How do you pronounce "egg" and "leg"??? (live in, cities)

[EddieOlSkool]

I've witnessed this weird phenomenon in many places I've lived where some people pronounce words like "egg" and "leg" with a similar Vowel to words like "face" or "tame". It sounds like "ayg" and "layg". Where does this odd pronunciation come from? I know it's not regional as I've heard it everywhere I've traveled but never at a high enough occurrence that it could be placed to a particular region.

Do you say these words like this?

[eschaton]

People from the Midwest? Sounds like Northern Cities Vowel Shift to me.

[Perseus7]

I just spent a good few minutes saying them over and ever, and Im pretty sure I do say it the "ayg" and "layg" way. I mean, at least for me, its not as pronounced as the way you spelled it to be, but its definitely in that vicinity. And I live in Milwaukee which would support the Northern Cities Vowel shift.

[JerseyGirl415]

Same as met and bet.

[GraniteStater]

Drag, Snag, Tag are the same way, northern cities vowel shifted, otherwise known as Canadian raising- common in the Upper Midwest.

[EricNorthman]

I saw egg like ayg but leg like beg. So, I didn't vote.

[jennifat]

None of those, so I can't participate in the poll.

For me, "egg" and "leg" rhyme with....nothing except for other words that end with "-eg".

There's sort of a tiny subtle difference for me between egg/leg and met/bet, but barely. It's kind of like if there's a halfway between "ehh" and "aay", that's where egg/leg is.

[lammius]

eh, much like:

met
bet
rest
merry
let
wed
sled
schlep
...or any other word with a short "e"

[grega94]

Well I guess I'm weird cause I pronounce as ayg and layg, egg and leg just very weird to me and I have never heard anyone say it that way. Or maybe I just never payed attention, either way I was born and raised in Seattle area. Though I grew up with Russian parents and siblings so sometimes I miss pronounce words, but that is rarely.

[Ghengis]

"egg" and, "leg"