Template:Later English vowel development
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NOTE: In this table, abbreviations are used as follows:
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| Late Old English (Anglian), c. 1000 | Middle English pronunciation, c. 1400 | Modern English spelling, c. 1500 | Early Modern English pronunciation, c. 1600 | Modern English pronunciation, c. 2000 | Source | Example | Written as |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a; æ; ea; ā+CC; often ǣ+CC,ēa+CC; occ. ē+CC (WS ǣ+CC) | /a/ | a | /a/ | /æ/ | OE a | OE mann > man; OE lamb > lamb; OE sang > sang; OE sacc > sack; OE assa > ass (donkey) | |
| OE æ | OE fæþm embrace > fathom; OE sæt > sat; OE æt > at; OE mæsse > mass (at church) | ||||||
| OE ea | OE weax > wax; OE healf > half /hæf/ (GA) | ||||||
| OE +CC | OE āscian > ask /æsk/ (GA); OE fǣtt > fat; OE lǣstan > to last /læst/ (GA) ; OE blēddre (WS blǣddre) > bladder; OE brēmbel (WS brǣmbel) > bramble | ||||||
| (w+, not +g,ck,ng,nk) GA /ɑ/, RP /ɒ/ | OE a | OE swan > swan; OE wasċan > to wash; OE wann dark > wan | |||||
| OE æ | OE swæþ > swath; OE wæsp > wasp | ||||||
| OE ea | OE wealwian > to wallow; OE swealwe > swallow (bird) | ||||||
| (+r) /ar/ > GA /ɑr/, RP /ɑː/ | OE heard > hard; OE ærc (WS earc) > ark | ||||||
| (w+ and +r) /ɔr/ > GA /ɔr/, RP /ɔː/ | OE ea | OE swearm > swarm; OE sweart > old poetic swart >! swarthy; OE weardian > to ward; OE wearm > warm; OE wearnian > to warn | |||||
| (+lC,l#) /ɔː/ | OE smæl > small; OE all (WS eall) > all; OE walcian (WS wealcian) to roll > to walk | ||||||
| (+lm) GA /ɑ/, RP /ɑː/ | OE ælmesse > alms; Latin palma > OE palm > palm | ||||||
| (RP, often +f,s,th) /ɑː/ | OE glæs > glass; OE græs > grass; OE pæþ > path; OE æfter > after; OE āscian /ɑːsk/ > to ask; OE lǣstan /lɑːst/ > to last | ||||||
| (leng.) /aː/ [æː] | aCV | /ɛː/ | /eː/ > /ei/ | OE a | OE nama > name; OE nacod > naked; OE bacan > to bake | ||
| OE æ | OE æcer > acre; OE hwæl > whale; OE hræfn > raven | ||||||
| (+r) /eːr/ > GA /ɛr/, RP /ɛə/ | OE a | OE caru > care; OE faran > to fare; OE starian > to stare | |||||
| e; eo; occ. y; ē+CC; ēo+CC; occ. ǣ+CC,ēa+CC | /e/ | e | /ɛ/ | /ɛ/ | OE e | OE helpan > to help; OE elh (WS eolh) > elk; OE tellan > to tell; OE betera > better; OE streċċan > to stretch | |
| OE eo | OE seofon > seven | ||||||
| OE y | OE myriġ > merry; OE byrġan > to bury /bɛri/; OE lyft- weak > left (hand); OE cnyll > knell | ||||||
| OE +CC | OE cēpte > kept; OE mētte > met; OE bēcnan (WS bīecnan) > to beckon; OE clǣnsian > to cleanse; OE flǣsċ > flesh; OE lǣssa > less; OE frēond > friend /frɛnd/; OE þēofþ (WS þīefþ) > theft; OE hēold > held | ||||||
| (+r) ar | /ar/ | GA /ɑr/, RP /ɑː/ | OE heorte > heart; OE bercan (WS beorcan) > to bark; OE teoru (WS teru) > tar; OE steorra > star | ||||
| (w+ and +r) /ɔr/ > GA /ɔr/, RP /ɔː/ | AN werra > war; AN werbler > to warble | ||||||
| (occ. +r) er | /ɛr/ | /ər/ > GA /ər/, RP /ɜː/ | OE e | OE sterne (WS stierne, styrne) > stern | |||
| OE eo | OE eorl > earl; OE eorþe > earth; OE liornian, leornian > to learn | ||||||
