Wednesday, September 17, 2003, 16:45 GMT
Maryland is considered a middle Atlantic state. In most of this state, as well as in Philadelphia and New York City, the /ah/ sound has merged with the /o/ sound, so that "father" is pronounced more like "fother." So father and bother are spoken with the same vowel, but with a completely different vowel than how I prounce it. I say father like "fahther" and "bother" like "bahther."
Where this does not happen is in Eastern New England: Boston, New Hampshire and Maine. These places speak the most "traditional" English like the way the British spoke it back in the 1600s and 1700s. I should have specified when I talked about an "east coast" accent as meaning a New England east coast accent. Father, bother and law are all completely separate vowels there.
Ryan
Where this does not happen is in Eastern New England: Boston, New Hampshire and Maine. These places speak the most "traditional" English like the way the British spoke it back in the 1600s and 1700s. I should have specified when I talked about an "east coast" accent as meaning a New England east coast accent. Father, bother and law are all completely separate vowels there.
Ryan