" sound like the same word when a British (or Commonwealth English) person speaks.
mjd   Tuesday, August 26, 2003, 20:53 GMT
"Starry" and "sorry" have almost the exact same vowel sound the way in which I pronounce them.
Californiannn   Wednesday, August 27, 2003, 02:51 GMT
I saw "sah-ree" and "stahh-ree" so I guess the a sound in starry is more open. I'm from San Francisco btw.
Ryan   Wednesday, August 27, 2003, 03:09 GMT
"Cot" and "cart" are not pronounced with the same vowel sound where I am from in the upper Midwest. "Cot" has an "ah" sound. "Cart" has more of an "uh" sound along with the added "r" sound.

The "o" sound in "sorry" is pronounced slightly more fronted in the mouth than the "a" sound in "starry" in the upper Midwest, but they are virtually identical otherwise.

Ryan
Clark   Wednesday, August 27, 2003, 03:14 GMT
Ah, but you are talking about American accents. Listen to a Commonwealth English-speaker and you will hear that "cot" and "cart" sound the same.
To Clark   Wednesday, August 27, 2003, 04:46 GMT
I am a commonwealth speaker and pronounce 'cot' and 'cart' quite differently. Same with 'sorry' and 'starry'.

And if you want to know what 'starry' means check out the painting by vincent van gogh, i think its called 'starry night'