Editing Estuary English (section)

====/l/-vocalization====
It has been widely observed that EE exhibits vocalization of preconsonantal/final /l/, perhaps with various vowel mergers before it (an informal example being "miwk bottoo" for "milk bottle"). Wells cites the specific case of allophony in GOAT (> [ɒʊ] before dark /l/ or its reflex), leading perhaps to a phonemic split ("wholly" vs. "holy"). This topic is usually referred to as [[L-vocalization]]. There is said to be alternation between the vocalized {{IPA|[o ~ ʊ ~ ɯ]}}, dark non-vocalized {{IPA|[ɫ]}} and clear non-vocalized {{IPA|[l]}}, depending on the word.<ref name="przed45"/> These alternations happen in final positions or in a final consonant cluster, e.g. ''sold'' (pronounced {{IPA|[sɔʊd]}}). In London, that may even occur before a vowel: ''girl out'' {{IPA|[ɡɛo ˈæoʔ]}}.<ref name="ashby">{{Harvcoltxt|Ashby|2011}}</ref> In all phonetic environments, male London speakers were at least twice as likely to vocalize the dark l as female London speakers.<ref name="ashby"/> According to {{Harvcoltxt|Ladefoged|Maddieson|1996}}, the vocalized dark l is sometimes an unoccluded lateral approximant, which differs from the RP {{IPA|[ɫ]}} only by the lack of the alveolar contact.<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Ladefoged|Maddieson|1996|p=193}}</ref>

/l/-vocalization can lead to loss of distinctions between some vowels and diphthongs. Examples of [[English-language vowel changes before historic /l/|vowel mergers before historic {{IPA|/l/|cat=no}}]] found in EE are:

* {{IPA|/iːl/}} (as in {{sc2|REEL}}) merges with {{IPA|/ɪəl/}} (as in {{sc2|REAL}}).<ref name="wells94"/> 
* {{IPA|/ɔɪl/}} (as in {{sc2|OIL}}) merges with {{IPA|/ɔɪəl/}} (as in {{sc2|ROYAL}}).<ref name="wells94"/>
* {{IPA|/aʊl/}} (as in {{sc2|OWL}}) merges with {{IPA|/aʊəl/}} (as in {{sc2|VOWEL}}).<ref name="wells94"/>
* Other possible mergers include the following:
** {{IPA|/iːl/}} (as in {{sc2|FEEL}}) can merge with {{IPA|/ɪl/}} (as in {{sc2|FILL}}).<ref name="wells94"/> Since {{IPA|/ɪəl/}} merges with {{IPA|/iːl/}},<ref name="wells94"/> it also participates in this merger.
** {{IPA|/uːl/}} (as in {{sc2|POOL}}) can merge with both {{IPA|/ʊl/}} (as in {{sc2|PULL}}) and {{IPA|/ɔːl/}} (as in {{sc2|PAUL}}).<ref name="wells94"/>
** {{IPA|/eɪl/}} (as in {{sc2|VEIL}}) can merge with both {{IPA|/æl/}} (as in {{sc2|VAL}}) and {{IPA|/aʊəl/}} (as in {{sc2|VOWEL}}).<ref name="wells94"/>
** {{IPA|/ɛl/}} (as in {{sc2|WELL}}) can merge with {{IPA|/ɜːl/}} (as in {{sc2|WHIRL}}).<ref name="wells94"/>
** {{IPA|/aɪl/}} (as in {{sc2|CHILD'S}}) can merge with {{IPA|/ɑːl/}} (as in {{sc2|CHARLES}}).<ref name="wells94"/>
** {{IPA|/ɒl/}} (as in {{sc2|DOLL}}) can merge with {{IPA|/ɒʊl/}} (as in {{sc2|DOLE}}).<ref name="wells94"/>

{{Harvcoltxt|Przedlacka|2001}} found coda {{IPA|/l/}} pronounced as clear {{IPAblink|l}}, as in most accents of [[Irish English]], in some speakers: she notes that in her study, "all four Essex speakers have a clear {{IPA|[l]}} in ''pull''."<ref name="przed45">{{Harvcoltxt|Przedlacka|2001|p=45}}</ref>

/l/-vocalization appears to be spreading into RP (or GB, the similar accent referred to by some writers). Collins et al say "Traditional RP speakers tend to stigmatize this feature, which is nevertheless one of the most striking changes going on in present-day GB English".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Collins |first1=Beverley |last2=Mees |first2=Inger |last3=Carley |first3=Paul |title=Practical English Phonetics and Phonology |date=2019 |publisher=Routledge |page=73 |edition=4th }}</ref>