What is Mary-marry-merry merger?

But I bet there's a hairy-Harry merger!

Mary does not rhyme with batty.

But marry does!

<<Marry rhymes with batty (short vowel)

Merry rhymes with berry (short vowel)

Mary rhymes with haaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiry (long vowel) >>

Wll, that's no help. Hairy and berry also rhyme for me. And I say batty as "baddy", which sounds nothing like "mare-ree".

My "law" has no R involved, of course, so it sounds nothing like "lore"! More like "lah". So there you go with your confusing merger, Caspian.....;)

I made a sound recording of it for you, hopefully that helps.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=J6KXLCXH

>>Wll, that's no help. Hairy and berry also rhyme for me. And I say batty as "baddy", which sounds nothing like "mare-ree". <<

The point made was you imagine hairy having a longer vowel than berry.

And imagine batty or baddy rhyming with marry (the vowel makes the rhyme, not the "tt" or "dd".)

But the A in Mary is R-colored, and the A in batty isn't. And even if I stretch out the vowel in hairy or berry they still sound exactly the same.

>> The point made was you imagine hairy having a longer vowel than berry.
<<

Here's what you don't quite understand. Here is how a m-m-m merged person from the Western US pronounces these words:

Let E = the vowel in the word "bed"
Mary = mEri
Merry = mEri
marry = mEri
Hairy = hEri
Harry = hEri

notice a common theme? ;)

So saying that "hairy" (hEri) has a longer vowel then "berry" (bEri) makes absolutely no sense to someone that has the vowel merger. Does "behhhhhd" sound any different than "bed"?

>> But the A in Mary is R-colored, and the A in batty isn't. And even if I stretch out the vowel in hairy or berry they still sound exactly the same. <<

Basically try this:
say "mat". Now take off the "t". Then add "ree" to the end of it.

Now say "Hey Ree!"

Got it?

It isn't so much that "hairy" has a longer vowel, but rather a different one.

Nobody says "Hey Ree" for hairy! Not even in the UK!

<<So saying that "hairy" (hEri) has a longer vowel then "berry" (bEri) makes absolutely no sense to someone that has the vowel merger. Does "behhhhhd" sound any different than "bed"?>>

Yes, it sounds like "Baird"

>>
Yes, it sounds like "Baird" <<

Baird is properly pronounced like "bard".

>> Yes, it sounds like "Baird" <<

How could it? "Baird" has an "r" in it. And if you have the merger, you also have the "r". Think about how an American would pronounce "Baird", and then say that "behhd" sounds like "Baird".

>>Here's what you don't quite understand. Here is how a m-m-m merged person from the Western US pronounces these words:

Let E = the vowel in the word "bed"
Mary = mEri
Merry = mEri
marry = mEri
Hairy = hEri
Harry = hEri

notice a common theme? ;)

So saying that "hairy" (hEri) has a longer vowel then "berry" (bEri) makes absolutely no sense to someone that has the vowel merger. Does "behhhhhd" sound any different than "bed"? <<

I understand perfectly. But like I said, for someone trying to understand the non-merged pronunciations, that's where imagination comes in.

Using your notion:
mary = mE:ri (or mE@ri for some)
merry = mEri

As for marry, you have to accept there's a different vowel in there.
i.e. marry = mæri

It's just like how there are different vowels in "bat": bæt and "bet": bEt for most speakers.

>>Nobody says "Hey Ree" for hairy! Not even in the UK!<<

I've heard some Americans pronounce it that way. i.e. using that rough notation above: heri as opposed to hEri

<<How could it? "Baird" has an "r" in it. And if you have the merger, you also have the "r". Think about how an American would pronounce "Baird", and then say that "behhd" sounds like "Baird".>>

It sounds like "Baird" *to me*, whereas "bed" doesn't. Therefore they sound different to each other.