Vowels DRESS

The vowel /ε/ in the older dialect was a rather close vowel approaching [e]. During the course of this century, it has gradually opened until it is now much closer to [ε]. In Norwich, it is now also very retracted before /l/ and in the most modern accents has merged with [Λ] in this context, i.e. hell and hull are identical (Trudgill 1988).

In older forms of the dialect, /ε/ occurred not only in the expected bet, help, bed, etc., but also in a number of items which elsewhere have /æ/, such as catch, have/has/had.

In the traditional dialect of northern Norfolk, /ε/ has become /æ/ before /v/ and /ð/: never /nævə​/, together /təgæðə/. In the older dialect, shed is /ʃΛ​d/.