Mary-marry-merry merger

English

Pronunciation

• (US, without the Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /ˌmeɹi ˌmæɹi ˌˈmɛɹi ˌmɝd͡ʒɚ/

  • Audio (US, without the Mary–marry–merry merger); “Mary-marry-merry”:

    (file)

• (US, Canada, Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /ˌmɛɹi ˌmɛɹi ˈmɛɹi ˌmɝd͡ʒɚ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛəɹi ˌmæɹi ˈmɛɹi ˌmɜːd͡ʒə/
  • (Standard Southern British) IPA^(key): [ˌmɛːɹɪj ˌmaɹɪj ˈmɛɹɪj ˌməːd͡ʒə]
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˌmeɹi ˌˌmaɹi ˈmɛɹi ˌmɛɹdʒəɹ/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˌmeːɹi ˌmæɹi ˈmeɹi ˌmɜːd͡ʒə/
• (New Zealand, without the cheer–chair merger) IPA^(key): /ˌmeə̯ɹi ˌmɛɹi ˈmeɹi ˌmøːd͡ʒɘ/
• (New Zealand, cheer–chair merger) IPA^(key): /ˌmiə̯ɹi ˌmɛɹi ˈmeɹi ˌmøːd͡ʒɘ/
• (Philadelphia, merry–Murray merger) IPA^(key): /ˌmeɹi ˌmæɹi ˈmʌɹi ˌˌmɝd͡ʒɚ/
• (Lancashire, fair–fur merger) IPA^(key): /ˈmɜːɹɪ ˌmaɹɪ ˈmɛɹɪ ˌmɜː(ɹ)d͡ʒə(ɹ)/

Noun

Mary-marry-merry merger

1. (phonology) A phonemic merger where the vowels in "mare", "pat" and "pet" are pronounced the same before /r/, making "Mary", "marry" and "merry" homophones.