Do you pronounce "cot" and "caught" the same? (live, vs.) - General U.S. - City-Data Forum

Sharks With Lasers · 08-03-2008, 08:26 PM

Also, what's your hometown area?

I grew up near Lansing, Michigan and pronounce "cot" and "caught" differently. Also "Don" and "Dawn" sound different.

Iconographer · 08-03-2008, 08:27 PM

Yes, I do (native of Atlanta)

dxiweodwo · 08-03-2008, 08:29 PM

yes I do

neil0311 · 08-03-2008, 08:29 PM

Nope. A native of the northeast. Cot sounds like "kaaht" while caught sounds like "khawt".

coldwine · 08-03-2008, 08:34 PM

I pronounce them very differently. kawt vs. kaht.

Torresdale · 08-03-2008, 08:37 PM

No, I don't. I also pronounce Don and dawn different too. And Mary, Marry(ma-ow-ry) and Merry(murray) are all pronounced differently.

Sharks With Lasers · 08-03-2008, 08:39 PM

Well - I was hoping to see if the maps that say where "cot" and "caught" are the same or different are accurate. That's kind of why I wanted to know what region/state people are from as well.

miamiman · 08-03-2008, 08:45 PM

I pronounce cot and caught differently.

Born and raised in Miami when Miami was the South. Family goes back in South Florida several generations; they all have STRONG southern accents. I also lived a long time in the New York area.

lammius · 08-03-2008, 08:53 PM

I pronounce them very differently. My accent is weird, though. Strange Philadelphia-Tidewattah VA hybrid (Philadelphia vowel pronunciations and I drop "R").

kacvb1974 · 08-03-2008, 08:57 PM

I'm a native Dallassite and have always pronounced cot and caught, don and dawn, merry/marry/Mary the exact same way. LOL, it blows my mind that Mary and its spelling variations could have 3 separate pronunciations?!

Links that have "official" audio pronunciations--
caught - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary has it pronounced kȯt. Whereas cot - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is ˈkät. I listened several times and to my ear, I did hear a slight difference. Who knew?!