Bajan English

Barbadian or Bajan English (/ˈbeɪdʒən/ BAY-jən) is a dialect of the English language as used by Barbadians (Bajans) and by Barbadian diasporas.

Barbadian English is fully rhotic and full of glottal stops. One example of Barbadian English would be the pronunciation of departments, which is [dɪˈpaːɹʔmənʔs]. It is also notable, in comparison with standard American or British English, for the first vowel in price or prize.

• The realization of theKIT vowel /ɪ/ in Barbadian English is pretty much the same as in American English, the default [ɪ].
• TheDRESS vowel /ɛ/ is [ɛ].
• TheTRAP vowel /æ/ is usually [a].
• TheLOT vowel /ɒ/ is usually [ɑ] or [ɒ].
• TheSTRUT vowel /ʌ/ is the same as in the US English, [ʌ].
• TheFOOT vowel /ʊ/ is [ʊ].
• TheFLEECE vowel /iː/ is [iː].HAPPY is best identified as an allophone of this phoneme, thus /ˈhapiː/.
• TheFACE diphthong /eɪ/ varies by region and education/class: it manifests in educated speech generally as [eː] or sometimes [eɪ], and in rural and uneducated speech as the vowel [ɛ].
• ThePALM vowel /ɑː/ is mostly [aː]. TheBATH diaphoneme is mostly to be identified with this vowel (see trap-bath split)
• TheTHOUGHT vowel /ɔː/ is [ɑː] or [ɒː].
• TheGOAT diphthong /oʊ/ is generally [oː] or [oə].
• TheNEAR /ɪər/ andSQUARE /ɛər/ sequences are both [eːɹ], resulting in the near-square merger.
• TheSTART sequence /ɑːr/ is [aːɹ].
• TheNORTH sequence /ɔːr/ is usually [ɑːɹ] or [ɒːɹ].
• TheFORCE sequence /ɔːr/ and theCURE sequence /ʊər/ are both usually [oːɹ].
• TheNURSE vowel /ɜːr/ is [ɤ].
• TheGOOSE vowel /uː/ is mostly [uː].
• ThePRICE diphthong /aɪ/ is generally [ʌɪ].
• TheCHOICE diphthong /ɔɪ/ is either [ʌɪ] or [oɪ].
• TheMOUTH diphthong /aʊ/ is [ʌʊ].
• The finalLETTER vowel /ər/ is [ɤ].
• The finalHORSES vowel /ɪ/ is [ɪ].
• The finalCOMMA vowel /ə/ is [ə].
• TheTRAP andLOT vowels are not merged in Barbadian English. However the vowels ofLOT,CLOTH, andTHOUGHT are generally merged.

• Barbados