Mary-marry-merry merger

English

(without the Mary–marry–merry merger) enPR: mâr′ē măr′ē mĕr′ē mûr′jər
(US, without the Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /ˈmeɹ.i ˈmæɹ.i ˈmɛɹ.i ˌmɝ.d͡ʒɚ/
- Audio (US, without the Mary–marry–merry merger); “Mary-marry-merry”: (file)
(US, Canada, Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛɹ.i ˈmɛɹ.i ˈmɛɹ.i ˌmɝ.d͡ʒɚ/
(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛəɹ.i ˈmæɹ.i ˈmɛɹ.i ˌmɜː.d͡ʒə/
- (Standard Southern British) IPA^(key): [ˈmɛːɹ.ɪj ˈmaɹ.ɪj ˈmɛɹ.ɪj ˌməː.d͡ʒə]
(Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈmeɹ.i ˈmaɹ.i ˈmɛɹ.i ˌmɛɹ.d͡ʒəɹ/
(General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈmeːɹ.i ˈmæɹ.i ˈmeɹ.i ˌmɜː.d͡ʒə/
(New Zealand, without the cheer–chair merger) IPA^(key): /ˈmeə̯ɹ.i ˈmɛɹ.i ˈmeɹ.i ˌmøː.d͡ʒɘ/
(New Zealand, cheer–chair merger) IPA^(key): /ˈmiə̯ɹ.i ˈmɛɹ.i ˈmeɹ.i ˌmøː.d͡ʒɘ/
(Philadelphia, merry–Murray merger) IPA^(key): /ˈmeɹ.i ˈmæɹ.i ˈmʌɹ.i ˌmɝ.d͡ʒɚ/
(Lancashire, fair–fur merger) IPA^(key): /ˈmɜːɹ.ɪ ˈmaɹ.ɪ ˈmɛɹ.ɪ ˌmɜː(ɹ).d͡ʒə(ɹ)/
(India) IPA^(key): /ˈmæʳ.iː ˈmæɾ.iː ˈmer.iː ˌmɜːʳ.d͡ʒɜʳ/
Hyphenation: Ma‧ry-mar‧ry-mer‧ry merg‧er

(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.