1043: Variety of L Oct 17, 2017

English has at least two different ways that the letter 'L' is pronounced. To hear the difference, say the word 'feel' and then 'leaf'. The distinction is fairly standard though blurred in words ‘feeling’. The reason for this is that it the /l/ and /ɫ/ as they are written in IPA depend largely upon where they belong in a syllable. If the 'L' is an onset, as in 'fee-ling', it will be pronounced as it is in 'leaf' with an /l/, whereas if it is said as the coda, as in 'feel-ing', it will be pronounced with the /ɫ/. This, however, can vary within a single accent or dialect.