Vowels GOAT

Avis (1961) described a complex pattern involving GOAT in ENE. Reporting on the data from LANE, Avis argues that there are, in fact, two phonemes: an upgliding phoneme that appears word-finally, and another phoneme in which alternation can be found between monophthongal [o] and one with a fronted inglide [əo]. Avis (1961: 552) also notes that the monophthongal vowel is more likely to be found in “dialectal” speech than in words “learned in school”. Avis does not report on this vowel in WNE. Roberts (1997) indicates that GOAT is produced as a lowered, lax vowel with either no glide or a shortened upglide in VT. All older and younger adult speakers produce low, lax GOAT, overlapping with their productions of FORCE.

Laferriere (1977: 431) reports GOAT as  as a feature of Boston English.