(t) Glottaling in East Anglian English: New Phonological Insights

This paper analyses (t)-glottaling – the replacement of /t/ with the glottal stop [Ɂ] – in word-final position (e.g. that). This variable has been largely explored in relation to the following phonological environment, which is commonly divided into three main contexts: pre-consonantal (e.g. that man), pre-vocalic (e.g. that apple) and pre-pausal (e.g. what?). However, little research has been carried out on the preceding phonological context. This paper aims at expanding the usual limited set of constraints employed for (t) by considering both following and preceding phonological environments. Data was collected in three East Anglian communities (Colchester, Ipswich, and Norwich) from 36 participants, stratified by age, social class, and sex. Results show that (a) the preceding phonological environment plays a remarkable role, with vowels and nasals favouring glottalled variants, and (b) that (t)-glottaling has nearly completed its social change word-finally in spontaneous speech.