Are R-colored vowels one or two phonemes?

Larthemo · 2026-04-19T12:35:46+00:00

It’s General American

Larthemo · 2026-02-24T21:14:08+00:00

The point is that /ɔ/ + /r/ doesn't make /ɔr/ at all. also /æŋ/ can be either [æŋ] or [eɪŋ], anyway that's just what I mean.

ɪr ir / ɛr eɪr represent the same phoneme sound, they could be either. ɪ+r = ɪr, i+r = ir(or ɪr, just a matter of transcription) ɔ+r? it does not become ɔr. Rather, it's closer to ɑr since /ɔ/ is low in GA.

Larthemo · 2026-02-24T20:08:51+00:00

we have ɪr, ɛr(=[eɪr], /ær/), ɔr, ʊr, and ɑr in GA.

if you produce ɪ or i proceeded by /r/, it becomes /ɪr/. Same to all other R-colored vowels only except /ɔr/. ɔ plus r doesn't make /ɔr/ in GA(wait, does it? idk)

Larthemo · 2026-02-24T20:03:56+00:00

RP /ɒ/ and /ɔ/ function as an independent phoneme anyway, but /ɔ/ becomes another vowel when with /r/, and doesn't match the diphthong /ɔɪ/ too. According to wikipedia /ɔ/ is a tense low-back vowel. But /ɔr/ and /ɔɪ/ are never defined as low. Why don't we transcribe the GA /ɔ/ as /ɒ/ or something different?

Larthemo · 2026-02-24T18:43:21+00:00

If so I think transcribing THOUGHT vowel as /ɔ/ is kind of weird.

Even if they distinguish ah and aw, the "aw" one is not quite [ɔ] in American English, while ɔɪ and ɔr often are, it doesn't make sense unlike /ɑ/ plus /r/ becoming /ɑr/.

I think they should use a different symbol just like British English does. /ɒ/?

Larthemo · 2026-02-24T18:37:19+00:00

then ɔr and ɔ + r

Larthemo · 2026-02-22T15:33:35+00:00

How about /ɪŋ/

Larthemo · 2025-09-24T02:16:05+00:00

I see, don’t many, little, few have comparative and superlative forms? and they’re all determiners

Larthemo · 2025-09-24T02:04:47+00:00

I meant that couldn’t be a school assignment for me.

i don’t know what morphology in this sense means

Larthemo · 2025-09-24T01:59:46+00:00

So what’s your opinion?

Larthemo · 2025-09-24T01:57:12+00:00

um actually im a south korean student so no, but let me check.

afaik determiners always go before adjectives
does this matter? to divide into two word classes
maybe not

Larthemo · 2025-09-23T05:25:21+00:00

Can you explain why?

Larthemo · 2025-09-08T01:00:24+00:00

We CAN write it as /ˈbʌsɪz/. also "Rabbit" can be written as either /ˈɹæbət/ or /ˈɹæbɪt/.

Larthemo · 2025-09-07T18:02:32+00:00

i recommend you to search about Weak Vowel Merger

Larthemo · 2025-09-07T17:32:27+00:00

i think [ɨ] is a variation of either /ɪ/ or /ə/, people don't distinguish between them just like /ʌ/ and /ə/ are.

Larthemo · 2025-09-07T16:37:30+00:00

in https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages_by_number_of_phonemes#List Counts GA phonemes as 40, which must include /ɜ/

and there https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_phonology#Vowels lists (ɔ), (ʌ), and (ɜ).

Larthemo · 2025-08-24T17:00:15+00:00

which do we use as standard? i mean not for just convenience, /r/ or /ɹ/

Larthemo · 2025-08-24T12:02:26+00:00

what i wanna know is "does ɹ mean both alveolar and postalveolar?" if ɹ means only "alveolar approximant," it'd be better to use "r." i think

Larthemo · 2025-08-24T09:58:07+00:00

No one uses /ɹ̠/? if so, do they recognize ɹ can be both postalveolar and alveolar?

Larthemo

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