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image of Hypercorrect Moun[thɨn] in Utah English
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Abstract

Abstract

This study analyzes unstressed /tən/ in words like , and . In Utah, there are three variants: North American mainstream [ʔn̩], forticized [tɨn], and local [ʔɨn]. While previous work in Utah has focused on [ʔɨn], I use an auditory analysis of wordlist data from 117 Utahns to show that [tɨn] is the majority variant in Utah and is twice as common as in other regions. I argue that fortition is a hypercorrection in response to the stigmatized local variant, [ʔɨn]. This aligns with what other studies have reported about the correctness associated with /t/-release in other phonological environments and appears to be just one instance of a broader process of fortition in Utah English.

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/content/journals/10.1075/eww.25028.sta
2026-03-13
2026-04-20
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keywords: Utah English ; fortition ; consonantal variation ; released /t/ ; hypercorrection
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