Fricated pre-aspirated /t/ in Middlesbrough English: an acoustic study

Acoustic and auditory analyses of the English of Middlesbrough and Newcastle (UK) have identified pre-aspirated allophones for voiceless stops in word-final position for female speakers. Acoustic analysis of the second author, a native speaker of Middlesbrough English, revealed that her pre-aspirated stops were fricated throughout in pre-vocalic position. This paper provides some preliminary acoustic results on the degree of pre-aspiration and frication of stops in Middlesbrough English, and compares results with acoustic data for the fricated /t/ of Dublin and Hiberno-English (slit-t).