Vowels before /l/

The effect of /l/ on the preceding tautosyllabic vowel, although not as drastic as that of /ɹ̣/, is still noticeable. Postvocalic /l/ is highly velarized (dark) in American English, and this has a retracting effect on the front vowels. As a result, we have a more centralized vowel in the second word of each pair below:

The effect of the postvocalic /l/ on the remaining vowels (central and back) and diphthongs is more of a raising and backing, but might be less noticeable.

In Southern states and in the Mid-Atlantic region the mergers of /ul/-/ʊl/ (e.g. pool– pull) and /il/-/ɪl/ (e.g. peel– pill) are common. Also reported is the /Λl/-/ol/ merger in California.