Mary-marry-merry merger

English

Pronunciation

• (without the Mary–marry–merry merger) enPR: mâr′ē măr′ē mĕr′ē mûr′jər
• (US, without the Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /ˈmeɹi ˈmæɹi ˈmɛɹi ˌmɝd͡ʒɚ/

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

    (file)

• (US, Canada, Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛɹi ˈmɛɹi ˈmɛɹi ˌmɝd͡ʒɚ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛəɹi ˈmæɹi ˈmɛɹi ˌmɜːd͡ʒə/
  • (Standard Southern British) IPA^(key): [ˈmɛːɹɪj ˈmaɹɪj ˈmɛɹɪj ˌməːd͡ʒə]
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈmeɾe ˈmaɾe ˈmɛɾe ˌmɛɾd͡ʒəɾ/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈmeːɹi ˈmæɹi ˈmeɹi ˌmɜːd͡ʒə/
• (New Zealand, without the cheer–chair merger) IPA^(key): /ˈmeə̯ɹi ˈmɛɹi ˈmeɹi ˌmøːd͡ʒɘ/
• (New Zealand, cheer–chair merger) IPA^(key): /ˈmiə̯ɹi ˈmɛɹi ˈmeɹi ˌmøːd͡ʒɘ/
• (Philadelphia, merry–Murray merger) IPA^(key): /ˈmeɹi ˈmæɹi ˈmʌɹi ˌmɝd͡ʒɚ/
• (Lancashire, fair–fur merger) IPA^(key): /ˈmɜːɹɪ ˈmaɹɪ ˈmɛɹɪ ˌmɜː(ɹ)d͡ʒə(ɹ)/
• (India) IPA^(key): /ˈmæʳiː ˈmæriː ˈmeriː ˌmɜːʳd͡ʒɜʳ/
• Hyphenation: Ma‧ry-mar‧ry-mer‧ry merg‧er

Noun

the Mary-marry-merry merger

2. (phonology) A phonemic merger where the vowels in "mare", "pat", "pet" (usually pronounced mâr, păt, pĕt respectively) are pronounced the same before r, making "Mary", "marry", "merry" homophones.