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The Cot-Caught Merger
Like California, the Midwest merges "cot" and "caught" — but the Midwest led this change.
- "Don" and "Dawn" sound identical
- "cot" and "caught" are the same
- "stock" and "stalk" are the same
- "pop" (not "soda"!) has the merged vowel
The Midwest also uses "pop" instead of "soda" — a vocabulary difference that's a strong regional marker.
Listen Across Accents
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Don got caught stocking the pop on the wrong shelf.
Your Turn — 2 exercises
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