how to pronunce "u" in "cut" and "a

The vowel in CUT cannot be [a] in American English, although some dialects (W.PA) can have a realization close to [a]. [a] is common in Australian English and informal Southern British English: love [lav], cut [kat], mum [mam]. (English people spell [mam] MUM, American people MOM; [although [mO:m] can be heard in Western USA and Canada and [mOm] in Northern England]).

sucks [s@ks]
socks [saks]

soccer ['sak@r]
sucker ['s@k@r]



Word LOVE, seems to have 3 pronunciations in English:
[l@v] (the most common)
[lOv] (Central and Northern England)
[lav] (Australian English and informal Southern English)

Of course, British norm (RP) does not allow lowering of central sound [V] to [a]

Australian singers do pronounce this vowel as schwa when they sing: above [@'b@v], colo(u)r ['k@l@r], but [b@t], just [dZ@st],
....
''If love was red then she was color ['k@l@r] blind '' (Savage Garden. To the moon and back).



From the Phonologic Atlas of Northern American English:

''

Mean F1 of the stressed vowel in -study, mother, bud, just- by dialect:



Pittsburgh--------------787
Eastern New England--768
RP------------------------754
Atlantic Provinces------746
Providence--------------736
Canada------------------736
Cincinnati--------------730
Western New England-728
Boston----------------- 727
St. Louis---------------726
Western Pennsylvania-725
Florida-----------------723
Middle Atlantic---------721
West--------------------712
Charleston--------------712
Inland North------------706
North-------------------701.4
Midland-----------------695
NYC---------------------692
South-------------------687
Texas South------------673
Inland South-----------664 ''

This means that a foreigner would more easily detect shwa in JUST, COLOR, SUCK by listening to NYCpeople or Southerners than by listening to someone from Pittsburgh. [Pittsburgh had strong Polish and German influences so they have a special dialect there].

----
Wonder and wander can have overlapping pronunciations in different dialects. Wander can be either [wOnd@r], [wAnd@r] or [wand@r]; wonder can be either [w@nder], [wVnder] or [wander] so it may lead to a problem.

sucks [s@ks]
socks [saks]

soccer ['sak@r]
sucker ['s@k@r]

you gave these examples to me, do u mean "a" in "father" same to "O" in "sock"?

yes... sock and father both have [a] in Midwestern American English and/or [A] in Western USA.

so "a" in "car" is same to "o" in "sock" and add a "r" sound to it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonological_history_of_the_low_back_vowels
Does that mean "sock" and "father" may be different in some area?

<<you gave these examples to me, do u mean "a" in "father" same to "O" in "sock"?>>

In most North American accents, yes.

Duden, those F1 values are interesting and especially the lower F1 values for "STRUT" for the Inland South are consistent with what sounds to me like an accent from there.

<<so "a" in "car" is same to "o" in "sock" and add a "r" sound to it?>>

At least in many North American accents, yes.

<<Does that mean "sock" and "father" may be different in some area?>>

Yes, they are different in most/all places outside of North America and in a few places in New England.

The vowels are quite different: that in "cut" is a short U (uh); that in "father" is a broad (or long) A (ah).

As has been mentioned it all depends on you accent. For Aussies like me the difference is length. The vowel in "cut" is short and the first vowel in "father" is long. The mouth shape is the same for both: the mouth quite open, the tongue in a central position and the lips unrounded.

>>The vowel in CUT cannot be [a] in American English, although some dialects (W.PA) can have a realization close to [a]. [a] is common in Australian English and informal Southern British English: love [lav], cut [kat], mum [mam]. (English people spell [mam] MUM, American people MOM; [although [mO:m] can be heard in Western USA and Canada and [mOm] in Northern England]).<<

However, at least here in southeastern Wisconsin, it does seem to approach if not become [A] in the speech of many. I myself am actually a bit of an exception here, as I tend to rather consistently conserve the pronunciation of [V] or at least use a realization noticably higher than [A] if still lower than the [O] here in most cases except "umm", which is invariably realized here with an [A], or when speaking very informally with my SO. At the same time, though, this [A] is not the same as the vowel in "father" here, which is [a].

I recorded myself pronouncing the following words first imitating General American, then British RP.
The examples are the same as the ones Kirk used.
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=0C6B39FA63F96192

father
brother
cot
cut
otter
utter

The vowel I used for the British "father" may be more front than can be heard in many RP speakers.

Ah for father or bother and uh for brother and mother, but ee for beach, not bitch. Learn English, guys!

Why do you all mispronounce simple vowel words?

nick Sat Jul 01, 2006 4:23 pm GMT
sucks [s@ks] ? (suhks)
socks [saks] ? (sahks)

soccer ['sak@r] ? ('sah-ker)
sucker ['s@k@r] ? ('suh-ker)

Write more comprehensive sound symbols to teach English to other messengers.

Father-bother merger? it's in most North america? or just some parts

sucks [s@ks] ? (suhks)
socks [saks] ? (sahks)

if father-bother merger, that mean people pronunce car [kar] not [k@r]?

<<Father-bother merger? it's in most North america? or just some parts>>

Almost all parts. The exception is a few parts of New England. Lazar, who posts here, is from Massachusetts and he pronounces them differently.

<<if father-bother merger, that mean people pronunce car [kar] not [k@r]?>>

The father-bother merger doesn't really have to do with that sound but, yes, most North Americans say "car" as /kAr/.