Monophthongization: 'I' → 'ah'

The most recognizable feature of Southern English is monophthongization of /aɪ/. The diphthong "I" (which glides from /a/ to /ɪ/) becomes a single long vowel /aː/.

Examples:

• GenAm: "ride" = /ɹaɪd/ (two-part vowel)
• Southern: "ride" = /ɹaːd/ (single long vowel, sounds like "rahd")

This is especially strong before voiced consonants and at the end of words:

• "time" → "tahm"
• "five" → "fahv"
• "my" → "mah"

Before voiceless consonants, the diphthong is often kept:

• "right" still has /aɪ/ in many Southern dialects
• "rice" keeps the diphthong