Date:    Wed, 13 May 1998 02:31:35 -0500
<br>From:    Buchmann <buchmann[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]BELLSOUTH.NET>
<br>Subject: Re: been: Ben vs. bin
<br>
<br>In the South the difference
<br>in vowel sound is pretty
<br>well opaque to a native speaker:
<br>10 = tin/ten;
<br>been = bin/ben;
<br>wren = wren/wrin;
<br>pen/pin = pin/pen;
<br>etc., etc., etc.
<br>
<br>I used to confuse a friend in regular linguistics
<br>when I would refer to our mutual friend "Len."
<br>My friend [of the first part] would always ask
<br>[in genuine puzzlement - as in chocolate] "Who's
<br>Lynn?"
<br>