æ-tensing video / file

[duiter]

Dear all,

Where can I listen to æ-tensing on the Internet ?
Can someone help me to listen to this æ-tensing by giving to link on youtube or mp3 or link with sound ?

Many thanks

 

[thatone]

/ae/ tensing before all vowels is a characteristics of the Northern Cities Vowel Shift. You can hear professor Labov talk about this in this NPR recording, where you can hear the differences between the different ways Americans pronounce the /ae/ sound (pure /æ/ versus /eə/).

Otherwise here's a video of a senator from Wisconsin. Skip to 0:17 and listen to how he says "tax."

For more samples I suggest visiting this website, and listen to samples of people from Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota.

 

[duiter]

Thanks to Thatone,

'' Otherwise here's a video of a senator from Wisconsin. Skip to 0:17 and listen to how he says "tax."
To my ear ( I have listened it many times ) : this '' tax '' sounds like pure æ not tense æ

Would any native speaker speakers listen to '' tax '' from Wisconsin guy ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQsV4q9wl3I
Skip to 0:17 and listen to how he says "tax."


Many thanks

 

[thatone]

Well, to me the æ in taxes sounds very raised, closer to /eə/, however I might be wrong, and I too call for a native to clear this up.

I found an interesting video on the subject just yesterday, an imitation of Michael Moore, who is from Michigan. Here the æ tensing is very clear, though exaggerated. Notice how he says capitalism, mad, Mac...