''pull'' and ''pool'', same or different in Australian English.

Bob   Wednesday, June 08, 2005, 18:48 GMT
Are words like ''pull'' and ''pool'', ''full'' and ''fool'' pronounced the same in Australian English? To me, it sounds like they do when I hear them pronounce words like ''pool'', and ''school''. Others, however seem to pronounce ''pool'' and ''fool'' as ''poo-el'', and ''foo-el''.
Smith   Wednesday, June 08, 2005, 20:28 GMT
No. ''pull'' and ''pool'' are not pronounced the same in any region of Australia. They are pronounced the same in vowel quality in South Australian i.e. /pUl/ and /pU:l/, but still not the same. They sound the same to people not from South Australia, because they pronounced them very similarly, but still not the same.
Smith   Wednesday, June 08, 2005, 20:29 GMT
''pronounced'' should be ''pronounce''
Don   Wednesday, June 08, 2005, 21:13 GMT
I pronounce ''pull'' and ''pool'' differently, but I'm from Wales, not Australia. As far as I know, all accents distinguish ''pull'' and ''pool''.
Frances   Wednesday, June 08, 2005, 23:17 GMT
Visit my website on http://www.geocities.com/fkosovel

I don't think my "fool" matches "full" or "pool" matches "pull"

Also go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:South_Australian_English#Delete_Article

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_English
Frances   Wednesday, June 08, 2005, 23:20 GMT
I forgot to add that I am from South Australia and pool and fool are pronounced slightly differently around Aust (Queensland and New South Wales)
Jim   Thursday, June 09, 2005, 00:01 GMT
That's that then: there is no PULL-POOL merger in AusE.
Bob   Thursday, June 09, 2005, 01:21 GMT
I've read in other threads that the same means is used to distinguish "cvnt" from "can't". Do some Australian speakers merge these two words?
Frances   Thursday, June 09, 2005, 01:31 GMT
Bob - maybe, but I don't. For cvnt, I put stress on "c" so it sounds like chhh and my "u" is much shorter than in can't.
Jill   Thursday, June 09, 2005, 02:52 GMT
I have heard there is a merger of 'cunt' and 'can't' (forgive me for the bad language) in AusE?
LOL   Thursday, June 09, 2005, 03:01 GMT
Also in NZE they have a merger of 'sex' and 'six'
Frances   Thursday, June 09, 2005, 03:08 GMT
I'll put up an mp3 soon, I don't say them the same way
Jill   Thursday, June 09, 2005, 03:10 GMT
Frances are you referring to what I said? Please can you do it for me :) and also 'LOL' request - I am quite interested

Thankyou
Don   Thursday, June 09, 2005, 15:08 GMT
You all are mistaking chain shifts as being phonemic mergers.
Frances   Thursday, June 09, 2005, 20:49 GMT
Jill & Others - here's the mp3 as promised (can't v cvnt):

http://www.geocities.com/fkosovel/cant.mp3

Tell me if you can hear the difference.