Sample dialect map
Top matches- Philadelphia94%
- Baltimore87%
- South Jersey81%
Most revealing word: bubbler
Cot Caught Merger
About half of Americans pronounce cot and caught the same way. The other half hear a clear difference. This vowel merger is one of the most important dividing lines in modern American English.
FreeNo signup15–20 questionsPersonal mapShareable result
What the Cot-Caught Merger Is
The merger means the vowel in cot, Don, and hock sounds identical to the vowel in caught, Dawn, and hawk. Speakers with the merger produce one low back vowel where unmerged speakers produce two distinct sounds.
The Geography of the Merger
The merger is nearly universal in the Western U.S., Canada, and parts of the Midwest. It is largely absent from the South, the Northeast corridor, and many Inland North cities. The boundary runs roughly through the Great Plains.
Why the Merger Is Spreading
The cot-caught merger is one of the most active sound changes in American English. It is spreading eastward and into younger generations. Linguists track it as a live example of language change in progress.
How the Quiz Scores It
Answering yes, cot and caught sound the same adds points toward Western and Canadian regions. Answering no pushes toward Southern, Northeastern, and New England patterns. Like all quiz questions, this is one signal among many — the full pattern across 15 questions produces the final result.
Was this page helpful?
Quick feedback helps us decide which explanations deserve more detail.
No vote yet.