Editing Singapore English (section)

==== ''Next''–''text'' split ====

For nearly all speakers, the words ''next'' and ''text'' do not rhyme due to a vowel split affecting the {{sc2|DRESS}} [[lexical set]]. The word ''next'' is realised with the raised vowel{{nbsp}}{{IPAblink|e}}, which is distinguished from the low-mid vowel{{nbsp}}{{IPAblink|ɛ}} in ''text''.<ref name="deterding1" /> The raised vowel{{nbsp}}{{IPAblink|e}} occurs unsystematically in a small number of words including ''leg'', ''dead'' and ''head'' (and their derivatives). Other words like ''fed'' and ''neck'' do not have this vowel. For many speakers, it is equivalent to the vowel in {{sc2|FACE}}, in which case ''dead'' rhymes with ''made'', but not with ''fed''. Taking this into account, speakers with the complete [[Met–mat merger|''met''–''mat'' merger]] will distinguish ''lag''{{nbsp}}{{IPAblink|ɛ}} from ''leg''{{nbsp}}{{IPAblink|e}}, but not the words ''lad'' {{IPAblink|ɛ}} and ''led'' {{IPAblink|ɛ}}. The raised vowel can also occur in ''red'', making ''red''{{nbsp}}{{IPAblink|e}} and ''read''{{nbsp}}{{IPAblink|ɛ}} (as in ''I have read the book'') non-[[homophones]].<ref name="deterdingbook" /><ref name=nwavconference /><ref name="emergent-patterns" />

Speakers use the raised vowel {{IPAblink|e}} in ''bed'', ''dead'', ''edge'', ''egg'', ''head'', ''heavy'', ''instead'', ''leg'', ''next'', ''red'', ''said'' and ''says'',<ref name=nwavconference>{{cite conference |first1=R. L. |last1=Starr |first2=A. |last2=Choo |title=The NEXT-TEXT split in Singapore English: Comparing self-report and speech production |conference=[[New Ways of Analyzing Variation|NWAV 48]] |date=October 2019 }}</ref> though for some of these words, like ''edge'', raising is less consistent, and varies from speaker to speaker.<ref name=nwavconference /> The vast majority of other words like ''mess'', ''beg'' and ''dread'' continue to use the more common low-mid vowel{{nbsp}}{{IPAblink|ɛ}}.<ref name="deterding1" /><ref name="emergent-patterns" /><ref name=nwavconference /> The ''next''–''text'' split appears to be motivated by the ''met''–''mat'' merger in the speech of younger Singaporeans,<ref name=eaemerger /><ref name=nwavconference /> who are more likely than older speakers to raise the vowel in ''next'', though younger speakers raise it to a lower height on average.<ref name=nwavconference /> While words with the raised vowel tend to end in voiced stop consonants like {{IPA|/d/}} and {{IPA|/ɡ/}}, this split is not phonologically conditioned, unlike {{IPA|/ɛɡ/}} [[Pacific Northwest English#Commonalities with Canada| raising]] in [[Pacific Northwest English]].<ref name=eaemerger />