L-vocalization

From Freepedia

In linguistics, l-vocalization is a process by which an /l/ sound (a lateral consonant) is replaced by a vowel or semivowel sound. This happens most often to the velarized alveolar lateral approximant [ɫ].

L-vocalization in English

L-vocalization is a notable feature of certain dialects of English, including Cockney and Estuary English, in which an /l/ sound occurring at the end of a word or before a consonant is replaced with a vowel sound, variously transcribed [o], [ʊ] or [w] resulting in pronunciations such as [mɪok], for milk, and [mɪdo], for middle.

Especially in Cockney, l-vocalization can be accompanied by phonemic mergers of vowels before the vocalized /l/. For example, real, reel and rill, which are distinct in Received Pronunciation, are homophones in Cockney as [ɹɪo]. Other possible mergers include Val/veil/vowel, full/fool/fall and dole/doll.

In the accent of Bristol, syllabic /l/ vocalized to /o/, resulting in pronunciations like /ˈbɒto/. By hypercorrection, however, some words originally ending in /o/ had this sound replaced by syllabic /l/: the original name of the town was Bristow, but this has been altered by hypercorrection to Bristol.

L-vocalization in other languages

In Brazilian Portuguese, /l/ in syllable coda position has become /w/. For example, the name of the singer and government minister Gilberto Gil is pronounced /ʒiwˈbɛχtu ʒiw/.
In Polish and the Sorbian languages, historical /ɫ/ has become /w/. For example, the word for "small" in all three languages is mały, pronounced /ˈmawɨ/ (cf. Russian малый /ˈmaɫɨj/)
In Serbo-Croatian, a historical /l/ in coda position has become /o/ and is now so spelled. For example, the Serbo-Croatian name of Belgrade is Beograd.