| OE +CC | OE hērde (WS hīerde) > heard | ||||||
| (leng.) /ɛː/ | ea,eCV | /eː/ | /iː/ | OE specan > to speak; OE mete > meat; OE beofor > beaver; OE meotan (WS metan) > to mete /miːt/; OE eotan (WS etan) > to eat; OE meodu (WS medu) > mead; OE yfel > evil | |||
| (+r) /iːr/ > GA /ɪr/, RP /ɪə/ | OE spere > spear; OE mere > mere (lake) | ||||||
| (occ.) /ei/ | OE brecan > to break /breik/ | ||||||
| (occ. +r) /eːr/ > GA /ɛr/, RP /ɛə/ | OE beoran (WS beran) > to bear; OE pere, peru > pear; OE swerian > to swear; OE wer man > were- | ||||||
| (often +th,d,t,v) /ɛ/ | OE leþer > leather /lɛðɚ/; OE stede > stead; OE weder > weather; OE heofon > heaven; OE hefiġ > heavy | ||||||
| i; y; ī+CC,ȳ+CC; occ. ēoc,ēc; occ. ī+CV,ȳ+CV | /i/ | i | /ɪ/ | /ɪ/ | OE i | OE writen > written; OE sittan > to sit; OE fisċ > fish; OE lifer > liver | |
| OE y | OE bryċġ > bridge; OE cyssan > to kiss; OE dyde > did; OE synn > sin; OE gyldan > to gild; OE bysiġ > busy /bɪzi/ | ||||||
| OE +CC | OE wīsdōm > wisdom; OE fīftiġ > fifty; OE wȳsċan > to wish; OE cȳþþ(u) > kith; OE fȳst > fist | ||||||
| OE ȳ+CV,ī+CV | OE ċīcen > chicken; OE lȳtel > little | ||||||
| OE ēoc,ēc | OE sēoc > sick; OE wēoce > wick; OE ēc + nama > ME eke-name >! nickname | ||||||
| (+r) /ər/ > GA /ər/, RP /ɜː/ | OE gyrdan > to gird; OE fyrst > first; OE styrian > to stir | ||||||
| (leng. — occ.) /eː/ | ee | /iː/ | /iː/ | OE wicu > week; OE pilian > to peel; OE bitela > beetle | |||
| o; ō+CC | /o/ | o | /ɔ/ | GA /ɑ/, RP /ɒ/ | OE o | OE god > god; OE beġeondan > beyond | |
| OE +CC | OE gōdspell > gospel; OE fōddor > fodder; OE fōstrian > to foster | ||||||
| (GA, +f,s,th,g,ng) /ɔː/ | OE moþþe > moth; OE cros > cross; OE frost > frost; OE of > off; OE oft > oft; OE sōfte > soft | ||||||
| (+r) /ɔr/ > GA /ɔr/, RP /ɔː/ | OE corn > corn; OE storc > storc; OE storm > storm | ||||||
| (leng.) /ɔː/ | oa,oCV | /oː/ | GA /ou/, RP /əu/ | OE fola > foal; OE nosu > nose; OE ofer > over | |||
| (+r) /oːr/ > GA /ɔr/, RP /ɔː/ | OE borian > to bore; OE fore > fore; OE bord > board | ||||||
| u; occ. y; ū+CC; w+ e,eo,o,y +r | /u/ | u,o | /ʊ/ | /ʌ/ | OE u | OE bucc > buck /bʌk/; OE lufian > to love /lʌv/; OE uppe > up; OE on bufan > above | |
| OE y | OE myċel > ME muchel >! much; OE blysċan > to blush; OE cyċġel > cudgel; OE clyċċan > to clutch; OE sċytel > shuttle | ||||||
| OE +CC | OE dūst > dust; OE tūsc > tusk; OE rūst > rust | ||||||
| (b,f,p+ and +l,sh) /ʊ/ | OE full > full /fʊl/; OE bula > bull; OE bysċ > bush | ||||||
| (+r) /ər/ > GA /ər/, RP /ɜː/ | OE u | OE spurnan > to spurn | |||||
| OE y | OE ċyriċe > church; OE byrþen > burden; OE hyrdel > hurdle | ||||||
| OE w+,+r | OE word > word; OE werc (WS weorc) > work; OE werold > world; OE wyrm > worm; OE wersa (WS wiersa) > worse; OE weorþ > worth | ||||||
| (leng. — occ.) /oː/ | oo | /uː/ | /uː/ | OE (brȳd)-guma > ME (bride)-gome >! (bride)-groom | |||
| (+r) /uːr/ > /oːr/ > GA /ɔr/, RP /ɔː/ | OE duru > door | ||||||
| (often +th,d,t) /ʌ/ | ? | ||||||
| (occ. +th,d,t) /ʊ/ | OE wudu > wood /wʊd/ | ||||||
