Yod coalescence and yod deletion

Coalescence of /tj/, /dj/, /sj/, and /zj/ to  is a general feature of Received Pronunciation (Ramsaran 1990: 187–188; Cruttenden 1994: 192), heard regularly for example in attitude, residue, tissue, usual. Coalesced forms are becoming increasingly apparent in all positions in RP, where they provide a less formal alternative to the more “careful” forms. The resistance to coalescence word-initially and before stressed vowels (dune, reduce) to which Ramsaran refers is more a feature of trad-RP speakers than of those of RP, although non-coalesced forms might be expected to be more regularly heard in their pronunciation of higher-level lexical items: for example pendulate is likely to be  as well as .

It is usual in RP for the combination /lu:/ to occur word-initially and following unaccented vowels in those words where historically /lju:/ occurred and where it is in consequence found in Refined RP and some trad-RP. Thus RP lute and loot are homophonous.

Yod deletion is similarly characteristic word-initially in RP in such words as super and suit, where [sju:] is found variably with [su:] in trad-RP.