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Department of English
The Raleigh Language Project

Results

Graphs

Mid front vowel (un–)reversal, Black and White speakers

Speaker mean Z2-Z1 for the mid front vowels, showing the weakening of the Southern Vowel Shift across apparent time.

/ai/ glide in voiced or free contexts, Black and White speakers

Speaker mean Z2-Z1 for the /ai/ glide (75% of vowel duration) before voiced consonants, showing the weakening of the Southern Vowel Shift across apparent time.

/u/ and /o/ nucleus Z2, White and Black speakers only

Speaker mean Z2 for the /u/ and /o/ nucleus (25% of vowel duration) separated by preceding coronal vs. non-coronal, showing different patterns for White and Black speakers, and backing of both vowels among White speakers starting around 1980 in apparent time.