| ā; often a+ld,mb | /ɔː/ | oa,oCV | /oː/ | GA /ou/, RP /əu/ | OE ā | OE āc > oak; OE hāl > whole | |
| OE +ld,mb | OE camb > comb; OE ald (WS eald) > old; OE haldan (WS healdan) > to hold | ||||||
| (+r) /oːr/ > GA /ɔr/, RP /ɔː/ | OE ār > oar, ore; OE māra > more; OE bār > boar; OE sār > sore | ||||||
| ǣ; ēa | /ɛː/ | ea,eCV | /eː/ | /iː/ | OE ǣ | OE hǣlan > to heal /hiːl/; OE hǣtu > heat; OE hwǣte > wheat | |
| OE ēa | OE bēatan > to beat /biːt/; OE lēaf > leaf; OE ċēap > cheap | ||||||
| (+r) /iːr/ > GA /ɪr/, RP /ɪə/ | OE rǣran > to rear ; OE ēare > ear; OE sēar > sere; OE sēarian > to sear | ||||||
| (occ.) /ei/ | OE grēat > great /greit/ | ||||||
| (occ. +r) /eːr/ > GA /ɛr/, RP /ɛə/ | OE ǣr > ere (before) | ||||||
| (often +th,d,t) /ɛ/ | OE ǣ | OE brǣþ odor > breath; OE swǣtan > to sweat; OE -sprǣdan > to spread | |||||
| OE ēa | OE dēad > dead /dɛd/; OE dēaþ death; OE þrēat menace > threat; OE rēad > red; OE dēaf > deaf | ||||||
| ē; ēo; often e+ld | /eː/ | ee,ie(nd/ld) | /iː/ | /iː/ | OE ē | OE fēdan > to feed; OE grēdiġ (WS grǣdiġ) > greedy; OE mē > me; OE fēt > feet; OE dēd (WS dǣd) > deed; OE nēdl (WS nǣdl) > needle | |
| OE ēo | OE dēop deep; OE fēond > fiend; OE betwēonum > between; OE bēon > to be | ||||||
| OE +ld | OE feld > field; OE ġeldan (WS ġieldan) to pay > to yield | ||||||
| (often +r) /ɛːr/ | ear,erV | /eːr/ | /iːr/ > GA /ɪr/, RP /ɪə/ | OE ē | OE hēr > here; OE hēran (WS hīeran) > to hear; OE fēr (WS fǣr) > fear | ||
| OE ēo | OE dēore (WS dīere) > dear | ||||||
| (occ.) /eːr/ > GA /ɛr/, RP /ɛə/ | OE þēr (WS þǣr) > there; OE hwēr (WS hwǣr) > where | ||||||
| (occ. +r) /eːr/ | eer | /iːr/ | /iːr/ > GA /ɪr/, RP /ɪə/ | OE bēor > beer; OE dēor > deer; OE stēran (WS stīeran) > to steer; OE bēr (WS bǣr) > bier | |||
| ī; ȳ; often i+ld,mb,nd; often y+ld,mb,nd | /iː/ | i,iCV | /əi/ | /ai/ | OE ī | OE rīdan > to ride; OE tīma > time; OE hwīt > white; OE mīn > mine (of me) | |
| OE ȳ | OE mȳs > mice; OE brȳd > bride; OE hȳdan > to hide | ||||||
| OE +ld,mb,nd | OE findan > to find; OE ċild > child; OE climban > to climb; OE mynd > mind | ||||||
| (+r) /air/ > GA /air/, RP /aiə/ | OE fȳr > fire; OE hȳrian > to hire; OE wīr > wire | ||||||
| ō; occ. ēo | /oː/ | oo | /u:/ | /u:/ | OE ō | OE mōna > moon; OE sōna > soon; OE fōd > food /fuːd/; OE dōn > to do | |
| OE ēo | OE cēosan > to choose; OE sċēotan > to shoot | ||||||
| (+r) /uːr/ > /oːr/ > GA /ɔr/, RP /ɔː/ | OE flōr > floor; OE mōr > moor | ||||||
| (occ. +th,d,v) /ʌ/ | OE blōd > blood /blʌd/; OE mōdor > mother /mʌðə(r)/; OE glōf > glove /glʌv/ | ||||||
| (often +th,d,t,k) /ʊ/ | OE gōd > good /gʊd/; OE bōc > book /bʊk/; OE lōcian > to look /lʊk/; OE fōt > foot /fʊt/ | ||||||
| ū; often u+nd | /uː/ | ou | /əu/ | /au/ | OE ū | OE mūs > mouse; OE ūt, ūte > out; OE hlūd > loud | |
| OE +nd | OE ġefunden > found; OE hund > hound; OE ġesund > sound (safe) | ||||||
| (+r) /aur/ > GA /aur/, RP /auə/ | OE | OE ūre > our; OE sċūr > shower; OE sūr > sour | |||||
| (occ. +t) /ʌ/ | OE būtan > but; OE strūtian > ME strouten > to strut |
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