The short monophthongs

1. KIT: As with general SAfE, InSAfE shows a ‘KIT-split’. That is, the value before or after velar and glottal consonants is [ɪ] (as in kit, big, sing, hit, sick, give). The most common realization in other contexts is a centralized vowel  (as in bit, fit, sit, bin, etc.). Further retraction before /l/ as in bill, kill, will to [ɪ] or  is possible.

2. DRESS: The usual realization of this vowel is [e] or a slightly centralized [ё], which differs from raised equivalents in general SAfE and [ε] in varieties of British and American English. Before /l/ the latter ([ε]) does occur with some centralizing, as in bell, sell, etc.

3. TRAP: The usual realization of this vowel is a lowered [ε] or raised [æ]. In this regard it differs from raised equivalents like [e] in broad SAfE or fully lowered equivalents like [æ] in RP and general American English.

4. FOOT: The usual realization in InSAfE is a weakly-rounded back [ʊ]. An unrounded, lowered variant [ɤ] may also occur. Centralizing of the vowel, which is an increasing feature of varieties of L1 English world-wide, is not associated with core InSAfE. However, younger speakers in contact with general SAfE may show this feature in certain non-vernacular styles.

5. STRUT: The usual realization is [Λ], which is a low back vowel. Although some centralization is possible within the InSAfE spectrum it is never as fronted as younger, general SAfE centralized . Allophones are more retracted before velars, as in duck and rug, which have [Λ].

6. LOT: The usual realization is [ɒ], a weakly-rounded back vowel. The unrounding and centralizing that one finds among younger, general SAfE speakers, is not an option in InSAfE. There is some sharing between elements of the LOT and CAUGHT sets among older InSAfE speakers. In vernacular styles the following may be lengthened to [ɔ:] : lot, coffee, pond, pod, boss, salt.

Before nasals there is an age-graded difference in the treatment of the LOT vowel. Some older speakers have [Λ] in words like comment, condemn, non-whites. This is probably an inheritance from IndE, as speakers attempted an approximation of schwa. Younger InSAfE speakers generally produce [ɒ] here, though non- allows [ɒ] or [ɔ:]. Related words like tomato and connect are discussed under schwa.