Vowels LOT, CLOTH, PALM, THOUGHT

For many of the speakers in this region, the phonemic distinction between /a/ and /ɔ/ has been lost. The geographic distribution and status of this merger is discussed in more detail below. The phonetic realization of the merged vowel varies regionally as well as according to phonological context. Most commonly the result is an unrounded back vowel near [a] or slightly backer [a]. The rounded [ɒ] appears to be more geographically restricted and is heard among some speakers in western Pennsylvania and neighboring West Virginia. The Northern Cities Shif occurs to a limited extent in central Illinois and St. Louis. As a result, THOUGHT and CLOTH items may appear with a low and often unrounded back vowel, and LOT items may appear with a fronted vowel near [a]. In some parts of the Upper Midwest (e.g., Minnesota), the Northern Cities Shift appears to be moving into areas where the merger of /a/ and /ɔ/ has already taken hold with the result that both LOT and THOUGHT/CLOTH items can appear with fronted vowels. PALM items generally pattern with LOT, and the [l] is frequently realized as an apparent example of spelling pronunciation.