Vowels TRAP

The TRAP vowel is generally realized as /a/, the primary cardinal vowel No 4 (e.g. in man, tap, hand, thank, arrow, saddle). The other realizations are due to the analogy with some existing pattern. For example, [plet] plait is due to the analogy with other words with ai (maid, plain, trail) where the FACE vowel is locally restructured to /e/. /e/ further occurs in a sizable number of words where the RP Trisyllabic Laxing rule does not apply, and the vowel of the base is maintained; e.g. s[e]nity, prof[e]nity, (quite often) n[e]tional and decl[e]rative. The occurrence of /e/ in [rieliti] reality is difficult to account for. Finally, the /ɔ/ of [ɔ] lgiers, [ɔ] lgeria is presumably due to the analogy with other words with al like chalk, salt, talk.