Date:  Wed, 16 Apr 1997 17:21:55 -0400
<br>From:  Jules Levin  jflevin[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UCRAC1.UCR.EDU 
<br>Subject: Re: hypercorrect intervocalic /t/
<br>
<br>At 02:58 PM 4/16/97 -0400, you wrote:
<br>   The minimal pair for most speakers would be
<br>   'enter' and 'inner' and they seem to have merged.
<br> 
<br> Does that mean So. Cal has that southern thang where "ten" and "tin" are
<br> identical?
<br> 
<br> For me, from the Northeast, the Internet could just as well be spelled
<br> Innernet (with a truly miniscule distinction, if any) but certainly not
<br> Enternet.
<br>
<br>
<br>I'm afraid it does mean that. This does not seem to be a complete merger
<br>like cot and caught, but for many many young speakers at least pairs like
<br>pin and pen are homophones.
<br>By the way, Allan Metcalf noted this in his 'Riverside English', published
<br>here 25 years ago when we were still priviledged to have him working here.
<br>
<br>Jules Levin
<br>