Consonants

Semi-vowels: W/WH, J

In words beginning with wh-, some American dialects have retained a historically older consonant cluster with an initial velar fricative [x] before the approximant [w], so that, unlike many mainstream varieties of English, which is not homophonous with witch; this occurs in WMwE, InlNE, CanE, conservative NEngE, SAmE (though no longer among young urban speakers), ChcE, and JamC. The approximant [w] itself may be substituted by a labiodental voiced fricative [v] – regularly in TobC, possibly in T&TC, BahE, NfldE and CajE; both sounds are reported to have merged in several Eastern Caribbean islands as well.

So-called “jod-dropping”, the omission of /j/ after alveolars and before [u:] in words such as tune or news, is widely considered a characteristic feature of AmE as against BrE/RP, although within North America some dialects have retained the historical pronunciation with /j/. In our data, the feature of “jod-dropping” is reported as occurring normally in WMwE, InlNE, PhilE, NYCE, NEngE, and BahE, and as occurring in certain environments in SAmE (notably in new urban dialects), CanE, NfldE and ChcE.