Stressed vowel system DRESS, TRAP

This neutralization is a sociolinguistic variable, but the neutralization is heard from the majority of younger speakers before any /l/. Such speakers may therefore not distinguish Alan and Ellen, or salary and celery. In Wellington data we have analyzed, the neutralized vowel is realized as a vowel which is opener and more retracted than either of DRESS or TRAP, although it appears that values intermediate between DRESS and TRAP are also found.