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Kit–bit split

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The kit-bit split is a split of EME /ɪ/ found in South African English, where kit [kɪt] and bit [bət] do not rhyme. It is not clear whether this is a true phonemic split, since the distribution of the two sounds is predictable: [ɪ] is used adjacent to velars (kiss, gift, lick, big, sing, kit), after /h/ (hit), word-initially (inn), generally before /ʃ/ (fish), and by some speakers before /tʃ, dʒ/; [ə] is used elsewhere (limb, dinner, limited, bit). Nevertheless because of the phonetic similarity of the two vowels in a word like dinner [ˈdənə], Wells argues that they belong to the same phoneme /ə/, while the vowel of kiss, big, hit, inn etc. belongs to the phoneme /ɪ/.

Centralized realizations of the vowel in bit is also found in New Zealand English. Unlike in South African English, bit and kit rhyme as /bət/ and /kət/ in New Zealand English and so it doesn't involve a split.

References

  1. ^ http://www.hi.is/~peturk/KENNSLA/87/VARS/KITetc.htm
  2. ^ Wells, op.cit., pp. 612–13
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